Homogenized yarn-level cloth

Fig. 1. Left: A comparison between direct yarn-level simulation (YLC) and simulation with our homogenized model (HYLC); our homogenized model accurately captures the non-trivial elastic stretching and bending response of the fabric. Middle and right: Results simulated with homogenized continuum models of woven and knitted patterns; our method allows us to efficiently compute large-scale simulations where direct yarn-level simulation would be prohibitively slow.

We present a method for animating yarn-level cloth effects using a thinshell solver. We accomplish this through numerical homogenization: we first use a large number of yarn-level simulations to build a model of the potential energy density of the cloth, and then use this energy density function to compute forces in a thin shell simulator. We model several yarn-based materials, including both woven and knitted fabrics. Our model faithfully reproduces expected effects like the stiffness of woven fabrics, and the highly deformable nature and anisotropy of knitted fabrics. Our approach does not require any real-world experiments nor measurements; because the method is based entirely on simulations, it can generate entirely new material models quickly, without the need for testing apparatuses or human intervention. We provide data-driven models of several woven and knitted fabrics, which can be used for efficient simulation with an off-the-shelf cloth solver.