In Fabric

"In Fabric" is a phrase commonly used within the context of digital asset creation, particularly within the fields of 3D modeling, animation, and game development. It describes a property or characteristic that is integral and inherently part of a digital asset, often referring to details or behaviors that are not easily separated or modified without significantly altering the asset itself.

The phrase "in fabric" is used metaphorically, drawing an analogy to the physical properties of woven material. Just as the color and texture of a fabric are inherent to its construction, certain elements of a digital asset can be considered "in fabric" if they are deeply integrated into the model, animation, or system.

Examples of what might be considered "in fabric" include:

• Baked-in animation: Animation sequences that are not controlled by a rig or script, but rather are directly applied to the mesh or object, making them difficult to modify or repurpose.
• Hard-coded parameters: Values or behaviors within a game engine or simulation that are directly embedded within the code and not exposed as variables or settings that can be easily adjusted.
• Integrated textures: Textures that have been permanently applied to a 3D model's UV map in a way that makes them inseparable from the underlying geometry.
• Intrinsic AI Behaviors: Core behaviors of a non-player character (NPC) that are fundamentally written into the NPC's AI script and cannot be easily overridden or replaced without significant modification to the AI architecture.

When something is described as being "in fabric," it often implies a lack of flexibility or modularity. This can be a disadvantage if the asset needs to be adapted or reused in different contexts. However, it can also be a design choice, potentially offering performance benefits or ensuring a consistent look and feel across different applications. The term does not inherently imply a positive or negative quality, but rather describes the level of integration and immutability of a particular element within the digital asset.