ClothForge is an application that drapes a piece of virtual cloth over a 3D model and exports it ready to be used in your favorite slicer to be 3D printed.
Currently this is a Windows only application.
A MacOS version may come later but is still in development.
As a homage (with permission) to HueForge, a software that uses a technique called filament painting to make detailed prints without requiring a multi-material 3D printer.
(note that HueForge and ClothForge are both created by different people/companies and are not affiliated)
Brekel is both the company behind ClothForge and the nickname of Jasper Brekelmans, the solo-developer behind this project.
Brekel also develops a set of affordable tools for real-time markerless Motion Capture & Volumetric Video using depth sensors (Kinect & others) and Deep Learning / AI.
ClothForge is currently in a (free) beta testing phase.
After that (estimate May 2025) it will be available for purchase.
A free trial version (with some limitations) will be available after the beta has ended.
(you can join the beta team from the main page)
Of course, you can use any mesh to drape the cloth over.
The software comes with several built-in example models but you can load any STL model.
(note that the free trial lets you drape the cloth on custom models but only allows saving when using the built-in models, you'll need to buy a license to save cloth draped on custom models)
Sure, you can publish cloth models draped with ClothForge on 3D print model sharing sites (like Printables, MakerWorld etc).
Both with the hobbyist and professional licenses.
To sell 3D models or prints you will need to purchase a professional license.
You are not allowed to sell models/prints with a hobbyist license.
In general any machine that can run a slicer can run ClothForge.
The code is written in highly optimized C++ code and takes full advantage of multi-threading. So a fast CPU with many cores will directly affect the speed at which the simulation can be calculated.
The application has built-in documentation, if you hover your mouse over any item a small hint will pop up.
Most default print settings shipped with your printer in your favorite slicer should work.
You will probably need supports to be enabled.
The underside of the cloth may contain sections that would otherwise print in mid-air so you will need some supports for these areas.
You can either simply enable automatic supports or paint supports in some strategic areas.
Since supports are mostly on the underside they will usually not be visible.
From experience tree supports don't work as well as normal supports for these cloth meshes but feel free to experiment.
They are generally quite easy to remove using a small screwdriver, a set of pliers or other prying tools. The print should be strong enough to not easily
break.
As always be careful with sharp poking tools to not injure yourself.
You can find the logs in the following folder, might be handy to include this when sending a bug report for example:
C:/Users/YourUsername/AppData/Roaming/Brekel/ClothForge/Brekel/Brekel_ClothForge.log