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Folding: From The Physical To The Digital


This post is the third on the series of "folding" assignments. The earlier attempt of this project (http://dtbyemad.blogspot.com/2013/10/folding.html) did not show satisfying results. The form was controlled through a number of constraints and parameters that were not correctly assigned to the geometry, and the geometry itself in terms of its relationship - between one geometry and another - was not very well understood. So, in this post, the process of creating a "part" and a product was further investigated to achieve the required geometrical form and behavior. 


Image 1: shows the intended form. The photos is from Paul Jackson's book "Folding Techniques For Designers From Sheet to Form". 


Image 2: to be able to construct this form, first we will have to breakdown the geometry into individual  unit (a complete set of surfaces). Then this unit will be even broken down to individual surfaces, each surface will be separately placed in a "part" file. The image shows the framework, the geometry's layout. 



Image 3: shows the first "part" geometry. 



Image 4: shows the second "part" geometry.



Image 5: shows the third "part"geometry.



Image 6: shows the first geometrical assembly (product). The first three "part" geometries are collected into this assembly and create the first half of the unit. 



Image 7: shows the second "product" assembly, the two halves of the unit are put together. The Products are controlled through a length parameter. This parameter will compress the framework making the geometry - which are fixed in length - to protrude. to make sure that the surfaces will behave in a controlled fashion, constraints were established between certain points between the two halves of the unit. 



Image 8: shows an additional assembly that has two products of the complete unit. This was an attempt to test the geometry's behavior when the parameter's value was changed. 



Image 9: shows the geometry's response to the change in the parameter's value. 



Image 10: after the geometry was tested, another product was made to include the complete unites in one last assembly that creates the overall form. 



Image 11: shows the form halfway folded. 



Image 12: shows how the final product was controlled throughout the folding process. The geometry, constrains, and parameters in this attempt were successful due to the fact that, the original form (paper) was broken down to single surfaces that were manageable to control. in addition, they were then assembled gradually in several products to be easily tested to get the  required results in terms of form and motion. 


  







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Location: Department of Architecture, University of Michigan - North Campus, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

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