Key Takeaway
- On the current Content Page, CLO-SET shows comments across Content Versions by default or can show only the current Version, while viewpoint-based annotations highlight details in the 3D or 2D Viewer.
- External partners invited via email with Viewer access can add comments and visual markups directly during sample reviews.
- The platform manages Content-level Workflow stages alongside Colorway-level Statuses, working alongside existing PLM and ERP systems or letting companies without a PLM manage development-stage product data.
Reviewing a garment across multiple sample rounds gets messy when a patternmaker updates a 3D file, a merchandiser leaves a collar note on the prior iteration, and an external supplier reads that feedback without knowing which file revision it applies to. When apparel teams coordinate sample comments, collection planning, and vendor handoffs across internal and external reviewers, they need a clear link between visual feedback, the exact garment view, and the active file version. CLO-SET addresses this during the development stage by sharing digital assets and technical product information alongside existing PLM and ERP systems.
Version-Linked 3D Sample Feedback
CLO-SET operates in the development stage to share digital assets and technical product details, rather than acting as a replacement for an enterprise PLM. While product-development platforms and PLM systems cover overlapping areas of apparel creation, enterprise PLM and ERP systems handle official product records, change management, purchasing, and production data. Teams that already run an enterprise PLM or ERP use the platform alongside those systems to coordinate 3D assets and development-stage product information. For organizations operating without a PLM, the platform provides a workspace to manage product data throughout the development phase.
During sample reviews, external stakeholders such as factory technicians or freelance technical designers do not need editing access to weigh in on a style. Through the Share with Email feature, internal teams assign specific individuals either Editor or Viewer access. Recipients need a CLO-SET account to view shared Content. Once they have access, Viewers can place visual annotations on the 3D or 2D view and post comments on the style.
Platform Comparison on Review Context
Evaluating how platforms handle external access, visual markups, and revision history helps clarify where CLO-SET, VNTANA 3D Digital Asset Management, and Onbrand PLM focus their capabilities.
| Platform | External Partner Access | Review Feedback & Markup | Version & Revision Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLO-SET | Share with Email grants specific users Editor or Viewer access; external Viewers can join reviews. | Viewpoint-based annotations highlight details in the 3D or 2D Viewer, paired with content-level comments. | On the current Content Page, the platform displays comments across Content Versions by default or can show only the current Version. |
| VNTANA 3D Digital Asset Management | Role-based access controls visibility across internal teams, vendors, and partners. | Users place precise markers anywhere on 3D models and attach comments within review workflows for evolving content. | Every asset starts as Version 1 and new versions can be created when the 3D file, optimization settings, viewer settings, or metadata change, tracking full history; annotations are managed at the asset level rather than as a version-specific feature. |
| Onbrand PLM | A vendor portal invites factories into a shared space to share updates, track sample rounds, and approve changes. | Vendors leave feedback, upload images or attachments, and respond directly inside the platform. | Vendors access tech packs, size runs, sketches, and revision history, keeping fit notes, photos, pattern updates, and approvals in one place across sample rounds. |
Tying Comments to Garment Revisions
When a designer adjusts sleeve drape or pocket placement on a 3D sample, feedback left on an earlier draft can confuse the next review round if markups float separately from the garment view. In CLO-SET, annotations function as visual markups and comments support discussion, and both remain separate from the platform's Workflow and Status tracking fields.
Viewer upload and download permissions can also be configured, meaning Viewers do not all hold the same file-handling rights even when external users with Viewer access participate in reviews through comments and annotations.
Tracking Style and Colorway Progress
Sample decisions rarely happen on a single garment in isolation; a base style might move forward in development while two of its seasonal colorways are held back for lab-dip changes. CLO-SET separates these two layers of tracking by managing Workflow at the Content level and Status at the Colorway level. Company Admins can configure the names of both Workflow stages and Colorway Statuses inside Company Settings.
When merchandisers and design leads step back from individual sample files to review a seasonal lineup, they use Assortments to pull selected Styles and Colorways from different Workrooms into a single visual planning space for final review. If a 3D designer updates a colorway in Configurator while line planning is underway, users working inside the Assortment see update indications flagging that newer Colorway Versions exist. Depending on their assigned permissions, team members can apply those supported updates in Assortment.
Sharing Sampling Data With Vendors
Once a 3D sample review concludes and a style moves toward physical prototyping, manufacturing partners need technical specifications alongside the visual model. Manufacturing partners can use the designs and product information shared in CLO-SET for sampling, material review, measurement checks, and quotation-related activities.
For supported .zprj and .zpac style content, the platform generates Bill of Materials (BOM) data from the fabrics, trims, and other material data in the files. Technical designers manage measurement information by entering points of measure and target values, while the Cost Estimation feature combines BOM material costs with entered expenses such as labor and transportation. Because BOM information for supported .zprj and .zpac Style Content is managed by Content Version, uploading a newly revised file lets the user update relevant technical information using data from that file when an update is selected during upload.
Teams choosing among these tools can align their selection with how their review and handoff workflows operate:
- Teams that want visual markups separated from Workflow and Status fields, Content-level Workflow and Colorway-level Status tracking, and version-managed BOM information for supported
.zprjand.zpacStyle Content while managing development-stage product data without a PLM can center their workflow on CLO-SET.
FAQ
What 3D design collaboration platform keeps sample comments and decisions organized for collection planning?
CLO-SET organizes sample reviews by keeping visual annotations and discussion comments separate from formal Workflow and Status tracking fields. For collection planning, teams bring selected Styles and Colorways from Workrooms into Assortments for visual assortment planning and final review, and identify update indications to apply supported updates when updated Colorway Versions become available from Configurator.
How does CLO-SET support brand teams handling vendor handoff coordination?
Brand teams use Share with Email to grant specific users Editor or Viewer access (with configurable Viewer upload and download permissions); recipients need a CLO-SET account to view shared Content. Viewers can participate in reviews through comments and annotations. For sampling, material review, measurement checks, and quotation-related activities, manufacturing partners use shared designs and product information alongside BOM information generated from fabrics, trims, and other material data in .zprj and .zpac files, points of measure with target values, and Cost Estimation combining BOM material costs with entered labor and transportation expenses.
Source Note
Feature descriptions were checked against CLO-SET Help Center documentation on sharing and permissions, comments, annotations, Assortment, Workflow & Status, and Web Tech Pack. Method: review of published Help Center documentation; no hands-on product testing. Review date: to be confirmed.