A New Chapter- Ultron Goes to the Tailor’s Shop

It’s time to start writing again.

I wrote this blog for many years because I was exploring my craft, examining other people’s work, seeking to learn and improve, and to share the journey in case anyone might benefit from what I found. I think at one point I ran out of things to say. But now, a new chapter in the blog.

The 3D design workspace

A few years ago I started exploring the world of 3D design and prototyping. While the technology has been around for quite some time, the vendors of 3D garment design software weren’t ready to handle the multiple layers of interlinings common in tailoring, and the results were not terribly accurate.  That has begun to change. I started exploring the different solution providers and experimenting with several of them.  At this point I’m not going to make an endorsement of any product because the choice of 3D tools is highly personal and specific to your industry.  What works for me may not work for you.  Each has its strengths and weaknesses. 

If you have been working with 3D in the fashion industry, or even if you are just thinking about it, there’s a pretty steep learning curve to become proficient in 3D.  Fortunately for most of us, there are tons of tutorials on the internet which can help.  Clo3D is one of the providers that has some of the best tutorials, not only because they as a company have provided lots of excellent videos, but they also have an accessible indie license model which means creative people around the world who may not have access to the very expensive business licenses can play and experiment and share their work but also their methods.  For this reason I will focus on this blog on the Clo environment; not because it is the best product but because it is the most accessible to the general public.

A sample tailored jacket renderedi n 3D.
A 3D rendered jacket

Which brings me to my next point.  You Tube is full of tutorials about just about every aspect of 3D design and modeling, but as with any technology, the software changes over time.  So many (most?) of the tutorials I found were exercises in frustration as I searched for buttons or commands in the videos which had been moved or replaced in subsequent versions of the software.  Any tutorials I might provide here will be subject to the same but I will attempt to keep them up to date.

And finally, I have found, as I work, that there are often things I would like to achieve in my 3D design work that require me to step out into the greater world of CGI, where I found that there was a WHOLE LOT MORE to learn and understand before I could function, and 99.9% of the information and tutorials online are geared for the gaming and movie industries, and don’t pertain to fashion.  In fact, there is frustratingly little good information for people working in 3D in the fashion industry. Some of the products I have begun to use and explore include Blender, Meshlab, Meshmixer, and current favorite, Substance Suite.

So this is where I start writing again.  I’m poring over the information online and spending hours trying to figure out how to translate into usable information for my work.  I can spend hours and days and weeks piecing together information from dozens of sources before I have one usable workflow. So as I figure stuff out, I will share it here, hoping to save someone else the hassle and frustration.

Interior details can be the most challenging to get right. I struggle with the stitching.

2 Replies to “A New Chapter- Ultron Goes to the Tailor’s Shop

  1. Brave man! A mile-high learning curve indeed. I look forward to following your progress, and am glad to see you excited about a new direction.

  2. Hello, I’m happy to see a tailor making clothes using 3D software as a tool. I am one.

    I think CLO is a good choice to make 3D simulation, but it is poor to design jackets or pants directly in 3D. Draw patterns in 2D using old techniques and simulate in 3D is not a good choice
    I use Rhino (https://www.rhino3d.com/) to draw jackets or trousers or any kind of clothing directly over a 3D avatar imported from CLO and import back to Clo to simulate.
    I draw in 3D and flatten the surfaces into 2d to generate the patterns.

    Please see this online 3D visualization of a dress, sewing patterns made in Rhino, simulated in Clo (10 mb):
    https://p3d.in/yxrfN
    or my instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/jeorane.costureiro/

    If you want, please send me a personalized Clo Avatar and I send you one Clo project containing the sewing patterns and a printable PDF, free of charge.

    Or

    You can send me a file of an scanned body from your client.

    You can print the patterns and sew a jacket or trouser and prove, it will be revolutionary.

    jeorane@gmail.com

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