Check out how Marvelous Desinger's cloth simulation and garment modeling is used in DEATH STRANDING by KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS.

Interview with KOJIMA Productions | Death Stranding

Project Introduction 

Death Stranding is the first completely new title developed by game creator Hideo Kojima since KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS’s establishment. The main character in the game, Sam, does the delivery as a porter in a collapsed world of the near future and connects the citizens who have been separated. There are some elements within the game such as shooting or fighting but yet they are not the main values which make this a very unique type of open-world action game.

How did Marvelous Designer help your project?

Marvelous Designer and 3D scan-based models were used in half-and-half proportions approximately in the production of Death Stranding's character costume model, fabric in background etc. We also used Marvelous Designer for cloth simulation as well as garment modeling. Not only this but also the skirt, the movement of the blanket, the expressions of the life tube being swollen when entering the water, and the natural movement of the hood when it's being worn by the main character Sam were made out of Marvelous Designer. In the movement of the cape, wind simulations were also used to match the scene.

If there is a memorable expression or production using Marvelous Designer in the project, please introduce to us.

The shirt Sam wears in the private room is a collaboration with the fashion brand ACRONYM®. Kojima Productions used Marvelous Designer to create in-game assets based on the design that was made by ACRONYM®. Because it is a cloth that exists only in the game, not as a real product, we created its model with the feeling that the designer is making clothes based on ACRONYM®'s design drawings and fabric material samples.

Please let me know what is the strength of Marvelous Designer compared to other simulation tools.

In terms of cloth productions, Marvelous Designer is by far superior in the ease of intuitive work, such as pattern making, detailing fitting or sewing settings, and the convenience associated with repetitive work. Also, it is easier to understand and intuitively handle animation than other tools when using it for cloth simulation purposes, so you can keep the animation individually in layers, as well as manipulating the cloth directly in the 3D viewport during the simulation to reflect the animation results. Additionally, it is also great to be able to perform tests repeatedly in a short time since the simulation is light and well responsive.

Which features do you want to see from Marvelous Designer in the future version?

There could be some type of requirements, such as 'alignment with other tools', 'synchronization ON/OFF at any time that supported in the past versions', 'features that do not reset pin or tag settings due to specific editing or avatar replacement', 'Easy to make harder and sharper wrinkles', and 'Conversion of coordinate system during import of Alembic file'. If I run the simulation again after adding or adjusting wrinkles using the Dynamic Wrinkle Brush, the wrinkles I adjusted will disappear. Thus, it would be nice to be able to keep them on another layer or etc. I am also curious to know if simulating tearing fabrics like jeans would be difficult to implement. 

Would you recommend Marvelous Designer to CG artist and why is that?

Marvelous Designer allows the intuitive production of patterns and sewing the same as the actual cloth production, which ensures natural and consistent quality regardless of the artist's ability or sense. Of course, there is potential for highly skilled artists to produce better-quality clothes. I highly recommend Marvelous Designer to CG artists.