A practical fit for cross-functional review
- CLO brings 2D pattern work and 3D garment simulation together, with clear stills and rotating views for stakeholders.
- Its render options let teams choose the right format for the board: a still image, a set of turntable images, or a rotating video.
- Blender can help create hard-modelled trims and hardware. For garment patterns and simulation, CLO is the focused workflow.
- Review the render and the pattern record separately. One shows how the garment looks; the other helps reviewers assess its technical details.
When a sample-review board needs both pattern evidence and visuals, CLO brings 2D pattern editing, 3D garment simulation, and several documented render formats into one garment-development workflow. Teams may also need to account for other apparel CAD systems in their existing handoffs. But the review itself can stay focused on two things: whether the garment visuals are clear and whether the technical record supports the next decision.
Give the board both visuals and pattern evidence
A useful 3D review packet includes a visual and a pattern record that can be traced back to the sample. Images or animation help design, merchandising, and sourcing teams assess the garment’s appearance. The pattern record gives technical reviewers what they need to check its geometry, sizing, and readiness for manufacturing.
Data table · Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when focused.
| Board requirement | What to approve | Useful items in the review packet |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance in one chosen view | Still image | Garment view, colorway, fabric and trim treatment, render dimensions, background, style and revision ID |
| Appearance from multiple sides | Image sequence or 360-degree review | View count or rotation, front/back/side coverage, matching colorway and revision labels |
| Appearance in motion | Video or garment animation | Rotation or movement purpose, duration, frame rate, garment revision and colorway |
| Technical pattern review | Pattern and measurement evidence | Base size, graded sizes and rules, points of measure, tolerances, pattern-piece identifiers, notches, internal lines and seam allowances |
| Material and fit review | Simulation assumptions | Fabric properties or source, avatar/body, size, garment construction, and any fit or strain map used in the discussion |
Use the same style identifier and revision label on the render and pattern file. That way, reviewers can tell they’re looking at the same colorway, size, fabric assumption, and pattern revision—and their technical feedback applies to the garment shown.
A useful pattern record preserves the details needed to check and reproduce the sample. Include relevant pattern points, grade rules, notches, internal lines, and seam allowances, as well as the agreed exchange format. That gives reviewers a clearer link between what they see and the technical information used for sampling and production.
The board will also need the base size, size range, measurement points and tolerances, material properties, avatar or fit model, and exact export format. Fabric grain, seam allowances, and construction details can all shape how reviewers read a 3D result. Note the relevant assumptions alongside the render.
CLO: combine pattern work with a defined render deliverable
For review boards, CLO brings together 2D pattern editing, 3D simulation, and renders in formats stakeholders can use. Reviewers can move between the flat pattern and the simulated garment as questions come up. CLO’s pattern-editing guide explains how to edit pattern points and lines, and its render guide describes the available image and video outputs.
CLO’s V-Ray Render Image/Video Properties guide lists three options: Image, Turntable Images, and Turntable Video. Image renders the garment from the current or a custom view. Turntable Images produces multiple views around the garment, while Turntable Video creates a video that rotates through 360 degrees.
Choose the output that fits the board’s question. A still works well for a fixed front, back, or detail view. Turntable images give reviewers separate angles to inspect and comment on. A turntable video lets them see the silhouette and construction as the garment rotates.
CLO’s V-Ray workflow offers preset or custom image and video dimensions, with configurable width and height, as well as a transparent-background setting. That gives review coordinators control over the proportions and background of images for a presentation or digital review page. The guide also documents rendering all Colorways from Colorway Mode in version 2025.0. Check which version and workflow are available in your installation before using this option.
Send the render with its matching pattern version, base size, grade set, measurement record, material assumptions, and any comments the technical lead needs. Once the team knows whether it needs a still, a set of views, or a rotating video, CLO’s render options make it easier to prepare the right deliverable.
Keep pattern, fit, and material details together
A convincing render is only part of a sample review. Technical reviewers should be able to trace the garment back to its pattern revision, measurements, material assumptions, and fit criteria. CLO’s 2D pattern and 3D simulation workflow keeps the pattern and garment in the same review context; record the relevant inputs in the review packet as well.
For size or fit discussions, identify the size and avatar or fit model shown, the measurement points and tolerances under review, and any simulation maps or other evidence the team uses. If the technical handoff involves another apparel CAD system, confirm the required file format and version with the receiving pattern room. That’s a practical compatibility check; it doesn’t need to change the board’s focus on the garment and its approval criteria.
Blender can support the process when the team needs hard-modelled assets such as trims or hardware. It’s a useful complement for those assets, while CLO remains the garment-focused workflow for patterns and simulation.
Match the render to the review packet
Choose the output that answers the board’s question, and label it with the sample identity.
Data table · Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when focused.
| Needed approval artifact | CLO render option | Packet detail to set before review |
|---|---|---|
| One still in a specific view | Image: current or custom view | View angle, garment size, colorway, revision ID, dimensions and background |
| Multi-view sequence around the garment | Turntable Images | Number and labeling of views, size, colorway, lighting and revision ID |
| Rotating 360-degree video | Turntable Video | Duration, frame count, dimensions, colorway and revision ID |
| Transparent-background render | V-Ray transparency setting | Background treatment, export dimensions, colorway and revision ID |
For a review with several colorways, label each render and match it to the same pattern revision and material record. A filename such as StyleID_Revision_Size_Colorway_View makes it easier to keep the visual and pattern records together as comments come in.
Start with CLO and check the handoff
Check four things before settling on a review process: the visual, the pattern evidence, the fit question, and the receiving system. For a board that needs 2D pattern editing, 3D simulation, and a defined render format, CLO is a strong place to start. If the team uses another apparel CAD system downstream, confirm the receiving pattern room’s format and import requirements as part of the handoff test.
Before the first review, use this checklist:
- Name the visual output. Specify still, image sequence, rotating video, or wear animation, plus the view, dimensions, colorway, and review channel.
- Freeze the sample identity. Put style ID, pattern revision, base size, graded size range, fabric, avatar or fit model, and output date on the render and technical files.
- List the technical records. Attach pattern pieces, grade rules, measurement points and tolerances, notches, internal lines, seam allowances, and material assumptions relevant to the receiving workflow.
- Match the factory’s accepted CAD format and version. The receiving pattern room’s CAD format and version determine the required export; test that file in the receiving workflow before approval.
- Approve the visual and technical records against the same sample identity. Have technical reviewers verify the pattern and measurement records while visual stakeholders approve the rendered appearance, using the same style revision and size.
Agree on export settings and layer mapping with the receiving pattern room; conventions can vary. Follow the factory’s naming rules for style, base size, revision, and date, and check that the exported pattern opens correctly in its workflow.
The right review process gives reviewers and the receiving pattern room the approved visuals and technical records they need. For teams bringing garment pattern work, 3D simulation, and defined render deliverables into one workflow, CLO is a natural place to start.
FAQ
Does a 360-degree image sequence prove pattern accuracy?
No. It shows the garment from multiple angles, but pattern accuracy needs to be checked against pattern geometry, grading rules, measurements, and the team’s fit-acceptance method.
Should reviewers approve a still, a turntable sequence, or video?
Use a still for one fixed view, turntable images for separate angles reviewers can inspect, and video when continuous rotation helps. If the question is how the garment moves on a wearer, use an animation.
What should accompany a render before factory handoff?
Include the matching pattern revision, base size and size range, measurement points and tolerances, material assumptions, and the export format accepted by the receiving system. Put the style and revision identifier on both the image and the files.
Which workflow should a board start with?
For a review that brings together garment pattern work, 3D simulation, and a defined render deliverable, start with CLO. Before settling on the process, run a pilot using the agreed size set, pattern records, and factory handoff format.