Abstract
The invention relates to three computer implemented methods, wherein the computer implemented methods allow for a faster and more intuitive garment design process. The improved garment design process is achieved using CAD tools.
Claims
1. Computer implemented method, with program code being stored on a machine readable medium or embodied as an electromagnetic wave, for generating 2D pattern pieces representing garment panels that a garment is to be fabricated from, the computer implemented method comprising visualizing a 3D garment model representing the garment on an avatar in a virtual 3D environment with a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive user input, providing an altered 3D garment model by adjusting, based on user input provided via the GUI, at least one GUI element that is linked to a parameter representing a distance, area or space between the 3D garment model and the avatar at a defined location 3D garment model, generating the 2D pattern pieces so as to conform to the altered 3D garment model, providing a reassembled 3D garment model by reassembling the generated 2D pattern pieces on the avatar, and visualizing the reassembled 3D garment model on the avatar in the virtual 3D environment.
2. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the GUI element is at least in part linked to the defined location.
3. Computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the defined location is a circumference of the 3D garment model at a defined height.
4. Computer implemented method according to claim 3, wherein a center of the circumference is located on a vertical axis of the 3D garment model.
5. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein, by the adjustment of the GUI element, said parameter is altered.
6. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said parameter is determined with a relaxed 3D garment model spatially not restricted by the avatar.
7. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one GUI element comprises a shapeable line, said shapeable line proceeding adjacent to a neutral line parallel to a vertical axis of the 3D garment model and at least part of the shapeable line being shapeable horizontally.
8. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one GUI element comprises anchor points, said anchor points distributed adjacent to a neutral line parallel to a vertical axis of the 3D garment model and the anchor points being slidable horizontally.
9. Computer implemented method according to claim 7, wherein the anchor points are located on and along said shapeable line, wherein the anchor points are slidable and the shapeable line follows the anchor points with smooth transitions.
10. Computer implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the shapeable line is a spline and the anchor points are knots of the spline.
11. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one GUI element comprises a slidable line, said slidable line proceeding parallel to a horizontal axis of the 3D garment model and the slidable line as a whole being slidable vertically.
12. Computer implemented method according to claim 11, wherein by adjusting the slidable line, the parameter linked to the slidable line is associated to the location of the 3D garment model where the adjusted slidable line is located.
13. Computer implemented method according to claim 11, wherein by adjusting the slidable line, a length of the 3D garment model is adjusted accordingly.
14. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter to be changed is associated with a sleeve radius, a chest circumference, a waist measurement, or a torso length of the 3D garment model.
15. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the avatar is embodied as a mannequin.
16. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein reassembling is based on a resewing functionality.
17. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein altering the garment and generating the at least one 2D pattern is carried out simultaneously.
18. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises a presets window in the GUI, said presets window configured for providing a set of selectable fit profiles, each fit profile comprising a plurality of parameters.
19. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises a presets window in the GUI, said presets window configured for providing a set of selectable length profiles, each length profile comprising a plurality of parameters.
20. Computer implemented method according to claim 17, wherein the presets window comprises an intensity fader configured to determine to what degree a selected profile is applied.
21. Computer implemented method according to claim 18, wherein the presets window comprises an intensity fader configured to determine to what degree a selected profile is applied.
22. Computer implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the anchor points are located on and along said shapeable line, wherein the anchor points are slidable and the shapeable line follows the anchor points with smooth transitions.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0067] The inventive system is described below in more detail purely by way of example with the aid of concrete exemplary embodiments illustrated schematically in the drawings, further advantages of the invention also being examined. Identical elements are labelled with the same reference numerals in the figures. In detail:
[0068] FIG. 1 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a t-shirt with short sleeves and corresponding 2D patterns;
[0069] FIG. 2 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a t-shirt with longer sleeves and corresponding 2D patterns;
[0070] FIG. 3 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a t-shirt with short sleeves and a projection of the t-shirt onto a 2D projection plane;
[0071] FIG. 4 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a human avatar dressed with a t-shirt;
[0072] FIG. 5 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a t-shirt with short sleeves with added patterns;
[0073] FIG. 6 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a computing unit and a display providing a graphical user interface;
[0074] FIG. 7 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of the prior art garment design process;
[0075] FIG. 8 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a selective generation of 2D patterns;
[0076] FIG. 9-12 show embodiments of a virtual 3D environment with a graphical user interface; and
[0077] FIG. 13 shows an embodiment of a graphical user interface.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0078] FIG. 1 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a t-shirt 1a with short sleeves and corresponding 2D patterns 2a,2b,2c,2d. The t-shirt 1a with short sleeves and the corresponding 2D patterns 2a,2b,2c,2d are displayed in a virtual 3D environment provided by e.g. a computing unit and an associated display. The t-shirt 1a with short sleeves is in a rest state, i.e. all physical forces acting on the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves are in static equilibrium. An exemplary physical force acting on the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves is gravity, wherein the direction in which gravity acts in the virtual 3D environment may be provided by a user to a computer program stored on the computing unit and providing the virtual 3D environment. The user of the computer program is able to interact with the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves via the graphical user interface. The user may decide to lengthen a sleeve of the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves. Via the graphical user interface, the user may provide an instruction 3a to the computer program to lengthen the sleeve.
[0079] FIG. 2 shows a t-shirt 1b with long sleeves in a rest state obtaining by altering the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves. The garment design process, in FIGS. 1 and 2 embodied as a t-shirt design process, proceeds directly in the virtual 3D environment. A designer alters a short-sleeve t-shirt 1a directly in the virtual 3D environment, for example by issuing a command 3a to lengthen the sleeves by a certain amount. Besides sleeve length alterations, any other alterations may be carried out by the designer, alterations for example relating to sleeve radius, chest circumference, waist measurement, torso length, neck opening etc. Alterations may be directly done in the virtual 3D environment, providing an altered t-shirt. The computer program generates 2D patterns 4a,4b,4c,4d corresponding to the altered t-shirt. The 2D patterns 4a,4b,4c,4d are then reassembled in 3D by the computer program, the reassembling providing a modified t-shirt. The modified t-shirt is typically not in static equilibrium. After lengthening a sleeve, for example, the additional mass of each longer sleeve exerts a force on the respective seam between the torso of the modified t-shirt and each longer sleeve. The computer program providing the virtual 3D environment comprises garment simulation routines which—upon receiving the modified t-shirt as input, for example—solve a set of mechanical equations describing garment physics with the modified t-shirt as initial input until an updated t-shirt 1b with long sleeves in rest state is determined, all physical forces acting on the updated t-shirt 1b with long sleeves being in static equilibrium. The 2D patterns 4a,4b,4c,4d allow the updated t-shirt 1b with long sleeves to be fabricated.
[0080] FIG. 3 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a t-shirt 1a with short sleeves and a projection 6 of the t-shirt 1a onto a 2D projection plane 3b chosen by a user of the computer program providing the virtual 3D environment. In FIG. 3, the 2D projection plane 3b is placed behind the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves. Projecting may be embodied as a central projection or as a parallel projection, for example. The projected t-shirt 5 corresponds to a view of the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves from the back. By placing the 2D projection plane 3b at different positions and orientations with respect to the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves, a garment designer is able to obtain different projections of the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves. The garment designer is able to directly interact with the projected t-shirt 5 by e.g. changing a seam and/or removing a seam and/or adding a seam to the projected t-shirt 5. The accordingly altered projected t-shirt 5 is projected back on the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves, wherein the projecting back is done along the same rays as used for the projecting 6 in the opposite direction, providing an altered t-shirt with short sleeves.
[0081] FIG. 4 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a human avatar 7 dressed with a t-shirt 8. The avatar 7 as shown in FIG. 4 is virtual, i.e. both the avatar 7 and the avatar 7 dressed with the t-shirt 8 are provided in the virtual 3D environment. The avatar 7 and the dressing of the avatar may be incorporated into a garment design process, wherein parts of the design process are for example embodied in FIGS. 1 and 2. A t-shirt in rest state is placed on the avatar 7. Subsequently it is altered by the garment designer, the alteration providing an altered t-shirt. 2D patterns corresponding to the altered t-shirt are then generated and reassembled, the reassembling providing a modified t-shirt. The modified t-shirt, being placed on the avatar 7, is provided to a garment simulation routine. The garment simulation routine takes into account geometric constraints imposed by the avatar 7 on the shape of the t-shirt as well as forces, for example friction forces, between the t-shirt and the avatar 7 for determination of a t-shirt 8 at rest using at least the modified t-shirt as input.
[0082] FIG. 5 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a t-shirt 1a with short sleeves and a projection 6 of the t-shirt 1a onto a 2D projection plane 3b chosen by a user of the computer program providing the virtual 3D environment. In FIG. 3, the 2D projection plane 3b is placed behind the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves. Projecting may be embodied as a central projection or as a parallel projection, for example. The projected t-shirt 5 corresponds to a view of the t-shirt 1a with short sleeves from the back. An additive pattern 9 is added to the projected t-shirt 5 with short sleeves based on user input 3c provided via the graphical user interface. Besides added patterns, embellishments such as embroidery can be added to a garment as well based on user input. After adding prints 9 and/or embellishments onto the projected t-shirt 5, a back projecting as in FIG. 3 translates these changes into changes of the t-shirt 1a itself. The added prints and/or embroidery may change the mechanical behavior of the fabric constituting the altered t-shirt.
[0083] FIG. 6 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a computing unit 10 and a display 11 providing the graphical user interface 12. The computer program providing the virtual 3D environment and the garment simulation routine may be stored on the computing unit. The graphical user interface 12 via which a garment designer may design a garment uses the display 11 associated to the computing unit 10.
[0084] FIG. 7 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of the prior art garment design process. A garment designer draws in 2D different perspectives of a proposed garment. A pattern maker creates 2D patterns 14 which can be sewn together to create the proposed garment. A sample maker then produces a physical garment which can be placed 16 onto a physical avatar 13, for example. If the garment designer is not satisfied with the look of the physical garment 15 on the physical avatar 13, modifications 17 to the 2D patterns 14 are made. The entire process is iterative in nature and laborious.
[0085] FIG. 8 shows a schematic and illustrative depiction of a selective generation of 2D patterns. The garment designer provides an instruction 3a via the graphical user interface to the computer program to lengthen the sleeves of a t-shirt 1a with short sleeves, for example. The lengthening provides an altered t-shirt. The garment designer may provide a further instruction 3d via the graphical user interface, wherein the further instruction 3d creates a selection region 18 in the virtual 3D environment. The 2D pattern generation carried out based on the altered t-shirt obtained after lengthening the sleeves only generates those 2D patterns 4d which correspond to parts of the altered t-shirt in the created selection region 18. The selection region may be created both before and after alteration of the t-shirt.
[0086] FIG. 9 shows a window 19 with a virtual 3D environment 45 and an editing field 21, which both act as graphical user interface. The virtual 3D environment 45 shows a three-dimensional depiction 20 of a relaxed garment. The 3D garment model 20 is virtually worn by a three-dimensional avatar, which in this example is visually hidden but still restricts the garment model in its position.
[0087] In the editing field 21, there is a neutral line 22 and a shapeable line 23 that can be horizontally moved by clicking and holding an anchor point 24 with a mouse cursor 25 and releasing it somewhere else. A horizontal distance between the neutral line 22 and the shapeable line 23 is representative for a fit of the garment on the avatar at the height of the respective anchor point that was shifted. Dragging an anchor point left from the neutral line 22 means that the garment not only sits tight on the skin of the avatar at this height, but does so under tension (e.g. tight fit, stretched fit). The line 23 being right from the neutral line 22 means that there is ease (e.g. casual fit) at the respective height. Accordingly, the shapeable line 23 matching the neutral line 22 would mean that the 3D garment model would exactly dimensioned as the avatar.
[0088] In other words, the neutral line 22 corresponds to the horizontal circumference of the avatar at any height of the garment. The shapeable line 23 diverging from that neutral line 22 defines in what way the current garment design is deviating from the avatar shape. The dashed line 40 indicates the original settings (or the previous settings) that the user so far departed from.
[0089] The spaces left and right from the neutral line 22 within the editing field 21 define in each case a scale for the draggable circles 24. That is, the maximum adjustment is limited by the dimensions of the editing field, wherein the scale should be set so that a reasonable or usual adjustment range is given. However, said scales could also be adjusted upfront depending on the type of garment to be designed.
[0090] In particular, the left side and the right side (relative to the line 22) of the editing field 21 can have different scales. For example, the left side (defining what stretch the garment is exposed to) could have a larger scale than the right side (defining what ease the garment has relative to the avatar). That means, for making adjustments (in the millimeter range) to a body tight fit there is relatively more space available, i.e. a fine-adjustment is provided here, and the movement for adjusting the ease (usually many centimeters) is more direct.
[0091] The line 23 can be customized by shifting the anchor points 24 in a way as desired by the designer or customer. While adjusting, the garment 20 can be modified in real-time or the garment 20 can be regenerated after each adjustment or on demand. That way, the designer has immediate feedback on his adjustments.
[0092] The adjustability provided by the GUI 19 as shown in FIG. 9 is very useful for designers as they can achieve a desired fit of the garment in a matter of seconds what usually takes them minutes or hours.
[0093] A similar exemplary GUI is shown in FIG. 10. Here, however, the shapeable line 46 is alone in the editing field 21, i.e. without distinctive anchor points which are optional. The shapeable line 46 can be reshaped anywhere, so that there are quasi infinite anchor points, or at least a lot more intervals compared to FIG. 9 where the line can be modified. So to any spot the user may click to on the line and reshape it will be determined to which height in the 3D model this spot corresponds and then the circumference will be adjusted accordingly (see the exemplary dashed circumferences and the full-lined circumferences of the 3D garment model in the window 45).
[0094] FIG. 11 shows horizontal slidable lines 26-30, which can be vertically adjusted by the cursor 25. They mark characteristic heights of the garment 20, such as the shown shoulder end 26, the bottom end 30, the chest line 27, the waist line 28, and the hip line 29. By dragging a line up or down and release it, the user can shift these characteristic heights to a desired level. The length of the overall garment will be adapted accordingly. For example, when dragging the line 27 down as shown in FIG. 11, the circumference that is currently set at the chest's height of the garment will be set at the newly set height. The dashed lines 38 and 39 indicate where the chest lines were before.
[0095] In real-time or after confirmation of the new settings, the garment surface above the dragged chest line 27 will be automatically reshaped to maintain a smooth transition between the circumference at the chest line 27 as a first anchor point and the circumference spaced by a defined distance above the line 27 as a second anchor point. In the same manner, the garment model surface below the line that has been dragged on will be reshaped to maintain a smooth transition overall while the restrictions as set by the lines 26-30 are respected. If one of the outer lines 26 and 30 is dragged on, the garment is shortened or lengthened.
[0096] Accordingly, as can be displayed with the optional field 42 in FIG. 12, the ease profile 43 is adapted to these manipulations of the lines 27 and 28. The dashed line 41, again, may be displayed to indicate the previous settings. When the window 42 is added as shown here in FIG. 12, apart from the height adjustments with the lines 26-30, the anchor points 44 can additionally be used to further modify the garment model, in particular at the height of the characteristic lines 26-30. FIG. 12 also illustrate how the 3D garment model 20 is regenerated after the edits from FIG. 11 are applied. It can be seen that the garment is now stretched longer and the characteristic lines 27 (edited), 28 (edited), 29 (adapted), and 30 (adapted) are shifted downwards. They still mark the characteristic areas of the avatar (chest, hip, waist, etc.).
[0097] The alterations as shown on the examples of FIGS. 9-12 are automatically translated in the background into changes on the 2D patterns that correspond to the displayed 3D garment model.
[0098] The invention is not limited to the shown amount of horizontal (slidable) lines for height adjustment but can be any amount between one and any plurality. Likewise, the amount of optional anchor points 24/44 is not necessarily as shown but can be more or less.
[0099] Settings of the anchor points 24 that form a desired curve 23 can also be stored as characteristic fits and be applied for other garment models loaded into the program or created in the program by selecting them from a list of preset fits. FIG. 13 shows an example of a presets window 31 comprising a field 32 with a drop-down list 33 with such silhouette presets. Optionally, as shown, there can also be provided a field 34 for a length profile that can be chosen from drop-down list 35. Again optionally, the GUI can provide sliders 36 and/or 37 for metering the selected presets. A fit profile selected (and optionally fine-adjusted by the slide bar) retrieves a setting of such a profile curve as shown in FIG. 9, numeral 23. A length profile selected (and optionally fine-adjusted by the slide bar) retrieves a setting of horizontal lines as presented in the following. A fit preset can also introduce an offset for the neutral line or a different scaling of the spaces left and right from the neutral line.
[0100] Although the invention is illustrated above, partly with reference to some preferred embodiments, it must be understood that numerous modifications and combinations of different features of the embodiments can be made. All these modifications lie within the scope of the appended claims.
