Double Star Flexicube (David Brill): Instructions

Submitted by Sara on 10 November 2008 - 8:39am
Designer: 
Brill, David
Folder: 
Adams, Sara
Related website: 
www.brilliantorigami...
Diagrams in the book: 
Brilliant Origami
Related image: 
Double Star Flexicube (David Brill)
Difficulty Level: 
Low intermediate
Model type: 
Action models
Geometry
Modular
Paper ratio: 
1 : sqrt(2) (A-sized)

Check http://erikdemaine.o... for instructions on how to get an A-sized paper from letter paper, and http://erikdemaine.o... for square to A-sized paper.

By A-sized I mean paper that has the proportions 1:sqrt(2) (see Wikipedia for more). I call it A-sized, rather than silver rectangle, because silver rectangle also refers to a rectangle with an aspect ratio of 1+sqrt(2) (see Wikipedia for more).

Comments

Submitted by Child of Ra (not verified) on 12 November 2008 - 11:00pm

Awsome, Sara!

The video was very helpful, and I enjoyed some of the "short-cuts" you took! It made the diagram much clearer!

...Thanksgiving is coming up , here in the U.S., and my geometry teacher wants me to teach something to the class, any ideas?

Submitted by Sara on 13 November 2008 - 11:03am

Hm, I'd go for either the rotating tetrahedra by Tomoko Fuse (3 sheets, quite simple - unfortunately I haven't contacted Fuse-san on permission yet), or Kazuo Haga's Tetrahedron: http://www.happyfold...

The first model should probably take a bit less time, but I think both are suitable for beginners. I think the second one might be more interesting in terms of "Geometry Class", but the first one slightly more fun (because it's an action model).

Submitted by Child of Ra (not verified) on 29 November 2008 - 11:07am

...My teacher and I, decided that I should just give intructions on the paper cup (flat-fold) and the water bomb...everything went pretty well!

She gave me some extra large origami paper, so I have been thinking on making videos!
I will only make a video on an old kawasakii version I found...also on any videos on youtube that are poor in quality/intructions, so watch out! ;)

Any videos you can tell me about?

Submitted by Sara on 29 November 2008 - 11:48am

Well, I CAN tell you that Kawasaki-san doesn't want these videos on how to fold his designs to be on the web. That's why there's none available from me. He has done amazing stuff, so it's unfortunate that he feels about it this way, but I respect his wish. It'd be great if others would, too. Maybe you can have a think about it?

Other than that, do try making videos. But why not make the effort to ask permission if it's not a traditional design? I think that'd just be fair.

Submitted by Child of Ra (not verified) on 29 November 2008 - 10:56pm

Yep, we can't over look credits and permision!
I do think that most of the videos on youtube don't have permision or even credits, so I will see if I can "over-write" them with permitted copies.
I will try my best a contacting the creators, but Sara, what should I do if a diagram has been posted online and I can't contact the creator of the dia. or the artist or the webmaster?

PS. Did you check your e-mail?

Submitted by sarah (not verified) on 16 November 2008 - 3:28am

hi sara

i kinda get confused with your stuff but your kool and do you mind helping me with this

mostly your origami fireworks please reply

thx

Submitted by Daniel (not verified) on 30 December 2008 - 6:24am

I searched up for any other models that have the same shape as the star form of the flexicube. Fortunately I was successful. I remember the star form is called a stellated rhombic dodecahedron.

Submitted by Sharon (not verified) on 12 January 2009 - 2:25am

Thanks for posting this you tube vid! My son loves origami and he will blow his mind when he sees this! I like that you used 2 different colors so you can see how it is made without getting to confused. This is like your own hand made rubicks cube! Sharon

Submitted by mousa (not verified) on 19 January 2009 - 3:41pm

thank you very very very much for all of your videos and thanks to i have been able to do the dinosaur and the simple butterfly and the brooch rose and almost the scorpion and i am trying the star flexicubes and i hope you do a video about the butterfly that covering your website just saying thank you all the way from Amman.Jordan

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 16 March 2009 - 12:06am

If it wern't for this model, I would have never found this website. I google searched "Double star flexi-cube", and found this website so amazing, it is always on my list of things to check on the internet every day.

Submitted by Andrew (not verified) on 7 April 2009 - 2:34am

I'm 9 and I like origami. I tried this one but it's a little to hard but thanks Sara!

Submitted by Andrew (not verified) on 7 April 2009 - 2:36am

Just thank you again your origami is really good.

Thanks again,
Andrew

Submitted by niv15 (not verified) on 27 May 2009 - 1:00pm

please tell me what you mean by proportion of 1:sqrt(2). Because I am just 10 I dont know anything about advanced maths.I hope your reply would help me.
thanks niv15

Submitted by Sara on 27 May 2009 - 2:52pm

The square root of 2 is 1.41421356. This means that if you have a paper of width 10cm, then it has to be about 14.15cm long. Or, in inches, if you start with a paper of width 4in, then it has to be about 5.65in long. Also see http://en.wikipedia.... for more information on A-sized paper.

Hope this helps,

-- Sara

Submitted by mohammed (not verified) on 12 July 2009 - 9:11pm

OK dude Im 9 and I know what sqar 2=.its 1 less than the silver ratio. I always read the encyclopedia

Submitted by Alec (not verified) on 18 June 2009 - 7:18pm

Hummm... not sure I could ever pull that off but I suppose one has to start somewhere. I will poke around your website and i am sure I can find something more appropriate for a beginner like myself. Thanks for the inspiration!

Submitted by slater (not verified) on 24 June 2009 - 3:53am

i folded it... yes! thanks so much for the video and for all your videos that you make.
the one i made is sort of weird looking so ill just make another for the first one i used tape is that cheating? please reply
slater

Submitted by Sara on 24 June 2009 - 6:36am

Well, in my opinion you should have fun with origami. Sometime this includes cheating. I have used tape in the past on modular origami, mostly because I gave it to kids and they tend to be - a bit more lively when handling models.
When you use tape to connect the models it's not pure origami anymore, but is that so bad? There's no reason to be militant about what's allowed or not.

-- Sara

Submitted by slater (not verified) on 24 June 2009 - 11:12pm

Thank you for answering my post Sara . The model is definitely fun (I think all origami is fun!) and I'm going to make another one ( a pure version ) I think the diagrams are hard to understand about the assembling part. how did you figure them out?

Submitted by slater (not verified) on 26 June 2009 - 12:54am

Hi Sara where can i get the paper that you used in this video i have a hard time finding good paper for my origami

Submitted by Sara on 26 June 2009 - 6:57am

I used the following paper in this model:
* card for the units
* normal copy paper for the hinges.

Submitted by WumboFreak (not verified) on 14 July 2009 - 1:22pm

One Question: Can I use half of a square for the paper because I really don't like designs that involve so many complicated measurements that i later don't have available and i don't?

May you also check my channel at youtube.com/WumboFreak and look at my stuff? I need to know if my videos on origami are clear enough! The vids are only if you're an experienced origamist so yeah...

One more thing... Watch the main video and please vote on the next design i should do! thanks for your support and please reply!

Submitted by Sara on 14 July 2009 - 5:56pm

You will have to start with paper that has a ratio of 1 by square root of 2. Using 1 by 2 will *not* work.

-- Sara

Submitted by Sara on 14 July 2009 - 6:22pm

I watched the video on your 3D Omega star.

Here's my feedback:
Overall, the video seems relatively clear, but I think you could improve greatly by trying the following:

  • Please credit the designer, and ask for permission.
  • Record in 1st person perspective. Use a solid colour background for more clarity. Visibility right now is ok, but could be better.
  • You sometimes jump over steps and for that use special effects. This can be quite confusing, especially if you don't know the model yet. The video is short enough for you to include the steps you removed.
  • Use verbal instructions rather than background music, especially on harder steps. Words can clarify what's going on, and not everyone has the same music taste.
  • Focus on hard steps. There's no harm in showing some steps in more detail than others. In the end, you want others to be able to reproduce the result. I had the feeling you mostly record yourself folding a model (in such a way that it's relatively visible on the camera), but just letting someone watch isn't always enough.

Submitted by Sara on 30 July 2009 - 6:23am

It always matters what kind of paper you use. Some will work better, some will look prettier etc.
For this model I prefer to take heavier paper for the units, and lighter paper for the hinges. I think in this video I used card for the units, and normal copy paper for the hinges.

Hope this helps,

-- Sara

Submitted by jes (not verified) on 31 July 2009 - 9:50pm

Can you do an instructional video on the heart bookmark??????????????????

Submitted by niv16 (not verified) on 5 October 2009 - 5:35pm

What do you mean by card paper. Is it cereal box card ( the thickness of a cereal box )or any Cardboard ( that brown coloured stiff paper )

Submitted by Sara on 5 October 2009 - 6:38pm

By card I mean paper with maybe a weight of 150-200gsm or so.

-- Sara

Submitted by Sara on 24 October 2009 - 6:12am

You need to fold quite accurately for the modules to fit together perfectly. Also, there's some pushing and pulling involved to make them move together in all the right places. I only folded this model twice, and it turned out quite stable. But when you're off by just a bit the units (3 modules) don't quite close up, leaving a small hole in the middle.

-- Sara

Submitted by Sara on 6 November 2009 - 7:19am

I suggest you use slightly heavier paper for the units, and lighter paper for the hinges. In the video I used normal copy paper for the hinges, and card for the units.

-- Sara

Submitted by I0met0him (not verified) on 8 November 2009 - 5:53am

Hi, I was just wondering, since this is a video on the 'double' star flexicube, shouldn't two double star flexicubes make a full double star flexicube? What I mean by a "full" double star flexicube is, well, a thing that has the two able to fit together, and turn as one. I made two, and either I made one of them wrong, or you need to assemble on of them differently. Please, I was really looking forward to making was it was named for. If there is anything you can tell to help me, it would be greatly appreciated, and, even if there isn't, thank you very much for trying.

Submitted by Sara on 27 January 2010 - 4:15pm

A4 is the standard printing paper size in most countries. I think the only exceptions are the US and Canada. So I'm guessing you live somewhere round there. :)
I have been told that office supplies stores and some stationaries in the US will carry A4-sized paper. I'm not sure how big the selection will be (e.g. colours), but I guess you have to take what you can get. Or you can just choose your preferred paper and cut it to A-sized. There are instructions for this here:

How to get A-sized paper from letter: http://erikdemaine.o...
How to get A-sized paper from a square: http://erikdemaine.o...

Hope this helps,

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 28 January 2010 - 2:11am

Yeah it seems I may have to go look around a bit more in the some of the stores in the Us. Other wise I'll just keep making A-sized paper like I normally do.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 26 May 2010 - 9:26pm

hi sara i didnt understand the last fold do u think u can describe it a bit more? its very good described but u should show underneath...

Submitted by Auora (not verified) on 1 June 2010 - 2:26pm

Hi Sara I just thought i would tell you that there is a much easier way to fold the last step on the modules. It's very hard to explain but I can maybe mail a video with it. I had problems with that last step myself so i experimented and I found out my own step! :) the video might be coming soon.

Submitted by Sara on 1 June 2010 - 6:11pm

Cool. Maybe you can post it as a video response to my instructions. Then viewers will be able to profit from your findings more easily!

-- Sara

Submitted by mister (not verified) on 15 June 2010 - 2:21pm

When I made it. It did not come out to good.can you use copy paper? It just not coming out the way I want it to, The part I having trouble with is the put together part. it only keep losing............

Submitted by Sara on 15 June 2010 - 3:10pm

I prefer stiffer paper than copy paper for the units of this model. Copy paper should be just right for the hinges.
By "put together part" do you mean adding the hinges? Be sure to get the locking mechanism right, then it should be ok (although not super stable).

-- Sara

Submitted by Rancon (not verified) on 15 July 2010 - 4:58pm

can i use glue? i cant hold it together

Submitted by Sara on 15 July 2010 - 8:07pm

Sure, if you want you can use glue. That's your personal decision. If you want to glue the units together there are two options:

1. Glue the hinges using "wet" glue.
2. Glue the units themselves together using tape.

You can also, if you think it's necessary glue the modules together to get a unit. Personally, I've folded this model three times or so, always being able to complete it without use of glue. So it is possible. However, it may be easier to use glue. :)

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 11 August 2010 - 7:54pm

Hi Sara, I just got the instructions and i was ready to go, but then i realized that i didn't know what paper size to use. If you hadn't guessed already, i'm wondering what size paper to use? If you could cm or inches would be best. Thanks! :)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 11 August 2010 - 8:03pm

Sorry!! I just looked under the video and saw links for it! Never mind, I think i'll be okay now.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 16 November 2010 - 5:53am

If the difficulty level of this project is considered 'low intermediate', I'd hate to think what the 'high expert' level is like!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 28 December 2010 - 2:58am

how do you make the other star that fits inside that one? is it the same order or is it different?

Submitted by Sara on 2 January 2011 - 1:46pm

In the diagrams Dave says to do two identical constructions. I faintly remember doing two slightly different constructions, but it's been too long. I suggest you make two, and if they don't quite fit together, you can remove the hinges . To ease the process you can at first check with masking tape whether the position of the hinges is correct.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 3 February 2011 - 3:51am

I thought the paper size would be to big (the smaller, the cuter) so I thought would size DOWN the paper by a 4th. Is that okay? PPPPlease reply!

Submitted by Sara on 3 February 2011 - 1:58pm

Yes, you can use a quarter of the paper if that had the right ratio. The fun fact about A-sized paper is that if you cut it in half, it will have the same proportions again. :)
And if you cut it in half again (thus getting a quarter), that's still true, of course!

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 3 February 2011 - 3:54am

i cant really know how to convert "mm" to "cm" or "inches" yeah so I need help with that

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 25 August 2013 - 11:52am

10 mm equals 1 cm, 0.1cm equals 1mm...
dude I am in primary school -_-

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 5 February 2011 - 3:00am

is the flexicube basically the same way as this?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 14 February 2011 - 2:58am

The model with only cubes moving, not a star in the middle.

Add new comment