CDG - The Costume Designer

Summer 2017

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Summer 2017 The Costume Designer 31 with MAYA and the other industry favorite, ZBrush, it was quite easy to work back-and-forth between the software packages to incorporate the MD-rendered garments into the final product. One of the greatest benefits of MD to Costume Design is the speed and specificity that designers can share gar- ment simulations with directors and producers. Fabric cus- tomization options allow the same garment to be simulated in different fabrics, colors, or patterns with a few clicks. MD comes with seven pre-loaded avatars: three women, three men, and a child, which are useful for beginners and quick simulations, but have idealized fashion proportions. However, the program can also simulate garments over any object file.This allows for anything from a fantastic beast cre- ated in ZBrush to a model duplicating the measurements and proportions, and even facial features of a flesh-and-blood actor created in the open source program MakeHuman to be imported and dressed. MD can also generate simple ani- mations, like walk cycles, to better show off how the final garment might move in real life. Illustrator Luca Nemolato also sings the software's prais- es. He picked it up after several colleagues couldn't stop raving about it. The aspect that he finds most useful about it is the simulation's speed. Where other 3D programs will take quite a while to render, MD effectively goes from 2D to 3D in real time. The program is not set up to automatically export 2D patterns into real-world patterns. However, patterns can be plotted on a grid, and the scale can be adjusted to whatever the designer needs. This makes it possible to take a snap- shot and then scale in another program, or to hand draft, not unlike the beloved Janet Arnold books. Since its creation in 2011, MD has steadily been adapt- ing to artist needs and adding useful new tools. Updates have included variable grainlines, a steamer feature, and buttons and buttonholes, which can be fastened. Conaway is very much looking forward to the day zippers finally become available. The Education Committee will be offering a Marvelous Designer class later this year. Please check the weekly Gems for updates. Before running a simulation, checking the stitch lines and pattern placement in the 3D view will ensure that everything lays right. Completed dress simulation with color and texture added to the cloth simulation.

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