To get a paper sewing pattern into CLO3D, photograph it with PatternScan Pro and export it as a PACX file. CLO3D opens the pattern with editable curves, true to scale, ready for 3D simulation.
Drafting on paper and simulating in 3D used to be two separate workflows. The PACX export closes that gap without redrawing anything.
CLO3D reads several formats, but a DXF import arrives as fixed polylines that often need cleanup before simulation. PACX brings your pattern into CLO3D with curves that stay editable, so you adjust lines inside CLO3D instead of repairing geometry.
Not simulating in CLO3D? For CAD software like GRAFIS there is DXF. And if you work in Illustrator or Inkscape, SVG is your format.
PatternScan Pro handles distortion correction, scaling and contour detection automatically. Go straight from photo to usable digital pattern.
Lay your cut-out pattern piece on a dark surface, place the four Reference Tiles around it and photograph it from above. Our photography guide shows the ideal photo.
PatternScan Pro corrects the perspective and detects the contours automatically. You review the result in the editor, measure lengths and adjust curves where needed.
Export your pattern piece as PACX and open it in CLO3D. The curves arrive editable, the scale is in millimeters.
Try the three steps with your own pattern.
Import the PACX into CLO3D, arrange your pieces, sew them virtually and simulate the fit. Drafting on paper and simulating in 3D stop being two separate worlds.
That way you see how a garment fits in 3D before you cut any fabric.
The four printed Reference Tiles around your pattern tell the app exactly how large everything is. PatternScan Pro also corrects the distortion of your camera lens. Together this is what makes photo-based digitizing precise enough for simulation work. You can verify it yourself: measure a known length after importing.
More on the tiles in our reference guide.
How do I open the PACX file in CLO3D?
Open it in CLO3D like any pattern file. The pieces arrive at true scale with editable curves, ready to arrange and sew virtually.
Guide: Creating a Calibration Profile
Learn how to create accurate calibration profiles
Guide: Print and Use Reference
Learn how to use the reference correctly
Guide: How to Photograph Your Pattern
Complete step-by-step instructions
Are the curves really editable in CLO3D?
Yes. PACX carries the pattern as native curves, so you keep adjusting lines directly in CLO3D.
Guide: Creating a Calibration Profile
Learn how to create accurate calibration profiles
Guide: Print and Use Reference
Learn how to use the reference correctly
Guide: How to Photograph Your Pattern
Complete step-by-step instructions
Do I need special hardware?
No. A smartphone camera and a normal printer for the Reference Tiles are enough. There is no scanner, no plotter and no special equipment involved.
Guide: Creating a Calibration Profile
Learn how to create accurate calibration profiles
Guide: Print and Use Reference
Learn how to use the reference correctly
Guide: How to Photograph Your Pattern
Complete step-by-step instructions
Does the pattern have to be cut out?
For automatic detection, yes. The app detects free-standing contours, so cut your pattern along its lines before photographing. Alternatively you can draw the contour manually in the editor, for example on an uncut multi-size sheet. PatternScan Pro still handles calibration, distortion correction and the transfer into any software.
Guide: Creating a Calibration Profile
Learn how to create accurate calibration profiles
Guide: Print and Use Reference
Learn how to use the reference correctly
Guide: How to Photograph Your Pattern
Complete step-by-step instructions
What if I need SVG or DXF instead?
PatternScan Pro also exports SVG with editable Bezier curves for vector programs and DXF for CAD software. You choose the format at export, from the same digitized pattern.
Guide: Creating a Calibration Profile
Learn how to create accurate calibration profiles
Guide: Print and Use Reference
Learn how to use the reference correctly
Guide: How to Photograph Your Pattern
Complete step-by-step instructions
Have more questions? Feel free to contact us.
Use your digitized patterns for whatever comes next: grading, CAD, 3D simulation, projecting, or your archive.
Digitize sewing patterns without tracing.
Test PatternScan Pro free for 14 days with the full feature set. You need your smartphone, a printer and one pattern you always wanted digital.
Photograph your paper pattern and get an automatically scaled digital version with PatternScan Pro.
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