How did Robert Lang use computer programs to help design origami models?

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Red origami crane with outstretched wings and pointed beak, displayed against a solid black background. — origami An origami crane.

In the early 1990s, Robert Lang developed specialized computer programs to advance the precision and complexity of origami design:

TreeMaker: This program was created to assist in the precise folding of bases, which serve as the foundational structures for complex models.
ReferenceFinder: This tool was designed to identify short, efficient folding sequences for any specific point or line within a unit square.

These computational tools allowed Lang and other practitioners to achieve unprecedented levels of detail, enabling the creation of intricate subjects such as insects with multiple legs and antennae.1