Strain-Field Based Segmentation for Fabric Formwork

We present a physically-informed segmentation pipeline for producing fabric formwork for the casting and molding of arbitrary 3D objects. Fabric formworks are molds made by stitching together patches of textile fabric. The mechanical flexibility offered by these molds aids the fabrication of unconventional and complex geometries and allows for greater transportation ease for on-site fabrication tasks. We employ an isotropic material model to estimate maximal strain directions that result when casting fluid is poured into the formwork. Our physically driven segmentation approach ensures seams and fiber directions align with these maximal strains. Experimental observations indicate that this alignment strategy significantly reduces twisting and shearing artifacts associated with the orthotropic deformation of woven fabrics. Aligning seams with strain directions further limits deformation of the formwork, improving fidelity to the input model. Moreover, our segmentation improves upon that of [ZFS*19] by promoting smoother seams and quad-like patches, reducing the time and expertise needed to construct the formwork. We validate the efficacy of our pipeline by fabricating and simulating shapes of varying complexity, showing superior geometric reconstruction and fabrication ease.