Looking for dForce fabric settings
dlm4001
Posts: 205
in The Commons
Does anyone know of a list of dForce settings for different fabric types (by fabric types)? (Ir an explanation of how to get different fabric looks in simulations. I am playing with gravity and density, but still not get the look I am after. I am looking for lightweight nylon like a windbreaker or atheletic jacket. (ripstop or similar material) Seems like I can across a list of settings to get different types fo fabrics once, but I can not find it now.

Comments
There was a list of settings for the old optitex dynamic cloth. Unfortunately, with dForce the fabric properties are not independent of the geometry. I’m on a phone right now so it’s hard to go into more detail, but hopefully this answers your question a bit.
- Greg
This post might be helpful as it covers what some of the different settings in dForce does: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/3250046/#Comment_3250046
Actually, that whole thread is really helpful and has a lot of great info - though the thread is quite long. One of these days I hope to get around to reading it all. lol
Thanks for that thread pointer Divamakeup. I browsed it and it looks very educational. I will begin reading it more completely tonight.
I understand the cloth properties in Marvelopus Designer well enought to get the the desired effects. For some reason, everything I simulate in dForce takes on the properties of a "slinky fabric" or a "springy fabric". When I get the fabric more stiff, it takes on the property of a heavier fabric like denim. I am trying to simulate stiffer lightweight fabrics like ripstop, tafetta. . I almost had it but then it would blow up around 95%. I backed off some settings and then it looked like... wet lightweight fabric. So I decreased the gravity.. and then it did not drape well. I need to invest some time with some expreiements and read the thread you provided.
I was hoping someone who understood fabric "hands " had already modeled different fabric types. Maybe we should start a thread for dForce Fabrics and Settings.and as people get good simulations for a specific fabric they can post the settings.
A thread for different fabric settings sounds great. :)
Here's a quick illustration of what I was trying to explain before - from left to right, the plane has 32, 64, and 128 divisions (default surface simulation params for all of them):
As you can see, the lower poly mesh is stiffer. You can control stiffness by varying the geometry density, but there can't be any standard surface parameters for certain types of cloth without a known, standard geometry density, if you catch my drift . . .
Hope this explains things a bit better.
- Greg
That does explain things very well. If I got a nylon fabric working well on a very dense poly model, and then someone tried the same settings on a less dense model, the result would be different. Thanks for that information!
The fabric (cloth sim) is slinky on my current model because the poly count in my mesh is very high. I think I will retopologize it in Zbrush just to see the difference.
Thanks
It would be nice if DAZ released OFFICIAL cloth stiffness settings like Nylon, Denim, Leather, Silk, Cotton, Wool and so on. We have official default shaders for 3Delight and iRAY and since these settings are built into the Surface tab it would be nice to have cloth defaults. They give us toys and then leave us to figure it out...as always! LOL
Bingo! You’ve got it. Please post your results if you can so we can all see/follow your progress (and hopefully learn something).
- Greg
It turns out that many of the dForce surface parameters are not independent variables. Not only are they affected by resolution, but also some interact with each other. Besides resolution, the way the mesh comes together at an end (for example an open pipe versus a closed cylinder) will require different settings. I'm still trying to puzzle my way through it as you can tell by my dForce thread.
I bet they are working on that already... probably discussing the price for the bundle
Hey, I'd pay $20.00 ++ for that esp if it's a Merchant Resource!
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/203081/dforce-start-here#mesh_resolution
Hmmm, getting an error code 403 from your link Cho!
Thanks for fixing the link Rob. So I know the resolution of the digital cloth is going to cause variations in how it folds, flows and drapes but isnt' there some way to set up cloth settings PER resolution. So say one wants a silk then there would be settings for the various resolutions. I know every modeler, including me, TRIES to keep the resolutions as close to what the main figure's resolution is so perhaps you can base it on that. Then when there is Sub-D applied then another perhaps for that 4-upped resolution.
Like others surely have, I've tried to compensate for variations in mesh density by adjusting the surface dForce settings. No success getting a dense mesh (geometry) to be stiff so far using surface settings alone. As I'm certain others have noticed, adding too much stiffness in the surface params leads to blow-ups real fast.
Check out the first post in this thread for a video of some cloth utilizing a different approach:
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/264616/stiffler-s-mom-stiff-cloth-using-dforce
Still in early experimantal stages, but it's interesting - especially how much energy seems to be stored (loop it and watch the sphere on the right in particular).
- Greg
Mesh density affects cloth and leather too. Or the real-world equivalent of it.
Tighter weave of the thread, the thread type; what treatment the thread or cloth has, all has an affect. With leather, the thickness and the tanning process play their part.
Edit:
Oh, and while I think about it; the age, how clean, the stitching or knot types. And then there is how dry or wet, and if the the liquid is water (clean or dirty, or in some way contaminated).
Yea, totally. I get it. Still would be nice to have some semi accurate settings that give folks a starting point for various types of cloth. I mean sometimes when one is playing with the settings it's just too much of a guessing game!