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I'm working to complete the English version as soon as
possible. A little patience, please.
You might want to take a look at the Spanish site, though,
it'll give you a pretty good idea of what this is going to be.
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I have included here a number of
diagrams of my own, and many links to those of others'. In some cases, I
have added only notes that somehow express my own experience with them
and I thought might be of use. My diagrams are B&W for easy printing
(and they are in Spanish when words are needed!)
 THE
SonobÈ MODULE
The most
versatile of all modules and possibly the first to be created. Though
quite recent (the 1960s), its origins are a bit foggy. There's more information in
the Notes.
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FOLDING
There
are many folding sequences and variations. My diagram
describes the simplest. The links below refer to other
possibilities that result in different decorative effects or allow
for other assembly methods.
MM
variations: Meenakshi Mukhopadhyay
offers 7 variantions to achieve very interesting final effects.
Another: This
is the one I learned first, described by Stephan Lavavej. It has
an extra fold that reinforces the peaks and facilitates assembly.
His page (http://nuwen.net/poly.html)
has clear folding instructions.
Double
pocket: this fold produces pockets on both faces,
something that allows assembly of other pieces (several are
explained in this same page): diagram
module 1
Lateral
pocket: Tomoko Fusè has folded a number of variations.
This one in particular (plain edge unit) works like the angular
units, the diagrams are copyrighted though... With
double papel: At Don Albert's site (http://don.albert.free.fr/construction_ab_8.html/).
Apparently in this way you can open it up and change the looks of
the finished piece. There are no instructions, but the photo seems
to indicate it has lateral pockets. 
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PolYHEDRA
Except
for the cubes, most polyhedra built with the sonobè are stellated
forms.
Crystal
- or hexaedron, (also called "Toshie's Jewel") is the
smallest possible construction with 3 modules: a peak folded and
closed on itself. The P&O
Origami pages have assembly instructions.
Cubes
- Using the sonobè you can make 3 different cubes:
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6
modules - you can find here a good set of instructions.
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12
modules - ourside or inside assembly produces checked or
triangular faces.
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24
modules - This is the one used to make more complex
combinations. I'm preparing instructions on the joining method.
Octahedron
- made with 12 modules
Icosahedron
- The best assembly instructions are in Helena
Verrill's pages.
Cuboctahedron
-As far as I know, I discovered this piece myself. The instructions
provide photos and detailed assembly directions (not yet online,
working on it).
Spheroids
- They are larger polyhedra, like the buckyball (C 60 molecule), the
Truncated Icosahedron (football) and others.
Epcott
Ball (Truncated Icosahedron) - It may well be the first buckyball
(270 units) built. The instructions are here: http://stl.caltech.edu/poly.shtml
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structurEs
I
include here complex pieces, irregular polyhedra, fractals and other
structures you may build with the Sonobè. FRACTAL
CUBE: Also called Menger Sponge. My assembly instructions
are here.
They may be level 1 (72 modules), level 2 (some 1000 modules...) and
3 (app. 16.000 modules!!!) 
Fractal cubes level 1
OTHER
POLYHEDRA: the sonobè lends itself to all sorts of
experiments amd constructions. Here are some I found in Halina
Narloch's site :  
 
These
I made myself: 
The
24-unit cube may be connected to build the following compounds:  20
cubes in pentagonal rings
 ring
of 5 cubes
 2
cubes
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inverTED ASSEMBLY
All
the polyhedra may be assembled keeping the pockets inwards and
with plain faces outwards.
If
you invert the direction of the cuspids (i.e. point inwards, which
you can't do with the cubes), what you get is a series of models
with stellated effects. On the whole these models (like most
assembled with inward pockets) look much better when glued.
The one in the picture isn't glued, and there are large holes at
the vertex.
Sonobè
icoshedron with inverted assembly and inward cuspids,
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FLAT ConstrucTIONS
Sonobe
modules lend themselves to play creating tilings and mosaics,
either completely flat or alternating with peaks or other
forms. |
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The
Zig-ZAg o PHizz UNIT
Índice
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FOLDING
This
module was created by Tom Hull. His webpage (http://web.merrimack.edu/hullt/OrigamiMath.html)
contains detailed instructions for folding and assembly.
My
instructions are
here |
POLYHEDRA
& OtHER structurEs
DODECAHEDRON:
The classic model built with this unit. It takes 30 modules and
there are excellent instructions (in Portuguese) in http://origami.paginas.sapo.pt/index.htm,
besides Tom Hull's page (http://web.merrimack.edu/hullt/OrigamiMath.html).
If folded from large squares (21 x
21 cm, from A4 printer paper), you can make wonderful lampshades
that look great.
TORII:
"Torus" is the mathematical name of doughnut-shaped
rings. The zig-zag modules allows construction of different
sizes. The construction maps can be found in Tom
Hull's page:
FRACTAL
STRUCTURES: Michal
Kosmulski has created Klien bottles and other fractal
and topological structures using this unit. The are several
pictures in his excellent page. |
ANGULAR MODULES
I
call 'angulars' those edge modules that are folded with a certain angle.
They are most versatile and besides replicating models, you can explore
other creative varieties or even irregular polyhedra. Triangular modules
are listed apart.
Índice
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Francis OW's MODULES
In
his page http://web.singnet.com.sg/~owrigami/index.html,
Ow offers diagrams for his 120º and 135 º modules, which may be
used to build almost all polyhedra.  Jim
Plank uses another module designed by OW (60º) for his tetrahedra
(FIT). The diagram is
here.
 This
truncated tetrahedron has also been built with the 60º module,
folded from a square paper. It takes 24 modules for the hexagons
and 18 for the triangles and edges.
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PENULTIMATE
Created
by Robert Neale and explained by Jim Plank in this
page, it allows edge modules of 4 different angles, and
consequently you can produce all sorts of polyhedra. He doesn't
explain how to assemble the modules, so I'm going to put
instructions online soon... soon.
With
these modules, Michal
Kosmulski has built some fantastic compounds of
polyhedra. |
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EASY 45º MODULE
These 2 icosahedra are
built with the same module
folded outwards and inwards.
I
created it adapting Ow's 60º module. It's VERY simple, but needs
glue to hold together. You can build cubes and several other
polyhedra. I have yet to explore all its possibilities. May
substitute Fusè's edge module (which does not require glue)... My
instructions are
here.
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KUSUDAMAS
Some
people consider kusudamas the direct ancestors of modular origami. They are
balls made of individual faces assembled or glued together. They are
ususally cubes or dodecahedra, and they are most decorative. I have barely
scratched the surface of this specialty, but here are references to several
sites with lots of information and detailed instructions.
Índice
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RUSSIAN SITES
It
seems that Russians call every modular polyhedron 'kusudama'. In
the instructions below there are several models that are modular
variations, not kusudamas in the strict sense of the word.
A
FULL BOOK OF DIAGRAMS: In this site (http://show.7ya.ru/private.aspx?RubrID=63154)
there is complete book (scanned) with 24 models. The
diagrams are clear and there is a section with the symbols at the
beginning.
KUSUDAMAS.NAROD
- http://kusudamas.narod.ru/index.html
Last time I visited it, there were instructions for 29
models, several just versions of models by Meenakshi, Carmen
Sprung's kantenmodul , Mamino's Facilissimo and several
planars (Blinikos and others).
Yuri & Katrin
Shumakov -
(http://www.oriland.com/)
Though not a Russian site, the
Shumakovs
seem to contribute regularly to these pages and their Oriland
offers several kusudama models and also stars that may be used as
kusudama faces.
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JAPANESE SITES
MIO
TSUGAWA - http://hp1.tcbnet.ne.jp/~kanimiso/zu/zu.html
This beautiful website has instructions in English and
excellent diagrams for several classical kusudamas.
They're very attractive models and it's hard to resist the itch
to start folding right away... In the Japanese part there are
several other models.
My Own (constructions
& instructions)
KUSUDAMA
VENUS I
really don't know whether this model has an author or it's
traditional. I'm a bit lazy, so my model is slightly different
and needs fewer units.
Here
are my instructions
The
page is a bit heavy, so if you're working with a modem
connection (like me), be patient.
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Índice
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