Using the Hand Avatar

Arranging the Patterns

When arranging patterns on the Hand Avatar, it is important to note that the arrange mode is not customized for the hand avatar. This means that the arrange mode continues to show the standard right, front, left and back avatar perspectives while the Hand avatar is loaded.

For more information on using the arrange mode, refer to How to Arrange Pieces.

Anchor Points

The clusters in the right, front, left and back perspectives are controlled by the avatar anchor points. By default, the hand avatar has no anchor points assigned. Due to this, when a pattern piece is arranged on the Hand Avatar, for example, in the front torso cluster, the pattern piece will appear in the default front torso location. The same is true for all other clusters.

You can set one or more anchor points on the hand avatar. For example, if you set the Chest anchor point to be aligned with the palm, this will set the front torso cluster to that location. The back torso cluster will also be automatically aligned behind that point on the avatar. This will aid in positioning the patterns closer to their final location.

For more information on assigning anchor points, refer to Setting Up an Imported Avatar. Note, it is not necessary to set all points for this avatar.

Editing the Hand Measurements

In the Context view, under Measurements you find measurement options for the different parts of the hand. Drag the slider next to each option to achieve the result that you want.

Choosing the Cluster

There are multiple methods for arranging patterns on the hand avatar. The most common method is to equate the palm of the hand to the front torso, and the back of the hand to the back torso and use these two clusters for all pattern pieces. Set the wrap type to flat.

For patterns that are not fully on the palm or back of hand, such as a separate thumb pattern or gussets, these are usually included in the front torso but separated in their own clusters. This way we can rotate and move the patterns separately.

For more information on clusters, refer to Clusters.

Preparing to Dress

It’s recommended to use fold lines to aid in bending patterns as needed. For example, adding a fold line down the center of the thumb or the gussets so that the patterns follow the shape of the hand in prepare mode.

If a pattern is too narrow or wide to best wrap around the hand, you can scale the cluster. This is the square icon next to the directions of the gizmo. This only stretches or shrinks the starting point of the pattern in simulation. It does not affect the actual pattern scale.

Due to the scale of the hand and the small patterns often used for gloves, it is recommended to use a low grid size. Begin with a grid size at 0.5 and lower the grid size as needed.