3D sketching

When we start designing a new wetsuit concept, we directly work on 3D with our virtual mannequins, keeping in mind the customers’ morphology and the ability to flatten our design properly, for the next cutting, gluing and stitching steps.

Having designed in 2D for a while, we know how frustrating it can be to try to express ourselves with 2D artworks, especially when we see how developed those 3D technologies can be for any other industry than textile. We’ve gone through all the CAD systems available on the market in order to find a way to create any kind of wetsuits and next to skin suits and we never found any of them to work properly.

After several years of wasted time between « trial and error » developments, incredible DHL expenditures and lots of misunderstanding with factories and customers, we finally launched our own in-house software development, enabling us to work on 3D from the very first 3D sketch until the final digital patterns, which are of course in 2D for prototyping and mass production. It took several years to develop all our tools and workflow, but that’s the price to pay to reach the requested level of accuracy we were aiming at.

Joining pattern making skills, 3D CAD software with design ressources and a regular watersports activity in our team lead us to deal with surfing and scuba diving leading brands and factories. It also gave us lots of opportunities to develop similar kind of sportswear products which are also  » next to skin  » fitted, with different compression requirements upon the different body areas, like ski racing speedsuit or running and cycling leggings.

The enclosed view illustrate the very first step of our work, when we start discussing with our customers about their requirements, needs and trends. Turntable videos and 3D view screenprints easily help us to reach our customer’s idea in a very short period of time, knowing that patterns will strictly follow the 3D design as we’re working on the same 3D pattern making tools all along the product development schedule.

3D sketching is ideal to open our mind, without thinking about neoprene colours and elasticity but mainly focusing on customers’ needs and cutting line design, as well as assembly specificities, like front zipper gusset, key pocket, waterflow restriction, etc.

All 3D sketches and illustrations shown on this website are EXUSKIN’s property. For all countries, all rights to reproduce or adapt, by any actual or future proceeding, are reserved. Copyright EXUSKIN 2010.