ShareCloth, a computer software company headquartered in Moscow, has announced the forthcoming release of an app to help designers create 3D printed garments. The ShareCloth app has been developed by the company in a bid to provide “an easy fix” for 3D garment design and encourage more fashion designers to make the most of the technology.
A 3D digital tailor
The company’s existing software, the ShareCloth Editor, allows users to tailor a clothing pattern to match the shape and size of a pre-prepared digital body (which can be change to the desired specifications).
Features include an ability to designate the seam of a garment, and preview how the fabric will fall when worn. With the 3D printing upgrade, these features will be applied to the parameters of 3D printable materials.
3D models of the fabric will be automatically created from traditional 2D patterns. With ‘Digital Fabric Settings’ users will be able to determine the type of filament used and view it in simulation. The finished article can then be generated as a g-code operation for the chosen 3D printer. Models can also be uploaded directly to ShareCloth’s community platform for collaboration with other designers.
The initial ShareCloth Editor is available now as a free download for Windows, and in beta for Mac. The 3D printer upgrade will be available from the company September 2017.
Fabric of the future
The topic of 3D printing in fashion has been discussed as an important part of the future of the technology as in the guest article from Nora Touré, Business Development Director at Sculpteo, and our interview with 3D printer fashion designer Mingjing Lin.
3D printed fabric also features in a number of research projects conducted to push 3D printing to its limits. In collaboration with Stratasys, MIT’s Neri Oxman created a vision of 3D printed fashions capable of supporting human life in inhospitable conditions. Research from the University of Minnesota used 3D printable silicone to create sensors moving toward smart, wearable tech at your fingertips.
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Featured image: Sample of material 3D printed using the editor app. Photo via the ShareCloth blog
