| Origami Heaven A paperfolding
paradise
The website of
writer and paperfolding designer David Mitchell
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| Modules and Modular
Families |
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| Modules
are geometrical paperfolds which can be combined into
modular assemblies. Most modules are folded from a single
sheet of paper but it is also possible to design compound
modules which are folded from several. Threre are a huge variety of
designs for modules, many of which are derived from each
other, or are sufficiently similar in folding method and
structure that they can be grouped into modular families.
There are, of course, singleton modules as well.
Like real families,
modular families are seldom clearly defined and tend to
merge into each other and overlap (so that a module may
belong to several modular families rather than just one).
For this reason a definitive analysis of modules into
families probably cannot be made.
Nevertheless, it
seems to me that the concept of modular families is a
useful one. Here are some of the main modular families
you are likely to encounter.
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Edge-pocket
modules As the name suggests edge-pocket
modules are characterised by the position of
their pockets at the edges of the module. The
picture to the left shows one of the modules for
my Simplex Cube with arrows indicating the
pockets.
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| Centre- pocket
modules Similarly centre-pocket modules have
pockets in the centre of the module. The picture
to the right shows one of my Letterbox modules
with arrows indicating the pockets. The basic
Sonobe module would fall into this modular
family, although the central pockets of that
module are aligned diagonally rather than
parallel to the edges as here.
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Corner-pocket
modules The picture here shows a
corner-pocket Sonobe module with arrows
indicating the pockets. A corner pocket is
created by turning a corner (shown by the dotted
lines) inside out between the other layers. The
corner-pocket modular family probably has more
members than any other family.
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| Delta modules Members of the
edge-pocket, centre-pocket and corner-pocket
families tend to have two tabs and pockets
arranged alternately around the module. In delta
modules the pockets are adjacent to each other,
This tends to give the module a triangular form,
hence their name.
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Butterfly
modules This is my name for the family of
very simple modules that sef-integrate by means
of compact weaves, among which are, of course,
the waterbomb base and its converse, the
preliminary fold. Many of these modules and
designs are explained in my book Building with
Butterflies.
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