This guide provides the basic instructions required for the work, along with various examples of modifications.
Please refer to the following content and apply it to your work according to each garment’s specific situation.
Case #1. Adjusting Garment Length
Please refer to the length guidelines on the template avatar, making sure skirts sit above the knee and sleeves do not cover the back of the hand.
Case #2. How to illustrate Torn Areas
When illustrating torn areas using internal lines, the topology does not smoothly transition, and the appearance looks unnatural. In these cases, using textures instead of creating separate patterns is strongly recommended, as this approach achieves a more natural look and smoother topology.
[Topology Comparison: Pattern vs Texture]
Case #3. Fixing Small patterns
For garments with small patterns, small patterns may disappear or result in unnatural topology across the entire garment during the optimization. Therefore, before optimization, merging small patterns into nearby larger patterns is strongly recommended.
[Topology Comparison: Before and After Merging]
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How to Merge Small Patterns
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Click on the line segments of two patterns you want to merge.
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Right-click and select ‘Merge.’
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Case #4. Adding Seam Taping to Skirt Hems
When the skirt pleats are heavily overlapped or touching each other, it can elevate rigging difficulty and cause the pleats to appear incorrect during specific movements. This may lead to clipping issues as the avatar moves. To resolve this, apply the ‘Seam Taping’ function to Skirt hems to relax the pleats and enhance their overall silhouette.
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How to apply ‘Seam Taping.’
- Click ‘Edit Pattern’ to select the ‘Seam Taping’ option.
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Check the ‘Seam Taping’ option in the Property Editor.
Apply ‘Seam Taping’ to the preferred segments. - Modifying the ‘Seam Taping’ Properties.
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Width (mm): set the thickness of the ‘Seam Taping.’
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Physical Property: The higher the value for Bending, the more relaxed the pleats’ appearance becomes.
Adjusting the value incrementally while checking the pleats’ silhouette for optimal results is recommended rather than starting with a significantly higher Bending value.
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Case #5. Pleated Skirts Optimization
Pleated garment patterns are usually formed by zigzag overlapping, which can cause some parts of the patterns to be hidden in the overlapped areas. To optimize these garments, it is recommended that the hidden parts of the patterns be deleted, as shown in the image below.
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Before Pattern Adjustments
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After Pattern Adjustments
Case #6. Creating Internal Lines at Joint areas
Reference the example images of ‘avatar joint points’ to create internal lines in the appropriate areas of the garment. These internal lines help define the garment’s topology, improve the edge flow, and enable more natural movement during rigging.
Case #7. Differences between Physical Garments and Digital Garments
The structural patterns of physical garments and 3D digital garments can vary significantly. While maintaining the original design's essence is crucial, adjustments to detailed elements may be necessary for efficient optimization.
For instance, elements like the back of a physical skirt or overlapping patterns on a blouse's sleeves often don't translate directly into digital garments. In such cases, removing unnecessary or hidden patterns is recommended to streamline the workflow. Moreover, unless the textures of the lining and outer fabric are different, the 'Thickness' option comes in handy for effectively simulating thickness, allowing you to eliminate one of the overlapping patterns.
When designing digital garments, it's essential to consider the differences between physical and digital patterns to make practical modifications and optimizations.
Case #8. Refining Garment Silhouettes
When simulating with optimized polygons, you may encounter situations where the garment’s silhouette becomes awkwardly distorted. To address this, the silhouette must be refined and shaped into a more natural form. This process may also involve adjusting the positions of misaligned buttons or trims, resulting in high-quality garments.
Garments are typically designed in an A-pose, with the arms extended outward. However, characters usually assume a standing pose with lowered arms in games. Adjustments should be made before rigging to ensure the garment’s wrinkles appear natural in this standing pose.
For instance, wrinkles that occur only in the A-pose, such as those at the shoulders of a trench coat, may look unnatural in the standing pose. It is recommended that such wrinkles be removed or smoothed out to maintain a consistent and polished appearance during gameplay.
Various methods exist to modify wrinkles, and designers can select the best approach to suit their workflow. The primary goal is to elevate the garment’s quality before rigging, achieving a natural silhouette that integrates seamlessly with the character’s poses.
Case #9. Approaching Garment adjustment based on Avatar Mesh Handling
The process and priorities for modifying digital garments can vary depending on how the avatar mesh is processed. If the avatar mesh is deleted, there is less concern about it protruding through the garment during rigging test motions. However, greater focus is needed to ensure the garment’s overall silhouette remains clean and accurate to the intended design.
For instance, if parts of the avatar mesh are visible through the garment, but the silhouette looks natural, and the design intent is well-preserved, modifications might not be necessary. However, adjustments are essential if the silhouette looks indented or distorted, regardless of whether mesh penetrations are present.
When the avatar mesh is not deleted, the primary goal is to prevent it from protruding through the garment during rigging tests. After addressing this, further refinements are recommended to maintain a natural silhouette that aligns with the intended design.
Defining clear workflows and inspection criteria based on how the avatar mesh is processed can enhance efficiency while maintaining high garment quality.
Case #10. Considerations for Button and Trim Optimization
Switching the ‘Polygon Optimization’ type to ‘Billboard’ can be highly beneficial when optimizing the garment accessories such as buttons, trims, and zippers. However, it's crucial to approach this change with care, considering each element's position and purpose.
It is generally recommended that garment accessories be used with ‘Mesh’ instead of ‘Billboard’ to better preserve their shape and volume. Accessories worn near the face are especially important, as they often appear in close-up shots and can impact the overall quality. In such cases, working in ‘Mesh’ is required to ensure the shape is not overly distorted.
Furthermore, when an accessory plays a significant or defining role in the outfit, it’s recommended to use ‘Mesh’ instead of ‘Billboard’ to preserve its details. On the other hand, switching to ‘Billboard’ can help optimize polygon usage effectively for less visible elements like zipper stoppers or small accessories.
Case #11. Capping Openings with Pattern Thickness
Openings in a garment are normally sealed with the Auto Seal tool, but in certain situations you can achieve the same result by extending the pattern’s Thickness instead.
Using Auto Seal adds internal faces along the new cap, which raises both the polygon count and the overall complexity of the garment’s topology. By contrast, sealing a hole with Thickness introduces no extra internal faces, allowing you to preserve the existing polygon budget and mesh layout.
Because a Thickness cap leaves no gap between the garment and the avatar, there is little space for ambient‑occlusion shadows to form; the surface can appear flat or even slightly unnatural. For that reason, this method is best reserved for tight‑fitting areas—such as sleeve cuffs or hems—where the garment already sits flush against the body. In these zones the added thickness remains virtually invisible, so you can maintain a clean silhouette while still benefiting from the lighter topology.
When sealing holes with Thickness, set the Extrusion Direction to Back to keep the outer silhouette intact, and apply only as much thickness as needed to cover the opening. This ensures the inside of the garment stays hidden without distorting its overall shape.
💡Example image of filling holes using pattern thickness-
Trouser hem
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Armhole
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Neckline
Using Thickness to seal openings is generally recommended for tight‑fitting areas that receive little visual attention. However, if Fill Hole is difficult to apply—such as along a complex neckline—or if increasing the polygon count is not feasible, you can seal the opening with Thickness as an exception.
Case #12. Creating Layer Offsets with Extrusion Direction
When building a garment, the pattern’s Extrusion Direction is set to Back by default so the outer silhouette remains unchanged. If you need to add a layered offset, however, you can adjust the extrusion direction to give the pattern additional depth.
Using Forward for this purpose is not recommended, because it moves the new thickness in the opposite direction of the default Back setting; the two layers no longer meet and the garment can look visibly disconnected.
To achieve a clean offset, set the extrusion direction to Both and fine‑tune the thickness value until the desired step is visible while the overall silhouette stays intact.
💡Example image showing a layer offset created with the pattern’s Extrusion Direction
Case #13. Creating a Natural Collar Fold Using Internal Lines and Fold Angles
As the particle distance increases, it can become difficult to maintain a balanced collar shape.
In such cases, you can create a more natural collar form by adding internal lines to the collar pattern.
As shown in the image below, insert 2–3 internal lines near the sewing line. These lines help define the garment's topology, resulting in a smoother mesh flow.
Next, assign appropriate fold angles to the added internal lines in the Property Editor. To achieve a natural folding effect, set the fold angles between 0° and 180°, bending outward from the collar pattern.
Case #14. Collar Adjustment and Weight Painting Guide
Please refer to this video. [LINK]
- Hide Unnecessary Mesh Using the Masking Brush
- Use the Masking Brush to hide any unnecessary mesh that is protruding from the inside or intersecting with the avatar.
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Maintain Proper Distance from the Avatar
Use the Grab Brush to slightly offset the collar so it doesn’t sit too tightly against the avatar’s neck. Leave enough space to avoid mesh penetration during animation.
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Refine the Shape
If the collar shape becomes distorted after adjusting the distance, use the Grab Brush to reshape it naturally. Make sure the silhouette flows smoothly and looks clean.
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Adjust Weights
If the collar intersects or collapses when the neck rotates, use the Smooth Multiple Joint Brush or standard Weight Brush to refine the weight painting and ensure smoother deformation.
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Final Check
Apply the test animation to check if the silhouette stays clean during movement and rotation. Make sure there’s no clipping, collapsing, or sharp deformations.