Dedicated 3D CAD for garment modelling

While considerable progress has been made in fabric modelling techniques, w hich could be used in garment computer aided design (CAD) systems, less att ention has been paid to the way in which garments might be specified in a C AD system. The final shape taken by a garment is often achieved through the incorporation of darts, seams, edges, stiffening pads and local stretch of the fabric. In order to gain credibility, CAD systems should have to funct ionally handle the level of complexity normally found in garment assemblies combined with a simple interface to specify the constructional detail. Dif ferent conceptual approaches are possible. Given an accurate drape algorith m, garment block patterns in a chosen fabric could simply be anchored or at tached around the mannequin in order to achieve a visualisation of a garmen t. If changes were necessary, the user would alter the 2D patterns and re-r un the visualisation. An alternative and possibly more productive approach would be to specify in 3D, with advanced drawing tools, the 3D shape requir ed. Processing of the 3D garment piece using expert rules would indicate th e 2D shape and constructional detail required to achieve the final form. Th is paper describes a CAD system that is under development and which aims to facilitate both the approaches. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.