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This paper presents a study devoted to the composite fabric shaping simulation in finite strain analysis. We introduce a new geometrical approach based on the fishnet method for which the deformation of a fabric mesh element consists in a pure trellis effect. Such a fabric mesh element is then defined by a curved quadrilateral whose edges are geodesic lines with the same length plotted onto the surface to drape. Given three vertices of the fabric mesh element on the surface, we propose an optimization algorithm to define the fourth vertex of the fabric mesh element. This algorithm allows us to drape the surface using an advancing front approach from the data of an initial impact point between the fabric and the surface and the initial fibre directions at this point. A numerical draping simulation example using this approach is given. To cite this article: H. Borouchaki, A. Cherouat, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]