Computer aided clothing pattern design with 3D editing and pattern alteration

The traditional apparel product development process is a typical iterative 'optimization' process that involves trial-and-error. In order to confirm the design and achieve a satisfactory fit, a number of repeated cycles of sample preparation, trial fitting and pattern alteration must be conducted. The process itself is time-consuming, costly, and dependent on the designer's skills and experience. In this paper, a novel computer aided design (CAD) solution for virtual try-on, fitting evaluation and style editing is proposed to speed up the clothing design process. A series of new techniques from cross parameterization, geometrical and physical integrated deformation, to novel editing methods are proposed. First, a cross parameterization technique is employed to map clothing pattern pieces on a model surface. The pattern can be precisely positioned to form the initial shape with low distortion. Next, a new deformation method called hybrid pop-up is proposed to approximate the virtual try-on shape. This method is an integration of geometrical reconstruction and physical based simulation. In addition, user interactive operations are introduced for style editing and pattern alteration in both 2D and 3D manners. The standard rules regulating pattern editing in the fashion industry can be incorporated in the system, so that the resulting clothing patterns are suitable for everyday production. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.