Apparel Collection Management with Product Modifications

Abstract

A system allows a user to create new designs for apparel and preview these designs before manufacture. Software and lasers are used in finishing apparel to produce a desired wear pattern or other design. Users may collaborate while designing the apparel and designate what items should belong in specific collections.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing a database of products including garments with finishing pattern to be created by a laser;   using an assortment builder tool, searching the database of products according to one or more search parameters provided by the user;   based on the search parameters, presenting the user with search results;   allowing the user to select a product from the search results, wherein the product comprises a selected garment with a finishing pattern to be created by a laser using a laser input file; and   after selection of the selected garment, via the assortment builder tool, allowing the user to make one or more modifications to the finishing pattern,   wherein the modification allowed comprises at least one of modifying the finishing pattern itself, modifying a position of the finishing pattern relative to a base image, or modifying a sizing of the finishing pattern relative to the base image.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modification comprises adding a damage input to the finishing pattern. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modification comprises removing a damage input from the finishing pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the selected garment comprises a pair of jeans. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  comprising:
 generating a preview image on a computer screen of the selected garment with the finishing pattern to be created by a laser using a laser input file, wherein the generating comprises 
 providing a base image of a garment without the finishing pattern, 
 generating an adjusted base image from the base image of the garment without the finishing pattern, 
 generating a pattern mask based on the laser input file, 
 for a pixel at a pixel location of the preview image, obtaining a first contribution by combining a first value associated with a pixel of the pattern mask at a pattern mask pixel location that corresponds to the pixel location of the preview image and a value of a pixel of the base image at a base image pixel location that corresponds to the pixel location of the preview image, 
 for the pixel at the pixel location of the preview image, obtaining a second contribution by combining a second value associated with the pixel of the pattern mask at the pattern mask pixel location that corresponds to the pixel location of the preview image and a value of a pixel of the adjusted base image at an adjusted base image pixel location that corresponds to the pixel location of the preview image, 
 combining the first contribution and second contribution to obtain a combined value for the pixel at the pixel location for the preview image, and 
 displaying the generated preview image with the pixel on the computer screen, wherein the pixel is displayed as a color corresponding to the combined value for the pixel at the pixel location. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the first contribution comprises a first percentage of the base image that passes to the preview image, and the second contribution comprises a second percentage of the base image that passes to the preview image. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  herein for the first contribution, the combining comprises a multiply operation of the first value and the value of the pixel of the base image at the base image pixel location. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the search parameter comprises at least one of text, an image, or data, or any combination of these. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the search parameter comprises data metrics comprising at least one of product name, product code, season, brand, style, colorway, color code, fabric contents, availability, brand targets, retail prices, production prices, last offered, manufacturing lead time, volume availability, stock, environmental score, or estimated product lifetime, or any combination of these. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 providing a database of products including garments with finishing pattern to be created by a laser;   using an assortment builder tool, searching the database of products according to one or more search parameters provided by the user;   based on the search parameters, presenting the user with search results;   allowing the user to select a product from the search results, wherein the product comprises a selected garment with a finishing pattern to be created by a laser using a laser input file;   after selection of the selected garment, via the assortment builder tool, allowing the user to make at least one modification to the finishing pattern, wherein the modification allowed comprises modifying the finishing pattern itself; and   generating a preview image of the selected garment with the finishing pattern as modified by the user.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the generating the preview image comprises
 providing a base image of a garment without the finishing pattern, 
 generating an adjusted base image from the base image of the garment without the finishing pattern, 
 generating a pattern mask based on the laser input file, 
 for a pixel at a pixel location of the preview image, obtaining a first contribution by combining a first value associated with a pixel of the pattern mask at a pattern mask pixel location that corresponds to the pixel location of the preview image and a value of a pixel of the base image at a base image pixel location that corresponds to the pixel location of the preview image, 
 for the pixel at the pixel location of the preview image, obtaining a second contribution by combining a second value associated with the pixel of the pattern mask at the pattern mask pixel location that corresponds to the pixel location of the preview image and a value of a pixel of the adjusted base image at an adjusted base image pixel location that corresponds to the pixel location of the preview image, 
 combining the first contribution and second contribution to obtain a combined value for the pixel at the pixel location for the preview image, and 
 displaying the generated preview image with the pixel on the computer screen, wherein the pixel is displayed as a color corresponding to the combined value for the pixel at the pixel location. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the first contribution comprises a first percentage of the base image that passes to the preview image, and the second contribution comprises a second percentage of the base image that passes to the preview image. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  herein for the first contribution, the combining comprises a multiply operation of the first value and the value of the pixel of the base image at the base image pixel location. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the search parameter comprises at least one of text, an image, or data, or any combination of these. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the search parameter comprises data metrics comprising at least one of product name, product code, season, brand, style, colorway, color code, fabric contents, availability, brand targets, retail prices, production prices, last offered, manufacturing lead time, volume availability, stock, environmental score, or estimated product lifetime, or any combination of these. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 providing a database of products including garments with finishing pattern to be created by a laser;   using an assortment builder tool, searching the database of products according to one or more search parameters provided by the user;   based on the search parameters, presenting the user with search results;   allowing the user to select a product from the search results, wherein the product comprises a selected garment with a finishing pattern to be created by a laser using a laser input file; and   after selection of the selected garment, via the assortment builder tool, allowing the user to make at least one modification to the finishing pattern, wherein the modification allowed comprises removing a damage input from the finishing pattern.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the modification allowed comprises modifying the finishing pattern itself. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the modification allowed comprises modifying a position of the finishing pattern relative to a base image. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the modification allowed comprises modifying a sizing of the finishing pattern relative to the base image. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the search parameter comprises at least one of text, an image, or data, or any combination of these.