Author Mode

• Trace parts with a velocity-aware pen: tap for precise corners, drag to follow printed edges
• Snap to detected edges with a magnetic ~10px pull
• Detect Parts proposes outlines automatically—tap a ghost to accept it
• Point editing on the selected part: add, move, or remove anchors, ⌘-drag a V-notch
• Scissors split a merged part; Eraser thins a rough trace; Smooth pulls anchors onto the printed line
• Tools menu mirrors the toolbar with raw-letter shortcuts: V select, T trace, F fold, C connector, E erase, S smooth, X cut

Folding

• Single fold: tap two points; endpoints snap to the outline or existing folds
• Polyline mode: draw a zigzag and every crossing segment becomes a fold
• Rib mode: tap a spine for 2–40 evenly spaced rungs that curl a band into a faceted arc
• One signed control sets direction and angle: negative valley, positive mountain, 5–180°
• Folds are auto-named by position—Bottom, Left, Diagonal—read in the part’s standing frame

Holes & Connectors

• A part drawn inside another renders as a cut-out automatically—no special tool
• Folds pass through holes for free
• Tabs, slots, and flat glue marks connect parts
• Pairs link with a visible thread and survive switching sheets, so cross-sheet pairs work

Build Mode

• Cut: trace the cut line for tick-by-tick feedback, or press out instantly
• A cut part lifts off the sheet already folded—cutting is the only manual step
• Arrange: stand parts in a 3D workspace; standees stand upright, flats lie as bases
• Drag to connect: authored pairs snap together with a ghost preview, then click home
• Pose parts with ±15° rotation; ⇧-drag slides the whole scene at once
• Guided mode pulses parts in assembly order and advances one step at a time

Scene & Export

• Orbiting camera with truck and height controls, horizon kept level
• Lighting presets: daylight, lantern, museum spot, and studio
• Surfaces: wood, cardboard, stone, or a custom image
• Foundation base box: cardboard, foam board, cork, stone, wood, or none
• Backdrops: sky, trees, mountains—each drawn to follow the lighting mood
• Depth of field for the miniature-diorama look

Fold Viewer

• A standalone fold-animation preview for one part
• Scrub a fold-progress slider, drag a hinge to fold, drag to spin a turntable
• Fold all or unfold with an eased ramp, and pick any hinge

Good Behaviour

• Native .tatebanko document packages store the model, sheets, and build progress together
• Working state is remembered per window—mode, tool, sheet, selection, zoom, and pan
• Trilingual document naming: Japanese, Rōmaji, and English
• Built-in upscaler can cleanup smaller images while keeping every outline and fold valid
• Synthesised sound and haptics: cut tick, part lifted, fold snap, connect click
• Built with SwiftUI and SceneKit; Apple Pencil drawing on iPad

Artwork Sources TBC

The tatebanko prints the app processes are scans of public-domain woodblock originals. The artwork is drawn from many independent museums and digital archives—not reliant on any single collection:

• Adachi City Museum, Tokyo, Japan
• Art Research Centre, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan
• British Museum, London, UK
• Kansai University Digital Archive, Osaka, Japan
• Kumon Museum of Children’s Ukiyo-e, Tokyo, Japan
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
• National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, USA
• National Museum of History and Folklore, Chiba, Japan
• National Diet Library, Tokyo, Japan
• Tokyo Metropolitan Library Digital Archive, Tokyo, Japan
• Waseda University Cultural Resource Database, Tokyo, Japan