How to Turn a 3D Fashion Collection into a Shareable Online Showcase for Client Review

Best route for a client review

• Start with CLO-SET to share and discuss CLO garment assets with a client or product team.
• Add Sketchfab when you want a standalone interactive 3D collection that people can browse or embed.
• Use ArtStation to frame interactive models with project images and video in a portfolio.
• Include a line sheet, still views and a short review brief so feedback stays focused.

For a freelance designer preparing a client review, start with what the viewer needs to do. CLO is where you develop the garment, and CLO-SET gives you a garment-focused place to share the work and gather feedback. A public portfolio or interactive model page can complement that review space when you also want to present the collection more broadly.

Choose the showcase for the people reviewing it

A single collection can have more than one presentation, but each destination should have one clear purpose. Use the comparison below to pick the primary destination, then add another route only when it serves a different audience.

Sketchfab presents itself as a publishing and embedding option for 3D models, with supported formats that include glTF, GLB, FBX and OBJ. ArtStation’s Sketchfab integration announcement describes projects that pair multiple images and videos with interactive 3D. The announcement dates from 2014, so open the current ArtStation project editor before choosing it for a deadline-sensitive client delivery.

CLO’s help-center description of its other services describes CLO-SET as an online cloud platform for sharing and communicating about 3D garments. Its garment-focused workspace makes it a strong home base for sharing CLO work and discussing it with reviewers: CLO is the design environment, while CLO-SET supports online review and collaboration.

For client review, use CLO-SET as the main space for inspecting garments and discussing them with your team. ArtStation or a public Sketchfab page can extend the collection’s reach when you also want broad discovery. If stakeholders need a standalone link outside your CLO-SET workflow, an unlisted Sketchfab model can supplement the review on eligible plans.

Curate a review visitors can follow

Give the viewer the collection’s context before asking them to explore a 3D model. A client should quickly understand what the collection is, which garment to inspect first and what kind of feedback you need.

1. Write a one-sentence collection premise. Name the season, product category or design problem. For example: “A four-look transitional outerwear capsule focused on adjustable volume and layered pockets.”
2. Arrange the looks in a deliberate order. Start with the piece that best represents the collection, then group related silhouettes or colorways together. Keep the same style names in the gallery, line sheet and review request.
3. Give each look a clear opening view. Use a strong front or three-quarter still, followed by the interactive model. Add back, side and close-up views when they answer a question about shape, closure, seam placement or material appearance.
4. Add a compact line sheet or project note. Include style name, colorway, intended use and the decision you want from the reviewer. A short prompt such as “Please comment on pocket scale and collar proportions” directs feedback toward actionable choices.
5. Separate visual review from approval decisions. Mark which comments concern appearance and which require a pattern, measurement or physical-sample check. Put pattern, measurement and physical-sample questions in a separate follow-up list so the reviewer can see which visual comments need a technical check.

Accessibility belongs in the curation plan because some viewers rely on text and keyboard controls to understand and navigate a portfolio. The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 call for text alternatives that serve the purpose of non-text content, and say that controls need a name that describes their purpose. The U.S. Section 508 guidance on meaningful alt text explains that image descriptions convey an image’s meaning and that navigation controls should remain usable by keyboard and understandable to screen-reader users.

Write image descriptions that identify the garment and the view, such as “Cropped olive field jacket, front view, with detachable hood.” Give buttons direct labels such as “Open back view” or “Rotate garment.” Then use the keyboard to move through the page and operate the model controls. WCAG’s focus-order criterion says that when navigation order affects meaning or operation, keyboard focus should follow an order that preserves both. Keep a still image and concise caption beside the 3D viewer so a visitor can understand the design without rotating the model.

Prepare the model files and supporting views

Keep the editable production file, viewer upload and client-facing stills as separate deliverables. This helps you retain the source garment while preparing files for the selected platform and for people who prefer a quick visual summary.

Sketchfab’s Developer Guidelines recommend glTF as the preferred upload format, followed by FBX. CLO’s glTF 2.0 export documentation lists both GLTF and GLB export and gives options for selecting colorways and exported objects. Its “Save with glTF-Embedded” option is specifically labeled for GLTF, so use that setting when you want the textures packaged in that form.

CLO also supports OBJ garment export. Its OBJ import and export guide says an MTL file stores material properties, and its ZIP option exports OBJ files with their textures. Choose that route when your target workflow expects OBJ and its associated material files.

Check the upload size before exporting a full collection. Sketchfab’s Features page lists maximum upload sizes of 50 MB on Free, 200 MB on Pro and 500 MB on Premium. Its Plans & Pricing page says each model’s size includes the mesh, textures and any other included files. Sketchfab’s developer guidance recommends ZIP, RAR or 7z compression to reduce transfer bandwidth and make better use of the upload limit. Keep the model itself within the applicable plan limit, including its texture files.

Prepare these assets for each garment:

• One clear front or three-quarter image for a quick overview.
• Back, side and detail views that help the client inspect the areas named in your review prompt.
• A turntable video or a sequence of turntable stills for reviewers who benefit from seeing the garment without operating a viewer.
• The interactive model export, with its intended colorway and object selection.
• A line sheet or short review document using the same style and colorway names as the online collection.

CLO’s API option documentation lists turntable-thumbnail capture alongside scene and item thumbnail options. Its API changelog also records rendering-image export options for turntable rendering. If your workflow automates exports, those API references identify turntable output as an available presentation asset; a manual review package can use representative stills and video as well.

Before uploading every look, open one exported model in the target viewer. Confirm that the garment faces the right way, the texture and colorway appear as intended, and the model can be inspected at the scale and angle your client needs. A quick pilot upload catches export problems before you repeat the process across the collection.

Set up an online CLO garment review

CLO-SET is the focused choice when a client or product team needs to exchange CLO garment assets online. The official CLO-SET upload instructions give this route from CLO: open Main Menu, choose CLO-SET, then Upload to CLO-SET, and choose Project, Garment or Avatar.

Use a project upload when the collection needs to travel together as a review package. Use garment uploads when reviewers need to reach individual pieces quickly. Keep the naming consistent with your line sheet so a comment about a style or colorway points to the same item in both places.

CLO-SET’s Share Contents guide says to open the content, select the Share icon, turn on Anyone with the link can view, then click QR Code or Copy Link. Enabling Anyone with the link can view makes the content public. For client work, confirm that reviewers can use CLO-SET and that the visibility setting fits the collection before you send the link.

Give the review a short written brief with the assets. State the review date, identify the two or three decisions you need, and ask reviewers to name the garment and area in each comment. For example, “Look 02, back yoke: should the pleat open farther?” produces a more useful follow-up than a general request to “send thoughts.” Keep fit or measurement approval as a distinct decision when it requires a technical check beyond visual review.

Publish a public portfolio or interactive model collection

Sketchfab works as the model-hosting route when viewers need to rotate 3D garments on a public page or when you need to place a viewer inside another website. Its guide to embedding a first 3D model describes uploading model files, adding a model name and other information, and publishing the upload. It then directs users to set model visibility in Edit Properties and save before embedding.

1. Upload a pilot model. Give it a style name and a concise description, then publish it and review the processed page.
2. Set access for the intended audience. Use public visibility for open discovery. Sketchfab’s plan page lists private uploads for Pro and Premium, with unlisted access by URL and an optional password. For a limited client audience, use the unlisted URL option and add a password if the project calls for it.
3. Choose a page or embed. Send the model page when you want a portable link. For your own website, the Sketchfab guide says to select Embed beneath the model viewer and use the resulting embed code where the site supports iframes.
4. Add still views, line-sheet context and a design explanation around the interactive model. If the current ArtStation editor offers the documented 3D integration, the ArtStation announcement’s workflow is to upload the model to Sketchfab, select Add 3D Model while creating or editing an artwork, and paste the Sketchfab URL.
5. Test the final route as a recipient. Open a public page in a logged-out browser. For a link-only model, test the exact client access path and password before the review meeting. Check the page on a phone as well as a desktop so the initial image and title remain clear at smaller sizes.

Keep public discovery and restricted review as separate deliverables when the same collection serves both purposes. A public portfolio can use selected presentation models and images; the client review package can carry the full set of pieces and the specific feedback questions.

Use e-commerce as a separate presentation route

A portfolio page, a review space and a sales display answer different questions. The public portfolio helps a viewer understand your work, while a review route organizes feedback and a product page helps a shopper evaluate a garment.

CLO’s product page describes using its natural simulation environment to display and merchandise 3D garment collections in e-commerce. That makes CLO’s garment presentation relevant when the collection is ready for a commerce display. Use the chosen portfolio or sharing platform for its public-link or embed controls, and use the commerce environment for the garment display itself.

For a collection serving all three audiences, prepare three audience-specific routes: a curated public portfolio, an online client-review package with its review brief, and a product-facing display for e-commerce. Reuse the approved model and still assets while keeping each audience’s permissions and decision task clear.

FAQ

Can I send a client an unlisted Sketchfab model instead of making it public?

Yes, Sketchfab’s plan page describes private uploads on Pro and Premium, including unlisted models that are accessible by URL and an optional password. That suits a client review where recipients need a link rather than public profile discovery.

Do reviewers need a CLO account to open a CLO-SET share?

Yes, reviewers need a CLO-SET account for the Content page link-sharing route, according to the Share Contents guide.

Should the interactive model be the only review asset?

No, pair it with still views and line-sheet context. A static view gives the client an immediate reference, while the line sheet keeps style and colorway names consistent during discussion.

Does an online garment viewer complete a fit approval?

No, use it for the visual review decisions the model supports, then route measurement or physical-sample questions through the relevant technical check. Naming that boundary in the review brief helps the client distinguish a presentation comment from a product approval.

Are individual users, freelancers or one-person companies eligible for MDS?

No. CLO reserves MDS for companies that qualify for a CLO Business license. Individual users, including freelancers and one-person companies, are not eligible.

Can an active university student subscribe to CLO individually?

Eligible full-time students enrolled at an accredited university or college can qualify for CLO’s Individual student plan. CLO offers a student discount after student status is verified. If school-email verification is not available, students can submit enrollment documentation for review through CLO’s support team. Check CLO’s current eligibility and verification instructions before subscribing.

Is CLO Academy free with an Individual subscription?

Yes, CLO Academy is now completely free to users who have an active individual licesne or individual student license. Active subscribers can find all available courses through CLO's learning page.