Landmarking and Measuring for Critical Body Shape Analysis Targeting Garment Fit

Abstract

Industry 4.0 points to manufacturing that embraces both automation and customization yet apparel industries continue to be inhibited by the necessity for trial-and-error fittings to correct garment fit and while 3D technologies have gone far to automate fitting workflows, an inability to quantify body shape continues to plague automation integration. This paper explains why traditional methods of relating anthropometry to a 2D pattern are the root cause of poor garment fit and presents a solution for mathematically quantifying both body shape and garment fit. With an eye towards mass garment customization, and the theory that any pattern should be customizable for any human shape, theories on the relationship of 1D anthropometry and 2D block pattern were continuously re-trialed and honed over a thirty-year bespoke garment design/patter-making career. The methods presented were developed by combining common practices of triangulated pattern development with fabric draping and origami. A novel method of pattern block making was developed and found to be effective for accurate replication of body shape. Testing of the Clone Block TM proved successful for both men and women of a variety of sizes, making it gender neutral and well suited to automation. Landmarking and measuring requirements are mostly within the boundaries of ISO standards with a few novel requirements. While time intensive for hand measuring, the process is well suited for scanned measurement data and virtual environments. The Clone Block TM offers a critical assessment of body shape for automated garment fit, improved virtual size selection, more realistic virtual fittings, the optimizing of twin avatars to clones, and mass garment customization.

Quantitative Comparison of Manual vs. 3D Scanner Human Body Measurements

“…Manual measurements were taken from the right side only for symmetrical measurements while scanner measurements were taken on both sides. Lowaist [6] was not implemented in Texel Portal MX scanner and it was taken only by manual measurers. Only measurements present both in scanner and manual datasets were used in comparison.…”

The current status on 3D scanning and CAD/CAM applications in textile research

“…Simplifying a layer surface from a 3D model offered fit achieved with a block that suitably clones body contours. However, the shapes resulting from the flattened mesh do not adhere to the principles of fabric grain and dart manipulation essential for apparel pattern development (Scott and Sayem, 2018;Ernst et al, 2018). There is also a general problem since most of the existing methods still lack the complex simulations based on mechanical fabric properties or realistic anatomical features of the human body.…”

Novel Methods to Drive Pattern Engineering through and for Enhanced Use of 3D Technologies

“…The key obstacles can be summarized as a lack of theory to quantify body shape and garment ease. [1] [7] [8] [9] While novel software to address these concerns exists, the extensive and detailed body data required is not within the scope of current measurement extraction software, nor completely defined within traditional ISO standards. The study discussed herein, will demonstrate the viability of automating novel measurement practices to support novel patternengineering for body shape theory (Clone Block®), and thereby establish a direct body-to-pattern relationship.…”

“…As illustrated in Figure 3, garment fit must account not only for 1D body dimensions but also the 2D origami grey zones required to shape pattern to body. [7] Figure 1 ~ The relationship of origami to pattern-engineering for body shape.…”