How do you make 3D the default in PLM? Workflow, approvals and file standards

Making 3D the default in PLM means that every new style is first developed and reviewed as a 3D garment, that 3D files, materials and versions are stored and approved in the PLM system, and that physical samples are ordered only at defined gates. It requires written simulation guidelines, a managed digital material library in a shared format such as U3M, and suppliers who work with the same data.

What does a 3D-first workflow look like in PLM?

In a traditional process the first physical proto sample is the first real version of a style. In a 3D-first process that role moves to a digital garment built from the pattern, digital fabrics and an avatar. The PLM record links the style to its 3D file, the materials used and the approval status, so design, development, merchandising and suppliers look at the same version.

The precision levels in the table follow a 2024 study by Hohenstein researchers in Communications in Development and Assembling of Textile Products, which classified 3D simulations into three levels: a fast, basic level suited to initial design checks, an efficient level for communication and tech packs, and a detailed, time consuming level for final prototypes, showrooms and webshops. Naming the required level at each gate avoids both over-investing in early drafts and approving fit on a simulation that was never meant for it.

Why do 3D approvals need written guidelines?

The same Hohenstein study highlights a problem every 3D team meets. When users with beginner, advanced and expert skill levels created virtual garments from identical inputs, the results showed many differences depending on skill. The researchers developed production guidelines, ranging from 35 pages for basic garments to more than 200 pages for complex items such as winter jackets, to make results reliable and processes standardised. They also note that a full validation had not yet been performed.

For PLM workflows the lesson is that a 3D file is only approvable if it was built to a known standard. Guidelines should cover at least:

• Avatar version and size used for each category.
• Which material parameters must come from measured fabric data rather than defaults.
• Simulation settings per precision level.
• Naming, versioning and where files are stored in PLM.
• What a reviewer must check before approving (fit areas, measurements, drape, artwork placement).

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Which file and material standards matter?

Digital materials are the weakest link in many 3D programmes. If a fabric looks or drapes differently in each tool, approvals lose meaning. U3M (Unified 3D Material) was announced in 2018 by Browzwear and Vizoo as an open format for digital materials. According to Just Style's report at the time, it uses a physically based rendering shading model and combines visual and physical fabric data in one file that different 3D applications can use.

Brands do not need to standardise every file type at once. A practical order is to fix the material format first, then the naming and versioning of garment files in PLM, then export formats for downstream uses such as showrooms and e-commerce. The material library itself should be governed like master data: each digital fabric linked to the physical article, the supplier and the measurement date.

How should PLM and 3D tools be integrated?

Integration determines whether 3D becomes routine. Vendors have been building connections between PLM and 3D tools for years. In January 2025, for example, DeSL and Browzwear announced a partnership that lets teams visualise colour and material variations in 3D and annotate 3D models in real time with vendors inside the PLM workflow. In September 2026 Lectra launched Apogy, which combines product data, AI agents and 3D simulation and rendering in one cloud environment.

1. Link, do not copy. The PLM style should reference the 3D file and its version, not store screenshots as attachments.
2. Sync materials and colourways. Materials and colours selected in PLM should drive the 3D garment, so the BOM and the render match.
3. Capture comments on the model. Review comments pinned to the 3D garment should be stored with the style record.
4. Expose status. Approval status of the 3D version should be visible to sourcing and merchandising.

What role do suppliers play?

A 3D-first workflow fails if suppliers still work from paper tech packs and send physical samples for every change. Brands need agreements on who digitises fabrics, which pattern format is exchanged, and how factories return feedback on the 3D garment. Suppliers with their own 3D capability can resolve construction questions before cutting fabric, while others may need support or a shared digital space to view models. Sourcing teams can make these expectations part of supplier onboarding and scorecards, alongside lead time and quality, so that digital capability is assessed rather than assumed.

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How do you measure progress?

Useful indicators are the share of new styles started in 3D, the number of physical sample rounds per style before and after, the share of 3D files that pass review without rework, and the share of digital materials with measured physical data. Tracked per category, they show where 3D works well (for example basic tops) and where physical samples are still needed.