System for automated decoration
A system for automated decoration of an item comprising the steps of: installing print generating software on a computer with a memory (e.g. a server); linking an input system (e.g. a web site) to the computer; allowing a customer to select an item (customer selection), preferably a fabric item, via the input system; allowing the customer to specify a decoration (customer specification) for the item via the input system; generating a print image for the item from the customer selection and specification with the print generating software; and sending the print image from the computer to a printer, which is preferably a dye sublimation printer.
1. A method of automated design of a clothing item, comprising:
receiving;
a selection of a clothing design from a catalog of design elements; and
a garment style;
obtaining a pattern template from a library of pattern templates using the selected clothing design and the garment style, wherein the pattern template is an outline of pattern pieces necessary for assembling a clothing item, wherein one or more of the pattern pieces comprise anchor points that are displayed and selected on the one or more of the pattern pieces, wherein the anchor points confine placement of text and graphics to specific locations on the one or more pattern pieces, and wherein the placement is based on a calculated position of (x, y)+H, where (x, y) is the position of a fixed anchor point, and H is a height of the text and the graphics at the anchor points;
virtually assembling the clothing item using the obtained pattern template;
displaying the virtually assembled clothing item on a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a selected plan view of the virtually assembled clothing item in conjunction with user-defined properties of the text and the graphics, and wherein the user-defines properties comprise a position, a size, an angle, and a user interface position; and
producing a physical version of the virtually assembled clothing item by transferring the text and the graphics from the graphical user interface using a printer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein virtually assembling the clothing item comprises displaying a virtual three-dimensional representation of the clothing item.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the virtual three-dimensional representation of the clothing item can be virtually viewed from different perspectives.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the virtual three-dimensional representation of the clothing item allows a user to display the clothing item on a virtual model such that the clothing item drapes naturally on the virtual model.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the virtual three-dimensional representation of the clothing item can be rotated.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern template comprises colorable areas.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtained pattern template includes flat portions of the clothing item with the clothing design applied in arbitrary colors.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a selection of a decorative element; and placing the decorative element on the clothing item at one of the anchor points.
9. A system for automated design of a clothing item comprising:
an input system for communicating with a print generation software;
a design database comprising a catalog of design elements for user customization coupled to the input system and a library of pattern templates;
an image generator coupled to the design database for enabling the design of a print image suitable for printing on a dye sublimation printer, wherein the design is created from a pattern template from the library of pattern templates, wherein the pattern template is an outline of pattern pieces necessary for assembling the clothing item, wherein one or more of the pattern pieces comprise anchor points that are displayed and selected on the one or more of the pattern pieces, wherein the anchor points confine placement of the design elements to specific locations on the one or more of the pattern pieces, and wherein the placement is based on a calculated position of (x, y)+H, where (x, y) is the position of a fixed anchor point, and H is a height of text and graphics at the anchor points;
an image workspace coupled to the image generator for virtually assembling a virtual clothing item;
a display coupled to the image workspace for viewing the virtual clothing item, wherein the display displays a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a selected plan view of the virtually assembled clothing item in conjunction with user-defined properties of the text and the graphics, and wherein the user-defined properties comprise a position, a size, an angle, and a user interface position; and
the dye sublimination printer for producing a physical version of the virtual clothing item by transferring the text and the graphics from the graphical user interface using the dye sublimation printer.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the design database is comprised of at least one variable data field for user customization.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the design database enables the user to generate a sports collection of items with variable designs for printing.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the design database enables the user to input a plurality of variable text to generate a sports collection of items with variable designs for printing.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the design database enables the user to upload a plurality of variable text to generate a sports collection of items with variable designs for printing.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the design database enables the user to import a plurality of variable text to generate a sports collection of items with variable designs for printing.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the design database enables the user to link to a plurality of variable text to generate a sports collection of items with variable designs for printing.
16. A method for automated design of a clothing item comprising the steps of:
selecting a garment template from a library of garment templates;
selecting a decoration from a library of decorations;
arranging the decoration on the garment template to create a decorated garment template, wherein the garment template comprises anchor points that are displayed and selected on the garment template, wherein the anchor points confine placement of text and graphics to specific locations on the garment template, wherein the placement is based on a calculated position of (x, y)+H, where (x, y) is the position of a fixed anchor point, and H is the height of the text and the graphics at the anchor points;
viewing the decorated garment template on a computer as a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a selected plan view of the virtually assembled clothing item in conjunction with user-defined properties of the text and the graphics, and wherein the user-defined properties comprise a position, a size, an angle, and a user interface position; and
sending the decorated garment template to a printer for application of the decoration on a garment.
17. A clothing item designed using an automated clothing design process comprising the steps of:
receiving a selection of a clothing design from a catalog of design elements and a garment style;
obtaining a pattern template from a library of pattern templates using the selected clothing design and the garment style, wherein the pattern template is an outline of pattern pieces necessary for assembling the clothing item, wherein one or more of the pattern pieces comprise anchor points that are displayed and selected on the one or more of the pattern pieces, wherein the anchor points confine placement of text and graphics to specific locations on the one or more of the pattern pieces, and wherein the placement is based on a calculated position of (x, y)+H, where (x, y) is the position of a fixed anchor point, and H is a height of the text and the graphics at the anchor points;
virtually assembling the design into the clothing item using the obtained pattern template;
displaying the virtually assembled clothing item on a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a selected plan view of the virtually assembled clothing item in conjunction with user-defined properties of the text and the graphics, and wherein the user-defined properties comprise a position, a size, an angle, and a user interface position; and
producing a physical version of the virtual clothing item by transferring the text and the graphics from the graphical user interface using a dye sublimation printer.
18. A method of automated design of a clothing item, comprising:
receiving:
a selection of a clothing design from a catalog of design elements; and
a garment style;
obtaining a pattern template from a library of pattern templates using the selected clothing design and the garment style, wherein the pattern template is an outline of pattern pieces necessary for assembling a clothing item, wherein one or more of the pattern pieces comprise anchor points that are displayed and selected on the one or more of the pattern pieces, wherein the anchor points confine placement of text and graphics to specific locations on the one or more pattern pieces, and wherein the placement is based on a calculated position of (x, y)+H, where (x, y) is the position of a fixed anchor point, and H is a height of the text and the graphics at the anchor points;
virtually assembling the clothing item using the selected template;
displaying the virtually assembled clothing item on a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a selected plan view of the virtually assembled clothing item in conjunction with user-defined properties of the text and the graphics, and wherein the user-defined properties consist of a position, a size, an angle, and a user interface position; and
producing a physical version of the virtually assembled clothing item by transferring the text and the graphics from the graphical user interface using a dye sublimation printer.