EVALUATION OF PATTERNMAKING SOFTWARE FOR ACQUISITION IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This article, part of a master’s study, aims to analyze the permissions and restrictions on installing patternmaking software in the proprietary and free software categories at public universities, in order to identify which software offers more favorable conditions for creating computerized patternmaking courses in these settings. The research, qualitative in approach and exploratory in nature, starts from a problem: the difficulty faced by professors at these institutions in acquiring licenses for proprietary patternmaking software, which requires recurrent participation in public procurement processes and creates barriers to the use of digital technologies in undergraduate Fashion Design programs. In order to present an alternative, the bibliographic and documentary research defines the licensing categories of proprietary software and free software; presents the patternmaking software in each category, and identifies the main permissions and restrictions on the installation and use of specific software designed for drafting garment patterns. The qualitative analysis, conducted through the comparative method, indicated that implementing the free software Valentina at public universities is favorable, since in offers a free-of-change version that generates no costs for the universities. In addition, because it is free software, it can be used in different environments, both in practical learning activities and for income generation, which may contribute to students’ professional development and autonomy.