How can i use cloth simulation for static meshes to get better fabric folds?

[IsabellaJ]

I’ve been trying to get better at creating realistic fabric folds for my character models, but my current approach of just sculpting them by hand feels clunky and time-consuming. I’ve heard some people mention using cloth simulation as a starting point, even for static meshes, but I’m not sure if that’s a reliable workflow or if it just creates more cleanup problems than it solves.

[Amelia85]

I tried cloth simulation as a starting point once, but for a static mesh the cleanup outweighed the benefit. It looked great while it simulated, but translating that to a posed character meant tons of smoothing, extra verts, and a lot of baking to keep things stable.

[AlexanderMM]

A different project used a quick sim to block major folds, then I baked it to a displacement map and edited over it. It gave me quick silhouettes, but the micro creases still required hand work.

[OliverG]

Could the real problem be the pose and the garment tension more than the tool? I found if the pose pushes fabric at awkward angles, the sim or bake just exaggerates it.

[Mia26]

I still mostly sculpt by hand, but I keep an eye on silhouette volumes and sometimes take a screenshot to compare to references. If the fabric behaves too stretchy, I dial it back and let edge lines sell the detail.