6D™ Software Newsletter - June 2015

Module Mystique

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Module Mystique

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The Sketch module has been a part of our Embroidery Software system for quite some time now. Let's take a look at how much you can do with the Sketch module and see what's new in the 6D™ Sketch module.

Release your inner artist and "draw" your own stitch paintings. Create embroidery stitches as if you are using a pencil or paintbrush, then print and embroider your masterpiece at the touch of a button. Add free motion embroidery highlights and texture to your favorite pictures, fabrics and designs. Embroider your signature or use the calligraphy feature to create beautiful monograms. You can even create appliqué with horizontal or rotational zigzag satin stitching! Sketch straight or curved lines with the "Standard" stitch creation tools: create perfectly regulated running, triple and motif line plus satin lines of varying width (new to 6D). Trims, Jumps and Tie Stitches are added automatically in 6D™ Sketch, simplifying the creation process tremendously.

Create the beautiful appliqué leaves pictured above. On the Standard tab, select the Running Stitch tool. Trace around the leaf to create the placement line. Change the color, then trace around the leaf again to create the tack-down line. Change the color, then select the Custom Satin tool. Click Options to change the Width to 1.0mm and the Density to 15. Trace around the leaf to give the raw edge look. Now you can use the Running Stitch or Triple Stitch to add the stem and the veins to the leaf. The design above can be found in the Stitch subfolder of the Sketch Samples.

Technique Tune-Up

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Technique Tune-Up

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Command Markers can be found in 6D™ and 5D™ Stitch Editor Plus, 5D™ Stitch Editor, as well as in the 6D™ and 5D™ Design Creator modules. These markers help you understand how designs are put together.

In the Stitch Editor Plus module, on the Design Page, you can view the Color Change, Stop, and Trim Commands . On the Modify Page, you can also remove or add those commands.

On the Object Page you can view and change the start and end markers and the origin of a fill pattern.

Drag the start or end marker to the point that you wish to use as the new area start or end point. Drop at the desired point.

Some types of fill areas have an origin, marked by an orange circle . This is used to move the start point for the pattern in a pattern fill, or the center point for Radial fill, Spiral fill and Shape fill types.

In the Design Creator module, the commands work the same as on the Object Page of the Stitch Editor Plus module. Let's take a look at the effect that moving the origin has on a design. Create a filled square with Radial Fill and Satin Border. The Origin defaults to the center of the object.

Place a design, like this lighthouse from the Landscapes Folder within the Samples\6DEmb\Stitch2 folder, for one effect. Move the Origin where the light is on the lighthouse, for a completely different effect, as seen in the lighthouse at the start of this section.

QuiltDesign Creator

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QuiltDesign Creator

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The Convert to Lines feature allows you to convert the currently selected complex object into normal line objects. Use Convert to Lines to allow fine control of editing, rearranging of stitch order to improve stitch order, and the scaling of motifs within complex objects.

Complex objects include filled areas, parallel and motif lines, Groups, MiniPics and existing designs. For example, when Combine Paths is used to create holes in a fill with overlapping areas, unexpected areas may be filled. This can also happen when creating filled text with a font that has overlapping outlines such as Wingdings.

To edit complex objects manually to remove unwanted parts such as fill areas, or nodes within parallel lines, use Convert to Lines, then edit the individual lines with the editing tools. Another benefit is to obtain different results with motif fill areas. Normally, if you want to resize a motif fill area the motif remains at its original size. If you Convert to Lines, then scale the filled area, the motif size will change with area size.

With the object selected, click on the Object menu above the icon bar, then select Convert to Lines. The picture at the start of the section is a square filled with a motif from My Motifs. The middle picture is that filled object expanded to twice the size.

The bottom picture is the original square converted to lines then scaled up to twice the size.