Apparel CAD systems used now in many apparel makers consist of grading, marking and plane pattern making. These systems are limited in two-dimensional data-processing. We call the apparel CAD systems which can directly treat three-dimensional information as the second generation. For example, draping and sample making processes are the targets of it.
We developed a CAD system which can simulate the sample making process. Using this system, we can estimate the shape of garment without making and dressing it actually. The basic idea for the system is that the natural shape of garment is determined by four main factors, namely, mechanical properties of material fabrics, geometrical and topological shape of paper pattern, shape of the human body and the way of dressing.
In this paper, we focus the mechanical model of the fabrics and describe the formulation of it. It is based on the large deformation theory of continuous plates, while some assumptions and modifications added there are adopted from the theory of textile fabrics.
Next, we describe a method of numerical analysis to treat the actual problem. The method proposed here is a modified finite element method which is practicable to deal with the textile fabrics.
The following points are remarkable features of the problem.
1) Textile fabrics show anisotropic mechanical properties.
2) This is a large deformation and nonlinear problem.
3) Initial three-dimensional shape, in the state of unloaded and nonstrained, is not given. We can only know the shape of patterns on the plane.
4) The existence of the human body as a constraint condition is essential.
5) The requirement of accuracy in solution is not so intense.
Considering these features, we developed an iterating algorithm which has a global convergency.
Finally, we compare the solutions from the approximate and the strict methods in the cases of heart loop and pear loop.
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