True-to-life garment modelling

A 3D modeling system that cuts manufacturers down to size, Samantha Docherty reports on V-Stitcher by Browzwear.

Driven by one of the most powerful proprietary 3D real-time engines, V-Stitcher from Browzwear is a software application that offers manufacturers true-to-life garment modeling.
Released in Australia in 2004, the system, which allows the user to see the fit of a garment and how it performs before a sample is made, reduces time-to-market and improves quality for manufacturers.
Widely used overseas and recently taken up by a number of Australian design houses in Sydney and Melbourne, the 3D system caught the attention of RMIT lecturer Dr Olga Troynikov last year.
"It's a wonderful piece of software that the industry needs. We identified V-Stitcher as a significant tool for use in textiles and fashion and as an educational institution we believe it's important for the industry to be trained in the software."
Taking up 10 licenses with plans for more in the future, RMIT are running a course over four days on May 4, 5, 11 and 12. Organisers Honeylight, RMIT and the International Fibre Centre will be aiming to have 20 people in each seminar, with different modules reflecting the diversity of the participants.
With a flexible set-up allowing a company's quality control staff to attend for two days, whilst product development attend the remaining days, each participant will have their own computer with the software, so there will not be groups of people huddled around one computer trying to see what the trainer is doing.
Particularly useful for companies who are manufacturing offshore, but still retain their design element in Australia Troynikov says productivity is improved as the global supply chain is improved.
"Communication can be done a lot more effectively in a visual manner. The technical and design information can be viewed even by companies that don't have this software, and can be linked automatically to their patternmaking machinery."
Beverley Honig, CEO of Honeylight Enterprises, which represents Browzwear in Australia, says the software creates a three-dimensional form of fit, a three-dimensional form of design and a three-dimensional form of visual merchandising with on-line capabilities.
Adding that the software isn't designed to replace existing designers or patternmakers, Honig says it's simply an extra tool in the arsenal.
"The software can link to any current CAD based two-dimensional pattern from any current CAD system and can also be linked into 3D body scanning technology. This allows for a more accurate sizing measurement tool, which can be applied industry wide to enable standardization of sizing and fit across brands."