ClothAssembler: a CAD module for feature-based garment pattern assembly

This work presents a CAD prototype, named ClothAssembler, targeted at complex-shaped apparel design for real manufacturing. The intent is to fill a gap in the current CAD technology for garment design as it is mainly conceived for 2D/3D geometric modelling of cloth shapes, but generally does not provide high level operators that allow interactive and easy design of aesthetic/functional features that characterize the garment pieces, and relations/connections between parts. Though still an academic prototype, ClothAssembler allows to define/choose in an interactive way all the necessary geometric and functional information for the design and finishing of 2D pieces, such as insertion of textile layers, reinforcement lines, pockets, cut lines and pleats, as well as topological information about how pieces are pair-wise connected and assembled, by definition of seams, darts, zips, constraints such as buttons and hooks, etc. A taxonomy and parametrization of cloth tailoring features is discussed, and system functionalities are presented, with applications to garment models of real production.