3D digital imaging technology for apparel sales and manufacture

A method comprising:

• providing a garment design tool that shows a three-dimensional preview image of a garment design on a screen as customized by a user with a finishing pattern;
• in the garment design tool, providing an option for the user to select a garment base and upon the user's selection, showing on the screen a first preview image of a selected garment template;
• in the garment design tool, providing an option for the user to select a finishing pattern from a two or more finishing patterns and upon the user's selection, showing on the screen a second preview image of the selected garment template with the selected finishing pattern, wherein each finishing pattern is associated with a digital input file;
• combining a digital input file associated with the selected finishing pattern with an image of the selected garment template to generate a combined image,
• wherein the combined image is a color map, and the color map comprises a first deconstructed garment section comprising at least one fabric panel, and a second deconstructed garment section comprising at least one fabric panel, and the combined image is generated by
• generating an adjusted base image from the image of the selected garment template without the selected finishing pattern,
• generating a pattern mask based on the digital input file associated with the selected finishing pattern,
• for a pixel at a pixel location of the combined image, obtaining a first contribution for the pixel location of the combined image by combining a first value for a pixel corresponding to the pixel location for the pattern mask and a pixel corresponding to the pixel location for the image of the selected garment template without the selected finishing pattern,
• for the pixel at the pixel location of the combined image, obtaining a second contribution at the pixel location for the combined image by combining a second value for a pixel corresponding to the pixel location for the pattern mask and a pixel corresponding to the pixel location for the adjusted base image,
• combining the first contribution and second contribution to obtain a color value for a pixel at the pixel location for the second preview image, and
• using the color value for the pixel at the pixel location in the combined image;
• and
• generating the three-dimensional preview image of the garment design comprising texture mapping the combined image on a first three-dimensional model to obtain the first three-dimensional model with textures, and
• mapping the color value for the pixel at the pixel location in the combined image from U and V coordinates of the combined image to X, Y, and Z coordinates of the first three-dimensional model,
• wherein the first three-dimensional model comprises a pose model, and the method comprises:
• performing a texture mapping of the combined image onto a second three-dimensional model to obtain the second three-dimensional model with textures, wherein the second three-dimensional model comprises a flat model;
• showing two-dimensional pose images at a retail online shopping site, wherein a customer can order a product from the retail online shopping site based on the two-dimensional pose images before the product has been made;
• after the product has been ordered by the customer, sending a request to a manufacturing facility to make the product, wherein the manufacturing facility makes the product using a process based on the second three-dimensional model with textures or imagery of the second three-dimensional model with textures.