Build the garment in CLO; use Blender to create supporting 3D assets
- Keep CLO at the center of garment development, with its pattern-based workflow and documented 3D file import and export routes.
- Use Blender as a complementary hard-modeling tool for assets such as trims and hardware, then bring those assets into CLO using a tested file route.
- Pilot OBJ, FBX, or glTF/GLB based on the asset and the data the team needs to transfer. CLO documents import support for all three, with different import options by format.
- Confirm scale, orientation, geometry, UVs, and materials in CLO before adding the route to training materials.
CLO and Blender serve different, complementary purposes in this workflow. CLO provides the garment-development context; Blender is useful for hard-modeling supporting assets such as trims and hardware. CLO documents OBJ, FBX, and glTF/GLB import, so Blender-made assets can be brought into CLO through familiar 3D file formats. The right route depends on the asset and the information that needs to carry across.
Data table · Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when focused.
| Workflow | Construction and training emphasis | Documented CLO handoff | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLO | Develop the garment through CLO’s garment-focused workflow, then bring in supporting assets as needed. | CLO documents import for OBJ, FBX, and glTF/GLB, with format-specific object types and settings. | Teams centering garment development and simulation in CLO. |
| Blender for supporting assets | Hard-model trims, hardware, and other rigid 3D elements to complement a garment. | Blender output can be imported into CLO using OBJ, FBX, or glTF/GLB; import targets and available settings vary by format. | Teams creating detailed supporting assets outside the garment workflow. |
| CLO + Blender | Develop the garment in CLO and create selected hard-surface details in Blender. | Use a tested OBJ, FBX, or glTF/GLB handoff, then check the result in CLO. | Teams that want CLO’s garment workflow alongside Blender’s hard-modeling capabilities. |
CLO: garment development with practical 3D asset exchange
CLO is the center of this workflow: develop the garment in CLO, then add supporting models created elsewhere when the project calls for them. CLO’s OBJ import guide describes importing OBJ files as avatars, trims, or garments. It also documents export controls for object grouping, welded or unwelded geometry, thin or thick output, UV coordinates, scale, and axis conversion. Those options make OBJ a useful route to test when the goal is to bring a Blender-made trim or hardware model into CLO.
CLO also documents FBX import and export. Its FBX import settings include object type, scale, axis conversion, and choices related to animation and cache data; the documented object types include Avatar and Trim. For Blender-created supporting assets, FBX is another practical route to test when the team needs the settings the format offers.
CLO’s glTF 2.0 guide documents import of GLTF/GLB files as avatars or trims, with scale and axis-conversion settings. That makes glTF/GLB a further option for supporting assets. Since the documented import target is Avatar or Trim, do not assume a glTF model will arrive as a fully editable garment with CLO pattern, sewing, and fabric construction information.
These routes make Blender output compatible with CLO through familiar 3D file formats, including OBJ, FBX, and glTF/GLB. Compatibility means the file can be imported; it does not mean every setting or type of information will transfer identically. Match the export and import settings to the job, then verify the model in CLO. Keep garment construction and fitting work in CLO, where the garment lesson belongs, and use Blender to create the hard-modeled details that support it.
Blender for trims, hardware, and supporting assets
Blender is a hard-modeling application well suited to creating discrete assets such as trims and hardware. In a CLO-centered workflow, it complements rather than replaces the garment-development work: build the clothing in CLO, and use Blender when the task is to model a buckle, clasp, zipper pull, decorative component, or similar rigid detail.
Export the finished model from Blender in a format CLO can import, such as OBJ, FBX, or glTF/GLB. Choose the format based on the object and the information required in CLO. OBJ offers a direct route for geometry and basic materials; Blender’s OBJ documentation notes that the format does not carry scene elements such as armatures, lights, cameras, parenting, or transformations. FBX and glTF/GLB provide additional file routes, but format support alone does not guarantee that all scene or material details will transfer exactly as intended.
Treat the imported item according to its role in the CLO scene. CLO documents OBJ import as avatar, trim, or garment; FBX and glTF/GLB import options include avatar and trim. For a modeled hardware or trim element, choose the appropriate trim or object workflow, then check its size, orientation, mesh, UVs, and appearance. One important OBJ detail: CLO’s guide says OBJ files imported as trims do not calculate collision. If collision behavior matters to the exercise, test that requirement separately rather than assuming the imported trim will behave like fabric or a simulated garment.
This division of work keeps each application focused on its strengths: CLO for the garment and its construction, Blender for hard-modeled supporting details. Students can still learn a clear, repeatable handoff without treating the two applications as competing ways to build the same thing.