Traditional vs Digital Dart Manipulation: A Time-Saving Test in CLO3D

As someone who works across both traditional and digital pattern making, I’m always looking for practical ways to show how 3D fashion tools can support efficiency, accuracy, and better decision-making.

Recently, I ran a small experiment to compare manual dart manipulation with the same process done digitally in CLO3D. The goal was simple: to test whether digital adjustments could truly save time—and by how much.

The Experiment: Dart Manipulation, Two Ways

I used a basic bodice block as my starting point and timed how long it took to reposition the dart manually, versus using the dart tools in CLO3D. The results? The digital process took half the time—even with some additional steps taken to ensure precision in the final position.

In practice, this meant I could test and adjust dart position, shape, and size in real time without needing to create a new physical sample or toile. It’s a simple task on paper, but in a fast-paced product development cycle, these efficiencies really start to add up.

Key Benefits of Digital Dart Manipulation in CLO3D

Here’s what stood out:

• Time Efficiency: Making dart changes in CLO3D significantly reduced the total time spent on the task, freeing up time for other design and development decisions.
  
• Real-Time Visualisation: The ability to instantly see how the dart reshaping affected the overall silhouette and fit was incredibly useful. No waiting, no second-guessing.
  

Cost Saving: By avoiding the need to create and sew a toile to test the new dart placement, there’s less material waste and fewer unnecessary samples in the process.

A Note on Accuracy

It’s worth mentioning that while the overall time was shorter, I did spend a little extra care getting the dart position just right. CLO3D makes it easy to visualise and refine details like this—but like with any tool, precision still matters. That said, even with that extra step, the digital process was noticeably quicker and gave me the confidence to move forward without a physical sample.

Final Thoughts

Experiments like this are a great way to reflect on how we can use 3D tools more effectively in our workflows—not just because they’re new or exciting, but because they solve real problems around time, cost, and waste.

This example focused on a small but essential part of garment development, and it’s exactly these kinds of micro-decisions that, when digitised, can have a big impact across the full product development cycle.

If you’re exploring how tools like CLO3D can support your own workflow—whether you’re working on your own or part of a design or technical team—I offer bespoke training and digital services designed to help you integrate 3D with confidence.

📌 Get in touch to find out more about how I can support your digital journey.