Tukatech has unveiled the latest advancement in its 3D apparel product development system, TUKA3D SMARTqueue. This solution increases productivity by allocating tasks through a centralised network, freeing up users’ time and utilising computing resources 24/7, according to the company.
TUKA3D SMARTqueue is a virtual product development option which increases 3D sample-making productivity by creating a ‘mini render farm’ for tasks such as garment draping, image and video rendering, and object exporting.
“The challenges we discussed with our customers were related to the increasing demand for 3D garments throughout the development process,” says Savannah Crawford, chief collaborator at Tukatech. “Technicians want to see virtual size sets, designers want to see full collections, and online retailers want to use 3D renders for ecommerce. TUKA3D SMARTqueue will increase sample-makers’ productivity and help them accomplish these goals without putting extra pressure on them.”
The company explains that photo-realistic imagery is vital to successfully use 3D virtual development all the way through to ecommerce. However, high-quality renders for these images can take a long time to process. To overcome this challenge, the Tukatech team looked to film industry practices for inspiration. “The film industry has been using render farms for CGI output for years,” says Iva Sareen, president of Tukatech. “Now 3D sample-makers will have their own onsite ‘mini render farms’ to maximise productivity while achieving beautiful 3D garments.”
Typically, a 3D sample-maker creates a virtual sample from a CAD pattern by stitching, draping, and simulating motion before applying colourways and rendering images and videos for design and fit analysis. Now, the operator can save settings at each step and send them to the TUKA3D SMARTqueue to process for every graded size. The TUKA3D SMARTqueue utilises centralised computer networking to allocate the tasks to whichever computer in the network is available for processing. Upon completion, the work is saved on the server, ready to view, upload and share digitally (ie via TUKAcloud), says the company.
What’s more, because these tasks are processed automatically in the background, TUKA3D SMARTqueue reduces the need for human intervention in the virtual development process and frees up computing power for 3D sample-makers to start work on the next style. This will be a benefit for designers since, “TUKA3D SMARTqueue will take care of a lot of the repetitive tasks, leaving users more time to focus on the creative aspects of digital design,” according to Crawford.
Arshad Sattar, managing director at Timex and long-time TUKA3D user comments: “We work two shifts making 3D samples. The TUKA3D SMARTqueue allows us to utilise our stations 24/7 including weekends, giving us a lot more productivity. When the operators come back in the morning, the simulated garments and rendered images are ready for review.”
Established in 1995, Tukatech’s software and hardware applications combine the artistry of traditional fashion production with the efficiency of modern manufacturing, according to the company. Its TUKA3D technology is a 3D apparel virtualisation system for design and fit analysis in the fashion industry.
Recently, the National Textile University (NTU) in Pakistan has invested in several TUKA3D stations for virtual sample-making from Tukatech as well as three computer labs for digital pattern, textile, and apparel design, including 50 TUKAcad stations for digital pattern-making. The inauguration and ribbon cutting ceremony was performed by Tukatech’s head coach and founder, Ram Sareen, and NTU’s rector, Dr Tanveer Hussain.
