The idea
A design tool has to carry an idea all the way to a usable artifact. Foldsmith turns a collection of 61 papercraft designs into adjustable projects: change dimensions and colors, examine the assembly in 3D, then export a coordinated kit of instructions and full-size cutting sheets.
One model, several representations
The preview, attachment labels and exported sheets come from the same built kit. Global print scale is explicit, a calibration square travels with the sheets, and dimensions that cannot produce a valid net become a diagnostic instead of a silently distorted template. Portable project files and undo/redo make experimentation recoverable.
Design mode accepts constrained proposals through the same geometry and print checks. The optional private AI helper drafts within that vocabulary; the regular collection and manual editor work without model access.
How it was built
Codex and Claude Code collaborated on geometry, the workshop, catalog, exports and integration review. My review included pushing beyond decorative approximations toward actual shaped solids. The interesting boundary is between a convincing rendering and a printable construction: both need to describe the same object.
Limitations
- Digital geometry checks do not establish physical craftability, material strength or wearer comfort.
- The optional AI helper uses private access; the public collection is independently usable.
Source code & evidence
Results reflect the linked evidence snapshots. Source artifacts retain their dates and experimental conditions.
