Problem Description

My algorithm aligns the fold line with the Y axes (or X axes) for folding. The problem is to pick which direction to fold and can it be automatically selected.

The basic fold direction options seem to be:

• left to right
• right to left
• top to bottom
• bottom to top

Could which line segments are crossed by the fold line be used to select the fold direction for a simple rectangle?

1,2,3,4,5 are probably best aligned with the Y axis. 6 is probably best aligned with the X axis.

Irregular shape are problematic. How many line segments can be crossed by the fold line?

The student could limit the folding options available to one or two direction?

The student might limit folds to left-to-right and right-to-left. Would this eliminate 6 as a fold option?