---
name: Cloth Sim
slug: cloth-sim
category: Automation
description: Cloth Sim guides garment blockout, cloth simulation, pin groups, and baking to shape keys or caches in Blender. Use it for draping clothing, settling sim before export, and preparing engine-friendly results.
github: "https://github.com/arjun988/blender-skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cloth-sim"
language: TypeScript
stars: 170
forks: 8
install: "npx degit https://github.com/arjun988/blender-skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cloth-sim ~/.claude/skills/cloth-sim"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/cloth-sim
source_path: .claude/skills/cloth-sim/SKILL.md
collection_size: 25
category_size: 2109
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/arjun988/blender-skills"
added: 2026-09-07T05:22:29.036Z
last_synced: 2026-09-07T05:22:29.036Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/cloth-sim"
---

# Cloth Sim

Cloth Sim guides garment blockout, cloth simulation, pin groups, and baking to shape keys or caches in Blender. Use it for draping clothing, settling sim before export, and preparing engine-friendly results.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/arjun988/blender-skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/cloth-sim ~/.claude/skills/cloth-sim
```

## README

# Cloth Sim

Garment blockout → sim → art-direct → bake. Stable pins. Engine-friendly caches/shape keys.

## When to Use

- Dresses, capes, coats, flags, banners
- Character clothing that needs drape
- Baking sim to shape keys or Alembic/USD caches
- Pre-roll settling before animation export

## Workflow

```
Garment mesh (quad-friendly) → Vertex groups (pin/collide)
  → Cloth modifier settings → Collision objects
  → Pre-roll settle → Sim pass → Art-direct fixes
  → Bake shape keys / cache → Cleanup → Export
```

## Mesh Prep

- Quads preferred; even density on deforming areas
- Avoid long skinny triangles on folds
- Apply scale before sim
- Separate garment from body collider

## Vertex Groups

| Group | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| `PIN_Cloth` | Anchors (waist, shoulders, collar) |
| `COL_Ignore` | Optional non-colliding regions |
| `STIFF_High` | Belts, seams that should resist stretch |

## Settings Starters

| Look | Quality | Speed | Bending |
|------|---------|-------|---------|
| Soft dress | 8–12 | 1.0 | Low |
| Stiff coat | 5–8 | 1.0 | Higher |
| Flag/cape | 8–10 | 1.0–1.5 | Low–mid |

Tune mass and air viscosity for scale. Always run a settle pre-roll.

## Bake Targets

| Target | Use |
|--------|-----|
| Shape keys | Game poses / few frames |
| Alembic/USD | Cinematic caches |
| Armature weights | If converting to deform-only |

## Constraints

### MUST DO
- Apply scale; define pin groups before long sims
- Collide against simplified body capsule/mesh
- Art-direct after sim (sculpt/corrective keys)

### MUST NOT DO
- Sim hero cloth on ultra-dense sculpt meshes
- Skip pre-roll (starts mid-air / exploding)
- Export raw unstable caches

## Reference Guide

| Topic | Reference | Load When |
|-------|-----------|----------|
| Cloth Settings Presets | `references/cloth-settings-presets.md` | When needed |
| Pin And Collide | `references/pin-and-collide.md` | When needed |
| Bake Targets | `references/bake-targets.md` | When needed |