Research ResultsMy work in cloth modeling grew out of my interest in particle-based modeling. In particle-based modeling non-rigid materials are modeled with numerous small-scale primitives (particles) that represent the material's microstructure. By capturing the material's low-level structures and computationally aggregating the interactions of these structures, it is possible to model the mechanical behavior of complex flexible materials. In applying these ideas to cloth, I developed a cloth particle model that represented the tensile, bending, and shearing behavior occurring at a thread crossing in a woven fabric. The separate energies produced by each of these modes of deformation may be measured with standard textile industry equipment. The equations describing the thread-level interactions of my model were derived from these empirical measurements. Placing the cloth particles in a rectilinear grid, having them pulled by gravity as they interact with arbitrary CSG models, allowed me to simulate the draping behavior of a variety of woven materials. My work demonstrated that it is possible to measure a real material, derive model equations from the measurements, and confidently simulate the draping behavior of actual woven materials. (See Breen, House & Wozny (SIGGRAPH and TRJ) 1994, and Breen 1993).
My experience in this field provided the motivation and knowledge needed for my new book, Cloth Modeling and Animation, co-edited with Donald House. (See House & Breen, 2000).
The previous work focused on simulating how a piece of cloth would freely drape over an object. I was also involved in another cloth modeling project (with Masaki Aono of IBM's Tokyo Research Lab) that investigated the modeling methods needed to deform a woven cloth model into a specific 3-D shape. This capability is an important part of a CAD sytem for 3-D broadcloth composite parts. Broadcloth composites are widely used in the aerospace industry. (See Aono, Breen & Wozny 1992, 1994, 1996 & 2001).
Research Results
Real and simulated cloth drapings (203 kB)
A cloth being pulled off a teapot (279 kB)
A cloth being draped over a chair (453 kB)
End of the Season (with Gene Greger) (394 kB)
Fitting a woven cloth to a rounded cube
A "dart" is automatically cut from the cloth to eliminate excessive deformations
Fitting a woven cloth to a shoe-like surface
A number of automatic darting algorithms are applied to the cloth to remove excessive deformations
The new cloth fittings after dart insertion
