Dynamic mesh cutting method of deformable garment in immersive virtual reality

Purpose This study aims to develop a dynamic mesh cutting method for immersive virtual reality (VR) that enables interactive cutting of deformable garment meshes using head-mounted displays (HMDs) and controllers. This study addresses the lack of VR-specific tools for intuitive, real-time, and topology-consistent garment mesh cutting. Design/methodology/approach The proposed system was implemented using Unreal Engine 5 and Meta Quest 2. The method defines cut-points through controller-based ray–mesh intersection and adjusts them according to their topological relationship with the garment mesh. A two-stage cut-point adjustment strategy, projection-based intersection analysis, and doubly connected edge list (DCEL)-based topology processing are used to support localized real-time cutting. The resulting 3D mesh updates are also propagated to the corresponding 2D pattern representation. Findings The mesh cutting cases were classified into six major types and sixteen sub-types according to the topological relationship between cut-points and mesh elements. The results demonstrate that cut-point topology classification, cut-point topology geometric adjustment, and DCEL-based local mesh reconstruction can generate stable real-time cutting results in immersive VR while reducing ambiguous cut-lines, irregular local faces, and unintended cutting of non-target regions. Originality/value Unlike conventional desktop-based mesh cutting tools or general-purpose surface editing methods, this study proposes a topology-aware and pattern-aware cutting framework for deformable garment meshes in immersive VR. By connecting controller-based 3D garment cutting with 2D pattern structures, the method provides a foundation for virtual prototyping, immersive apparel education, and future digital garment construction workflows.