California Apparel News

Three-dimensional technology has become an area of interest for pattern makers and designers during the past couple of years, ever since advancements made it more of a practical tool within the “fast-fashion” agenda many retailers and companies are employing.

Yoram Burg, president of 3-D software developer OptiTex USA Inc., has been with the company since 2003. He has a lengthy background in international business development, having co-founded a 400-worker diamond-cutting operation in Bangkok. He has also worked in real estate and the stock market. His educational background is in business administration and entrepreneurship. Since he took the helm at OptiTex USA, the company has grown to become one of the leaders in CAD/CAM and 3-D technology.

Burg recently met with California Apparel News Technology Editor Robert McAllister to offer some insight into the current status of the 3-D market in apparel and textiles.

Where is the apparel industry right now, in terms of adopting 3-D in product development? Is everyone “still waiting”?

Last year ended with over 40 percent growth in business for OptiTex USA operations. The growth can be attributed by and large to the increase in sales of our 3-D solutions to leading brands and manufacturers. In my view, 2006 has demonstrated a shift in paradigm by many companies, in which they have learned to trust that such tools can and will reduce the sample iteration process, save on material and speed up the time to market. It is nice to see the big players adopting this technology for both manufacturing and merchandising.

The criticism against 3-D is it can sometimes take a long time to process. Do you see any improvements in that area?

There is somewhat of a misconception here. We have learned from our users how they use 3-D and how developing a style now takes them one to 1 1/2 hours and where in other cases they were able to bring the sample iteration process down from five iterations per style to one and in some cases to none whatsoever. With certain systems, we have seen that the general preparation time is quite long and the styles need to be imported from the CAD platformwhile each and every 3-D change requires the operator to export the file back to the CAD system and so on. This process ends up causing the operator to lose precious time that should have been saved while working with 3-D solutions.

As I said, this is the general perception, and this is why we always encourage our users to compare systems prior to a major decision on a purchase. Working with OptiTex does not require all of the processes that I have described as OptiTex Runway 3-D is the only system that offers 2-D and 3-D solutions integrated in one application—no import and export and no lost time over lengthy preparation work. At the end of the day, the image received is not what the customer is buying. They are buying value in the form of quick prep time, sophisticated algorithms and integrated solutions, or, in other words, a package that would end up showing instant realistic results with proven fast ROI.

What other obstacles and barriers do you see that prevent 3-D from being adopted on a larger scale?

Whatever barriers that currently exist will soon be removed because of the dramatic rate of adoption by leading retailers and brands. We are starting to see more of the 3-D images over Web sites and merchandising projects, more in the form of projects that intend to bring this technology to the end users. Once the leading retailers will announce that the 3-D platform is the way for them to communicate with their vendors—and we have seen that happening with few of them already—then you will see that 3-D will gain high demand, following pretty much the same penetration rate 2-D CAD enjoys. With the way technology evolves, the cost of 3-D is not longer an obstacle.

OptiTex has usually been referred to as one of the leaders of 3-D technology. What separates your solution from the pack?

A few things separate OptiTex from other solutions. As mentioned before, it is the fact that our solution is currently the only integrated solution out there, and that means that the 2-D components and the 3-D components all reside within the same window. Uniqueness of the algorithm’s “apples to apples” test conducted with competing solutions showed that OptiTex results were more accurate, reflecting a real-life look, and were produced and rendered much faster. I think the fact that our primary business is software allows us to focus on and deliver what we do best—develop software. Furthermore, among some of our future solutions, we will offer animation and 3-D flattening, and the fact that they all are going to operate off the same platform demonstrates the long-term thinking, planning and customer orientation that is guiding us in management and development. Developing such tools positions OptiTex ahead of the competition, and there is much more to come.

Looking to the future, where do you see 3-D heading, both in an apparel production context and beyond?

Already we have two major players, very well-known companies that are using our solutions for merchandising and Web and Intranet solutions. These companies have strictly asked for animation to be part of our future product offering, even before they have entered any deal, as they see great importance in being able to demonstrate their final development (being production or merchandising) using animation tools. We have also entered the world of games, partnering with important companies, one being DAZ 3D [www.daz3d.com], a leader in the development of design and animation platforms for game developers and animators. OptiTex 3- D solutions will empower their users with the ability to create real-life clothes. Another important development is the introduction of our 3-D solutions into schools. The past year saw a drastic increase in the adoption rate of this technology by schools. Surprisingly, we have found that more than a few of them are already equipped with body scanners, and they are more than excited to learn of the opportunity to design and drape on real-life subjects. Another aspect that we believe will become somewhat of a necessity is the use of body scanners and body-scanner services. We are scheduled to have Cyberware [www.cyberware.com] joining with OptiTex to install a body scanner at one of the leading fashion schools in New York City, where the OptiTex 3-D program will be introduced in 2007. I strongly believe that 2007/2008 will mark the beginning of a change in our industry, with leading brandsfirst starting to use the all-digital combination of 2-D, 3-D, body scanners [and] body forms in their workflow, while their manufacturers/contractors will gradually join in. This is not going to be an overnight change but something that we see coming.

Many are placing an emphasis on “speed to market” are looking to 3-D to help in that goal. Why do you think speed to market is so important right now?

A while ago, we arrived to a meeting in New York City. After the initial greetings, our host took us to the sample room and said, “This is where my problem is.” Looking at the room, we saw no clear evidence of any structural problem. Our host was quick to help us and said, “You see? I am manufacturing too many styles that people do not want to buy.” This statement now walks with us wherever we go and demonstrates the necessity to exercise speed to market. After all, in this digital era, the moment a designer in New York, for instance, has completed the specification pack, it unfortunately is set up to be knocked off. I think that this clearly demonstrates the need for speed, in a way. In today’s world, the grace period of owning and enjoying the fruits of your own design creation is shorter than ever.

A lot of CAD is being done overseas right now. What do you think will happen to pattern making locally in the domestic production markets in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere?

Some of the traditional pattern-making business has left New York and moved west to California or other cities in the United States. Asia and the Indian subcontinent are now by far the world’s largest garment manufacturers, but as a person who lived in that region of the world for more than 15 years—mainly during a period where technology was not available—I can tell you that pattern making will not leave the United States so quickly. Business owners are tempted with the low daily wages in those countries, but this is just a small portion of the overall cost. As many find out, the overhead, logistics, and lack of quick and accurate communications are playing major factors, and soon those manufacturers find out that applying locally better business practices, such as incorporating technology and automating processes, will allow them to effectively compete in the marketplace while having full control of their business. With that said, the need to collaborate between the U.S. design houses and other overseas manufacturing locations and the need for 3-D tools become of essence, not a luxury.

Where will workers get the knowledge and education for 3-D and CAD? Is it being emphasized in fashion schools or is it a burden that you, the company, must take on?

When first introduced, it was a burden the company had to take. Teaching the first round of users was a tough task, but they were the early adapters. The last year and a half saw many schools getting on board, using more technology—anywhere from New York to Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Iowa, Minnesota, Chicago, North Carolina and many more.

The annual adoption rate has grown at more than 50 percent over the previous year. Major schools in New York City are set to launch what they call “pattern making 2.0.” This is where, for the first time, students will be able to develop patterns using the Opti- Tex 2-D/3-D platform while using body scanners to generate the most accurate body-scanned image, on which they will drape the end results.