Every origami designer who diagrams knows how tedious and time consuming it is to produce them. In fact, the amount of effort required is the reason why there is a lack of diagrammers in the origami community. That is why I propose a new method of diagramming complex models called condensed diagramming.
Unlike traditional diagramming which breaks down each folding movement into one or more individual steps, condensed diagramming attempts to group as many steps as possible without compromising too much information. In essence, it is a fusion between a crease pattern and a set of diagrams. As such, it requires familiarity with crease patterns and a high level of experience in folding.
The process of condensed diagramming follows the three steps of folding origami: precreasing, collapsing, and shaping.
Precreasing
Traditionally, precreasing is done with each individual crease displayed its own step. However, this is greatly inefficient, especially for veteran folders who can read crease patterns. Condensed diagramming streamlines the precreasing process by displaying sets of precreases in a logical sequence. In other words, it guides the folder through the crease pattern reading process by showing the general order of precreases. In each new step, previous precreases are grayed out, while new precreases are bolded. Folders should be able to figure out each crease based on existing references. Below is a photo of my goat design and its crease pattern, followed by steps 1 and 2 of 4 total steps in the precrease for the model.
As you can see, in two steps we condensed what would otherwise have taken at least 10 steps in the traditional method of diagramming. It is up to the designer to determine the number of creases per step in order to maximize efficiency without compromising clarity. It should be fairly easy to understand for the folder, but most importantly, it allows the diagrammer to eliminate a significant amount of time and effort.
Collapsing
The collapsing process adopts the same approach of condensing multiple steps into one. It uses different colors for mountain and valley folds to display one or more collapses in a crease pattern, supplemented with the collapsed base underneath. Below are steps 1 and 2 out of 6 total steps in the entire collapsing process for the goat. The method is not perfect as you can see in step 2; it leaves out some of the mountain and valley folds that are assumed to be relatively straightforward. But supplemented with the collapsed base, it should provide enough information for an experienced folder to accomplish the step.
Shaping
Lastly, shaping is presented as a general guideline, allowing different interpretations of the piece. Multiple shaping details are suggested on each step; the extent of details depends on how much the designer wants to show. The folder can also refer to the model photo for shaping details. Below is the entirety of the shaping displayed for the goat.
The adoption of condensed diagramming has the potential to increase the output of complex model diagrams. For the designer, it can shorten diagramming to under 25% the time it would take to diagram traditionally, and eliminates a lot of tedious work few enjoy doing. Although not as detailed as traditional diagramming, it provides significant improvement over folding just from crease patterns. While condensed diagramming is still in its infancy, I plan on refining it, and possibly publishing a book using this diagramming technique. I also encourage other designers to contribute to its development.