Key Takeaway
- Inside CLO Pattern Drafter, you can set up size grading by typing complete measurement values per size or defining increments between sizes.
- Entering a value into the POM length field updates the parametric pattern while maintaining its parametric relationships.
- Grading Review lets you simulate each graded size and view the garment alongside the avatar across your size range.
Once a base pattern is drafted, grading it across a size run is a separate task: measurements need to change without losing the pattern's intended relationships. CLO Pattern Drafter supports this workflow. You can start with entered pattern measurements, measurement points, or a flat sketch, then add grading by entering full measurements for each size or increments between sizes. The resulting parametric pattern can be updated in Pattern Drafter or with Edit POM while retaining its parametric relationships. CLO's Pattern Drafter guide explains the available steps.
Grading Setup Steps
- Select your pattern type in Pattern Drafter and start the draft from entered measurement points or flat sketch images.
- In the Auto POM & Grading setup, either enter full measurement values for each individual size or specify the grading increments between sizes.
- Modify the generated pattern or its graded output as needed using Pattern Drafter > Edit or the Edit POM tool.
- Click the Edit POM tool in the 2D toolbar, select a specific POM on the parametric pattern, and type the new measurement into the length field to update the pattern.
- Run Grading Review to simulate each graded size and compare the garment and avatar views side by side, re-simulating any size if you change its pattern geometry afterward.
Measurement Inputs and Drafting
Pattern Drafter generates 2D POMs only for measurements you define. It can also create parametric patterns from flat sketch images.
When drafting for a CLO avatar, you can match the pattern measurements to the avatar's size. The parametric pattern can then be edited in Pattern Drafter or with Edit POM as fit requirements change.
Full Values and Increments
During step two, you decide how to feed size-run numbers into the software based on how your team writes spec sheets. Some technical sheets hand you the finished measurement for every single size across the run, while others give you a base size accompanied by plus-or-minus jump rules. Pattern Drafter accommodates both habits by letting you enter full measurement values for each size or specify the grading increments between sizes.
For size runs with uneven intervals, CLO's grading tools let you edit grading rules beyond the initial Pattern Drafter setup. The initial setup itself gives teams a direct choice between entering every size's measurements and specifying increments between sizes.
Editing Parametric POMs and Reviewing Sizes
To modify a pattern created in Pattern Drafter, open Pattern Drafter > Edit or choose Edit POM from the 2D toolbar. Select a POM on the parametric pattern and enter a new value in the length field. The pattern updates while preserving its parametric relationships.
In step five, Grading Review lets you simulate each graded size and compare the garment and avatar views together across the range. One operational detail matters during this check: if you alter the pattern geometry after running a simulation, you need to re-simulate that specific size so the 3D view reflects your latest pattern edit.
Pattern Drafting Software Compared
When comparing how CLO, TUKA APM, and SeamScape handle measurement-led drafting and grading, look at how each system takes initial specs and turns them into a multi-size run.
| Software | Measurement Input | Pattern Creation | Grading Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLO (Pattern Drafter) | Entered pattern measurement values, measurement points, or flat sketch images; pattern measurements can also be matched to a CLO avatar's size | Creates parametric patterns and generates defined measurements as 2D POMs | Full measurement values per size or grading increments between sizes; grading rules can be edited with CLO's grading tools |
| TUKA APM | Pre-loaded points of measure for each style with a visual guide to garment locations, or a spec sheet | Automatic pattern-making module within TUKAcad that generates a pattern from a selected template and spec sheet, or from scratch | Customizes the size range and specifies grade rules or values across it to apply grading instantly for larger and smaller sizes |
| SeamScape | Measurement values, variables, formulas, and geometric constraints | Parametric, cloud-based pattern-making tools; Pattern Studio is available to individual users on the free Creator plan | Industrial grading with a size range built from a base size, per-size changes, grade rules, size series such as Regular and Tall, and measurement checks per size |
Based on official product information from CLO Virtual Fashion, Tukatech, and SeamScape.
For teams that need to work from complete per-size measurements or inter-size increments, CLO combines both grading inputs with editable parametric patterns and POM-driven updates. That gives patternmakers a direct way to revise specs and carry those changes into the drafted pattern.
FAQ
What inputs does measurement-based garment pattern drafting software use to generate a pattern?
CLO Pattern Drafter accepts entered pattern measurement values and can draft a chosen pattern type from measurement points or flat sketch images. It generates 2D POMs for the measurements you define.
Can a tool create sewing patterns directly from body measurements?
CLO Pattern Drafter lets you enter pattern measurement values or match pattern measurements to the size of a CLO avatar. The resulting parametric pattern can be edited in Pattern Drafter or with Edit POM.