Effectiveness of 3D Scanning in Establishing Sideseam Placement for Pattern Design

As woven garments are cut from flat pieces of cloth, pattern cutting methods must create flat 2D shapes that are constructed to form 3D garments that fit a particular body shape. The placement of side seams represents a key division of the pattern where the front and back portions of a garment relating to a particular body measurement are distributed to create a balanced garment. During most pattern creation methods the distribution of the measurement into back and front arcs is proportionally determined by the author, however body scanning provides new opportunities to understand the body and derive these arcs during the measurement process. TC2 measurement software provides the facility to automatically derive arcs based on non-disclosed divisions of the body along a vertical plane. This research tests the automated division of key circumferences into arcs using the TC2 software, against methods guided by practitioner experience and placed using non-automated 3D software. Focusing on circumferences of the bust, waist and hip, analysis of the arcs derived by the scanner from a number of standard female body forms and 10 scans of female subjects, will be tested against those determined by a panel of experts. These methods form the basis for an understanding of how circumference division can be automated and allow for the testing of these methods on a variety of different scans and the comparison of the arcs against those proposed or applied in standard industry practice. It will be possible to see how closely these methods match or contrast with these imposed systems. This exploration provides a clear link to body pattern relationships and provides a foundation from which to advance mass customization utilizing body scanning technology and automated arc definition