CLO3D : Best Fashion Design Software You Need to Learn

@the_fab_ric_ant

Do you find it difficult to visualize your apparel designs? The process from making a fashion illustration and bringing it to life after spending long hours on deciding the silhouette, drafting patterns, creating test fits, making corrections, sourcing fabrics, designing prints, making samples, tracing patterns on fabric, cutting and finally sewing can be really taxing, not to mention the hours of conceptualization that goes behind it. Even after putting in so many efforts, a lot many times you aren't satisfied with the result. You realize you could have selected a different color scheme, fabric type, or maybe a different length. In this post, I'm going to introduce you to CLO3D, a software that you should definitely start using as soon as possible if you're a part of the fashion, textile, and accessory industry. 

CLO3D is one of the most revolutionary virtual fashion design software right now, using which you can visualize your design in a few clicks. The true-to-life 3D garment simulation makes prototyping easier, improves the design process and reduces sample lead time. Check out the following features to learn more about this incredible software.

ENDLESS CREATIVITY
CLO's dynamic 3D simulation allows you to create designs with intricate details and numerous layers. You can design any garment, from a simple t-shirt to a highly complex pattern and construction. And the best part is that it is not just limited to garment design, anything constructed with fabric like bags, wallets, hats can be created.

 @zoey_3d

FAST SIMULATION
With CLO's real-time interactivity, you can quickly review the adjustments in 2D patterns, prints, colors, texture and fabric as they are simulated immediately. 

MODULAR TEMPLATES
One of the most cool features of CLO is that it provides you with modular templates(ready blocks) like the basic patterns of a shirt, t-shirt, jacket, etc so you don't have to start designing a garment from scratch. You can even sketch a design directly on your Avatar and automatically generate pattern pieces.

ACCURATE MATERIALS

CLO can accurately emulate most fabrics with different material properties. You can try its comprehensive library of commonly used fabrics to immediately see design ideas. 

@3d.nk

CHECK SIZE AND FIT

Reduces sample lead time as you can check for the fit and silhouette sooner in the development process. It also uses heat maps to reveal the stress points in the garments. This allows sample time for refinement before finalization. 

CUSTOMIZATION
It lets you create a custom Avatar by feeding in the body measurements and develop patterns specifically for each size. 

GRADING
Grading can get tricky for complex patterns. But using this you can create a single pattern and grade it with ease. 

EXPERIMENT WITH PRINTS
This is the most fun part of designing using CLO. It lets you easily visualize any desired print on your design. You can practically explore different prints, along with scaling them and trying out colorways.

@pia_hansen_phantastiq

EXPERIMENT WITH STYLING
Using your created designs, you can mix and match different styles from your library and experiment with layering and styling.

         @____dita____                                             @carlings_official

HOW TO LEARN
There's just one way of learning any software and that is by using it. I explored it to make a variety of garments ranging from western wear to Indian-wear(shown below). And trust me, it has been so much fun! You can learn how to use CLO online using the tutorial videos and resources provided on their website. Along with that you can watch tutorials on their youtube channel and learn. There are lots of other youtube videos by CLO users explaining features that will solve your problems. Start by learning the basic features. Then create garments and follow videos at every step when you get stuck, keep creating as much as you can and soon you'll get used to most of the features.

At present, there are few companies in the world and even fewer in India using this software. Hopefully, in upcoming years, we'll see the fashion industry changing and adapting such technology to improve and manage their supply chain better.

So that's all about a very brief introduction about CLO. In upcoming posts, I'll be talking about more features of CLO and the companies that are creating a digital clothing revolution. I'll also introduce you to more such amazing design software in various design fields.

Tip: Use hashtags like #clo3d #virtualfashion #clo #digitalfashion #3ddesigner #3dfashion on Instagram to check out the work of some of the best designers using Clo3D to get inspired.