3D GRAPHICS IN TEXTILE DESIGNING

Proceedings of the 6th AUTEX 2006 Conference, Raleigh, NC, USA, 11-14 June 2006

3D GRAPHICS IN TEXTILE DESIGNING

Maria Cybulska, Tomasz Florczak, TU Lodz, Poland

ABSTRACT

Paper presents application of 3dsmax software in the area of modelling the textile

products. The methods and procedures have been developed and implemented allowing

for visualisation of different textile products, form fibres and yarns to final products or

other products manufactured from the textile components. All procedures use 3dsmax 7

Discreet software tools and the procedures developed with use of "maxscript"

programming language

1. INTRODUCTION

In the conditions of increasing competitiveness on the textile market, the chance for

growth, or sometimes for surviving of the textile industry, are not only the hi-tech

products, but also the high quality products, designed for individual end-user, or even

designed with the participation of user in the designing process. This approach needs new

elastic and dynamic tools, which allow us to change on-lone not only the product

appearance and artistic design, but also the raw material and technology used.

3D graphics methods are more and more popular and widely applied not only in

entertainment and advertising but also in the field of science and technology. It concerns

also the area of textiles Computer programs supporting the process of the product

designing such as Sophis [1] support engineers and designers of knitted and woven

fabrics. The main advantage of these kinds of products is ability to simulate the final

product without costly and time-consuming trials.

There are three main disadvantages of existing and available software designated for

textiles.

The first one is price - dozens of Euro for one specialised programme segment.

The second one is the software limitation - software is usually dedicated to strictly

determined kind of product - woven or knitted fabric, based on traditional technology.

Lack of elasticity and open programming code make them unusable in work on the new

technologies or in the companies where two or more different types of textiles are

produced.

The movie picture art and computer games industries are good source of "open" and

flexible 3D graphics software. Paper shows application of 3dsmax 7 Discreet software

tools and the procedures developed with use of "maxscript" programming language in the

area of simulation and modelling the textile products.

2. PARAMETERS DETERMINING THE PRODUCT APPEARANCE

Product appearance is a very complex phenomenon. It is a combined effect of many

different factors, as raw material, yarn and fabric structure, finishing and many other

parameters resulting in different product properties as, for one hand, aerial mass, stiffness,

width and so on. These parameters determine some other factors, as fabric texture or

drapeability.

On the other hand, the product appearance is determined by light reflection and refraction,

translucency, colour, etc. All these parameters should be taken into account in modelling

and simulation of the textile product


3. 3DSMAX TOOLS1

3.1 Modelling the grid object

The basic element of the model of product is a grid object. Its shape depends on

geometric properties of modelled element. For instance, in the case of fibre or yarn we

can assume it is a kind of cylinder with different types of cross-section - see Figure 1. To

create the grid object we can use variety of tools. Combining them we can develop very

specific procedures of object formation

Figure1. Modelling the fibre - exemplary grid objects

3.2 Modification of the object

Among many different implements offered by 3Dsmax, tools for modification of

previously created objects play very important role. They enable to change the object

structure according to specified parameters of modelled product or to the product

technology, for instance by twisting, wrapping or bending the elements or by adding the

noise to reflect the product unevenness

3.3. Modelling the surface properties

The grid object can be characterised by smooth surface and accidental colour. To create

the effect of reality we need to use some tools allowing to determine the texture of the

object - smoothness, hairiness, relief, translucency, glossiness, reflection and refraction.

3dsmax offers the wide variety of this kind of tools

1 3ds. max 7 discreet Tutorials, Copyright ©2004 Autodesk

3ds. Max 7 - New Features Guide, Copyright ©2004 Autodesk


Figure 2. Modification of the object surface

3.4. Creating new tool with use of the „maxscript” language

The most important advantage of 3dsmax software is open programming code enabling

creation of new specific tools. Script language is similar to some popular programming

languages, as C++. Numerous procedures for 3D modelling make the programming

easier for inexperienced user or for these who don't know any programming language. It

is also possible to develop some procedures, which are not directly related to 3D graphics,

as a procedures analysing relationships between some parameters or other mathematical

calculations

4. APPLICATION OF 3D GRAPHICS IN MODELLING THE TEXTILE

MATERIALS

Modeling the textile product can proceed in two ways. The first one starts from the basic

element - fibre or yarn. On the basis of predetermined parameters of fibres, yarn and

fabric we can simulate the fabric appearance. Alternative method consists in designing

the appearance of the final product. Then on the basis of calculations and simulations we

can determine parameters of structure and material allowing obtaining the product in

desired form. These two methods of modelling we will call accordingly the forward and

the backward modelling.

Figure 3. Two methods of modelling the textile product


4.1. Forward modelling

4.1.1. Fibre modelling

Procedures have been developed to create models of fibre characterised by different

cross-section, diameter and length. Procedures of the material editor were used to

determine some surface properties of fibre. All fibre parameters can be further modified

accordingly to material properties or to designer needs

Figure 4. Simulation of the cotton fibre

4.1.2. Modelling the yarn

Two different methods of yarn modelling have been developed.

The first method consists in giving the linear element the texture with properties

determined by yarn structural properties. The presence of fibres is reflected by

concavities and convexities on the cylindrical yarn surface.

The second one, we could call "real", consists in forming the yarn from previously

created 3D models of fibres by wrapping, twisting or nodding them, accordingly to the

yarn technology. The method allows setting some predetermined features as yarn

unevenness or yarn hairiness for staple yarn


Figure 5. Modelling the yarn - A- top- simplified by mapping, B- bottom "real"

4.1.3. Modelling the fabric

Simulation of the fabric proceeds in two stages. The first one consists in forming the

fabric from previously modelled linear elements. One can use both the exact simulations

of yarn or yarn modelled by simplified method. In the first case one can get magnified

image of fabric with clearly seen fibres. It is also possible to use as a warp or weft the

elements plied from two or more linear elements. The elements are interlaced

accordingly to the previously chosen weave pattern with the relative position determined

by the yarn spacing. The next stage consist in simplifying the 3D model of fabric by

converting it to the flat object with texture depending on the properties of the raw

material one want to use. The calculation window allows determining some physical

properties of fabric, as aerial mass.

The method allows for simulation of some fabric patterns obtained both by weaving and

printing techniques

Figure 6. Modelling the fabric - creating the interlacements according to chosen weave

pattern.


Figure 7. Dynamic change of some structural parameters of fabric

Figure 8. 3D model of fabric

4.1.4. Simulation of the final product

The last stage of modelling the end product consists in placing the previously designed

and simulated fabric on the surface of different kind of 3D objects. These objects are

textile products as curtains, carpets, or products the fabric is one of elements, as tapestry

on sofa, chair and so on


Figure 9. Simulation of the final product

4.2. Backward modelling

The backward modelling method consists of few stages. At the first stage designer create

the fabric as it will look like in the final product. It gives the general fabric appearance

and the appearance of the fabric surface. In the next stage it is necessary to determine

some parameters of the fabric structure and the structure and raw material of yarn,

suitable to obtain the visual effect predetermined by designer. It is also necessary to

determine the technology the visual effect can be obtain by - weaving, printing, etc

Figure 10. Designing the appearance of the final product


Figure 11. Successive stages of backward modelling from product appearance to the raw

material

4.3.Complex designing

Applying the described above methods it is possible to obtain the technological

parameters allowing to produce "a family" of unified textile products of the same design

but different structures and designation. The procedures have been developed that make

possible to obtain the same patterns by diversified texture, light reflection, colour or

translucency of fabric

4. SUMMARY

3D graphics offer excellent tools for visualisation of different kinds of textile products.


The methods developed allow simulation of the end product made by any technology.

They can be applied not only for designing the textile products. They allow creating

presentations for educational purposes, too. They have already found application in

creating virtual reconstruction of archaeological and historical fabrics. 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Research has been subsidised by Polish Ministry of Science and Education3

RESPONDENCE ADDRESS:

Institute of Architecture of Textiles

faculty of Enfgineering and Marketing of Textiles,

Technical University of Lodz,

90-924 Lodz, Poland

[email protected]

2 M. Cybulska, Florczak T, Maik J Archaeological Textiles- analysis, identification and reconstruction,

Proceedings of Autex 2005 3 M. Cybulska, Florczak T, Maik J, Methods of Identification and reconstruction of Textiles in special

applications

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3D GRAPHICS IN TEXTILE DESIGNING