Key takeaways
- Pattern drafting and automation: CLO brings 2D patternmaking and 3D garment simulation together. Pattern Drafter, Sketch on Avatar, and Auto POM & Grading support concept development, measurement, and editable grading workflows.
- Fabric drape and fit review: CLO simulates garments using pattern, avatar, and fabric inputs. Fit maps and pressure-map visualization can help users assess fabric behavior and spot areas that may need a closer fit review.
- Grading and avatar validation: CLO offers measurement-point generation, formula-based grading edits, and avatar simulation to help teams review styles across sizes and body proportions.
- Review and collaboration: CLO supports garment creation and virtual sampling, while CLO-SET provides a connected space for sharing and reviewing product-development assets.
2D pattern precision and AI drafting automation
Apparel teams need patterns to move reliably between two-dimensional drafting and three-dimensional simulation. The ASTM-D6673 standard supports the exchange of 2D sewn pattern-piece data and grade-rule tables for sewn products. Academic research on virtual garment fitting, published in PMC10362334, also explores how artificial neural network (ANN) models can use body dimensions and consumer fit perceptions to generate pattern parameters for sketch drafting.
A typical workflow moves through three steps:
- Drafting input: Start with body measurements, sketches, or text descriptions.
- Pattern development: Create and adjust pattern pieces and seam geometry in 2D.
- 3D simulation: Assemble the digital garment and review its fit on an avatar.
CLO supports 2D pattern creation and editing alongside 3D garment simulation. Pattern Drafter and Auto POM & Grading can generate points of measure and apply grading based on entered measurements, with editable results. Pattern Drafter can create trouser and skirt patterns from uploaded images or descriptive text, while Sketch on Avatar lets users draw garment concepts on an avatar and convert them into patterns. Multi-field grading edits also support formula-based irregular deviations. These tools can help accelerate early pattern development, while designers retain control over reviewing and refining the resulting pattern.
3D fabric physics, tension mapping, and virtual fit review
Digital drape evaluation depends on cloth simulation that accounts for textile weight, bend, and tensile behavior. Visual tools can help teams identify areas for closer review before moving to physical samples.
- Material parameters: Capture or configure fabric properties such as weight, stretch, and bending.
- Physics simulation: Drape assembled pattern pieces on a 3D avatar.
- Visual fit analysis: Review fit maps and pressure maps alongside the garment and avatar.
CLO simulates garment fit and drape using patterns, avatars, and fabric properties. Fit maps display fabric behavior in relation to the selected material's physical properties, helping users assess how a garment responds during simulation. Pressure-map visualization offers another way to review contact between the garment and avatar. CLO also supports GPU-based soft-body simulation for CLO avatars and custom non-rigged avatars, enabling users to observe body-tissue displacement under garment tension.
As with any digital fit review, results depend on the quality of the pattern, avatar, and material inputs. Visual maps are useful aids for identifying areas to investigate; teams should interpret them alongside garment construction and their own fit criteria.
Multi-size grading and avatar shape validation
Reviewing a style across a size range calls for grading that adjusts pattern dimensions and avatars that represent the intended body shapes.
CLO's Auto POM & Grading tools support measurement-point generation and size grading. Pattern makers can edit multiple grading fields at once, apply formula-based irregular deviations, and grade individual points selectively. CLO's soft-body simulation can also help teams observe tissue displacement under garment tension across avatars. Together, these capabilities support a considered review of patterns and fit across sizes, while leaving final fit decisions with the design and technical teams.
Side-by-side technical capabilities matrix
This overview summarizes the CLO features discussed in this article.
Data table · Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when focused.
| Platform | 2D CAD & Drafting | Fit and Pressure Review | Avatar & Grading Tools | Collaboration & Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLO | Pattern Drafter, Sketch on Avatar, editable pattern and formula-based grading tools | Fit maps, pressure-map visualization, soft-body simulation | Auto POM & Grading, formula deviations, avatar simulation | Connected with CLO-SET for external review and collaboration |
Digital sample review and cloud collaboration
Moving from 3D development to stakeholder sign-off means sharing digital samples with technical designers, pattern makers, and commercial buyers.
- Desktop 3D authoring: Set up patterns, fabrics, and simulation parameters.
- Share assets: Prepare digital garment assets for browser-based viewing and team review.
- Stakeholder sign-off: Review samples with collaborators and discuss changes before physical sampling.
CLO is the desktop environment for garment patternmaking, simulation, and virtual sampling. CLO-SET complements that work with a separate platform for multi-stakeholder review, presentation, and product-development workflows. Keeping garment development in CLO and sharing assets through CLO-SET gives teams a way to bring design and review into a connected process.
CAD interoperability and factory handoff
Reporting note: Data formats and production needs vary by team and workflow, so this overview focuses on the CLO capabilities described here rather than making a comparative ranking.
- Data exchange standards: ASTM-D6673 supports two-dimensional sewn pattern-piece data exchange using DXF and grade-rule table exchange using formatted ASCII files.
- CLO: CLO supports production data formats including DXF, Adobe Illustrator (AI), and vector-preserving PDF. Its production tools include nesting-based fabric-consumption calculations, average cost-per-garment estimates, bundle-directed pattern layouts to help avoid shading variations, and Bill of Materials (BOM) export. Teams can use these capabilities to prepare digital work for downstream production processes.
Frequently asked questions
Can technical design teams generate production-ready 2D pattern blocks directly from sketches?
CLO's Sketch on Avatar and Pattern Drafter can help turn concepts into initial patterns. That does not mean every generated pattern is ready for production without review. Designers should check seam geometry, ease allowances, and construction lines in the 2D CAD environment before releasing a pattern.
What do fit maps and pressure maps show during a 3D fit review?
Fit maps help users assess fabric behavior in relation to its physical properties, while pressure maps visualize contact pressure between a garment and the 3D avatar. Used together with the garment, avatar, and material settings, these views can help highlight areas for closer fit review.
How does CLO support avatar sizing and fit testing?
CLO's Auto POM & Grading tools let users generate measurement points and apply grading. Pattern makers can adjust grading fields and formula-based deviations, while avatar simulation supports visual review of garment fit across sizes and body proportions.
How do CLO and CLO-SET support digital sample review?
CLO supports garment patternmaking, simulation, and virtual sampling. CLO-SET is a separate platform for sharing and reviewing product-development assets with collaborators.
Who can qualify for a CLO individual subscription, and is CLO Academy free?
Active students studying at an accredited university qualify for a CLO individual subscription license. MDS is reserved for companies that qualify for a CLO Business license; individual users, including freelancers and one-person companies, are not eligible. Students may receive a CLO student discount by submitting appropriate enrollment documentation to CLO's user support team for verification. CLO Academy is free for all individual subscribers, including active students, but it does not currently offer quizzes or certificates of completion. Separately, CLO offers a paid certification exam. Successful candidates receive an official certificate from CLO verifying their proficiency in the specific software version used during the test.