How it works

Rethinking pattern making.

Most software used in the industry are obsolete and based on old technology. There are endless of tools to solve specific issues which means a steep learning curve.

SeamScape patterns are truly dynamic, which means that all points and paths can be constrained by length (yes, even curves) position and angle, which in turn can be defined by values or formulas.

This means flexibility and endless possibilities to create a pattern which can do just anything you wish. The basics is very simple to learn.

There are two main entities when drafting a pattern

• Points
• Paths

Points

There can be two types of points on a path

• Path points
• Sliding points

Path points

A path point is shaping the path and always lies on the path.

Sliding points

A sliding point will not affect the path, it will only be able to lie on the path and slide along. A point can be a sliding point on a maximum of two paths, which means that the point is forming an intersection between two paths.

All points can be used by many paths at the same time. A point can for example both be a sliding point on one path and a path point on another.

Paths

There are four types of paths which you can create

• Lines
• Curves
• Arcs
• Copied/linked paths

Lines

Lines are shaped by exactly two path points, i.e. from and to.

Curves

Curves are made up by cubic beziers and shaped by two or more path points together with one handle for each path point.

Arcs

Arcs are made up by a start point, an end point and a radius. The arc is always a part of a circle or ellipse. The arc can be shaped by the start and end point and the radius can be constrained by a value or a formula.

Copied / linked paths

When you copy a path, a link to the original path is automatically created. A linked path is a referenced clone to another path from one point to another. This comes very handy when curves need to be mirrored or some segments from one path needs to form a new path. When the original path changes, the linked path will change instantly.

Coordinate system

Common to most CAD systems, the X axis points to the right and the Y axis points upwards. Angles are absolute in polar coordinates. 0 or 360 degrees is to the right, 90 degrees is up, 180 degrees is to the left and 270 degrees is down.

Constraints

All paths and points can be constrained. This is done by providing values or formulas.

Powered by an intelligent numerical (Gauss Seidel type) solver, SeamScape Pattern Studio will try its best to find the most optimal solution to all constraints. Some problems are geometrically unsolvable due to their nature so it is recommended not to overuse the constraints and plan ahead. However, all basic patterns are able to be made just by basically following the instructions in the book.

Path length constraint

Both curves and lines can be constrained by its length. This is simply done by providing the length value.

Formulas

Formulas works similar to Excel, but skipping the equal-sign in the beginning. You can reference to other entities in the formula, such as path lengths, path angles, and custom variables

Variables

You can create your own variables, for example input measurements. But it is also possible to refer to other variables in the pattern.