Key Takeaway
- CLO Virtual Fashion's CLO drafts graded patterns from full size-table measurements or grading increments and leaves the resulting patterns editable.
- Simulating each graded size activates Grading Review so you can compare all garment and avatar sizes on a single screen.
- Editing a 2D pattern stops an active 3D simulation, requiring a re-simulation before reviewing the updated drape.
Technical designers moving size tables into a 3D rollout or onboarding new team members often hit a bottleneck when translating real body and garment measurements into graded patterns ready for 3D visualization. Teams working from measured spec sheets can use CLO Virtual Fashion's CLO to enter full measurement values for each size or set grading increments in Pattern Drafter. Once those sizes are simulated, you can check how the chosen fabric stretches and fits across the size range on screen.
Measurement-Led Grading in Pattern Drafter
When you start from a spec sheet of real measurements, Pattern Drafter drafts a base pattern for your chosen pattern type directly from the measurements you enter. You can also align those pattern measurements with the dimensions of a CLO avatar before moving into size runs.
For graded patterns, the tool accepts two types of input depending on how your team writes specs: you can type in the full measurement values for each individual size, or you can specify the grading increments between sizes.
The graded results generated by Pattern Drafter remain editable.If a fit session or spec revision calls for a measurement change, reopen the existing parametric pattern in Pattern Drafter, choose to edit it, change the measurements, and click Update. Alternatively, use Edit POM to adjust supported measurements. Changing a point-of-measure (POM) length updates the parametric pattern while keeping its parametric relationships intact.
3D Grading and Fit Review Compared
Evaluating CLO, Browzwear VStitcher, and Lectra Modaris side by side shows how each tool handles 2D/3D pattern workflows, size grading inputs, and 3D fit verification.
| Tool | 2D/3D Pattern Workflow | Size Grading Approach | 3D Fit & Fabric Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLO | 2D pattern and 3D garment views work together for evaluation; imported DXF patterns can be edited in 2D and simulated in 3D in the same tool. | Pattern Drafter accepts full measurement values per size or grading increments between sizes, producing editable results. | Grading Review compares all simulated garment and avatar sizes on one screen; CLO provides four garment fit maps (Strain, Stress, Fit, and Pressure Maps) as design aids. |
| Browzwear VStitcher | Provides 2D drafting and 3D draping environments to visualize and refine garments in real time. | Supports grading garments across sizes; in VStitcher 2026.3, the 2D Measure tab consolidates formulas, points of measure, sizes, and CSV export in one table. | Tension and pressure mapping visualizes stress points and pressure across garments. |
| Lectra Modaris | Modaris 3D automatically syncs 2D production patterns with 3D prototypes, applying adjustments to both at once. | Adjusts finalized pattern pieces to different sizes and supports extended, complex size ranges using dynamic measurement charts and advanced grading tools. | Modaris 3D provides tools to verify pattern fit. |
Based on official documentation from the CLO Help Center, Browzwear, and Lectra.
During fabric approval and fit review, CLO's four Fit Maps inspect how a graded garment behaves on the avatar: the Strain Map displays external force stretch as a percentage, the Stress Map shows garment stress including fabric grain force per unit area, the Fit Map indicates tightness, and the Pressure Map shows the pressure exerted on the avatar. Within the Strain Map, you can switch between a Global Mode that uses the same scale for all fabrics and a Fabric Mode that uses each fabric's wearable stretch limit calculated from its physical properties.
These Fit Maps serve as design aids rather than absolute guarantees of physical fit or comfort, because their outputs depend on the accuracy of the fabric inputs and testing conditions.
2D Pattern Edits and 3D Simulation
If your team already works with legacy pattern files, you can import DXF patterns into CLO, modify them in the 2D window, and evaluate them through 3D simulation in the same workspace without switching between separate programs.
CLO automatically synchronizes adjustments in the 2D pattern window with the 3D view. Run simulation after editing to assess the updated garment’s fit and drape. If a 3D simulation is currently active when you edit a 2D pattern line, that edit ends the active simulation. You then run the simulation again to review how the updated pattern geometry drapes in 3D. Understanding this sequence prevents confusion when designers adjust a graded neckline or sleeve cap in 2D and expect the 3D drape to move while they drag the line.
Multi-Size 3D Comparison in Grading Review
Checking a single base size in 3D often misses proportion shifts that appear at the ends of a size run. In CLO's Grading Review, you can compare all garment and avatar grading sizes side by side on a single screen. Reviewing fit across the graded sizes on screen helps you spot grading issues visually across the range.
Grading Review is activated based on the simulated results for each grading size. Your team needs to simulate every graded size so the garments and avatars can be compared together. If you spot a pulling seam on an outer size and alter the pattern geometry, you will need to re-simulate that affected size to update its 3D result in the review screen.
FAQ
How do I update a graded pattern created in Pattern Drafter after measurements change?
Reopen the existing parametric pattern in Pattern Drafter, choose to edit it, revise the measurements, and click Update. You can also use Edit POM to adjust supported measurements. When you change a POM length, the parametric pattern updates while keeping its parametric relationships intact.
Can I use Fit Maps in CLO to verify fabric stretch during fabric approval?
Yes, the Strain Map's Fabric Mode utilizes each fabric's wearable stretch limit calculated from its physical properties, while Global Mode applies a single scale across all fabrics. However, Fit Maps are design aids whose results depend on fabric input accuracy and testing conditions, not absolute guarantees of physical fit or comfort.
Do I need to switch software to adjust imported DXF patterns and check their 3D drape?
No, you can modify imported DXF patterns in the 2D view and evaluate them via 3D simulation directly within CLO, which minimizes transitions between separate software tools.