5D Software Newsletter September 2012

Embroidery has become quite sophisticated these days, and decorative designs incorporating original, geometric or free-form Motif stitches are frequently seen on high quality ready-to-wear garments and household textiles.

You can create decorative Motifs in the 5D™ Full System software using 5D™ Design Creator, or in the 4D™ Full System in 4D™ Fabric Decorator software. Design your own Motif stitches, and you can produce truly unique finishes to your embroidery designs. Once you've created a special embroidery that is just perfect for your new shirt or jacket, transfer it quickly to your embroidery machine.

Icon Index

You can place an embroidery design onto your machine in several different ways. If you have an HUSQVARNA VIKING®/PFAFF® embroidery and sewing machine, you can open 5D™ or 4D™ Configure software 4D Configure . Click the Send 1 Send 1 or Send 2 Send 2 tabs and select your personal sewing and embroidery machine from the list.

Depending on your machine model, you can choose from direct USB connectivity, connecting to a USB stick, or transferring to a supported USB media device.

If your machine is not in the Send 1 or Send 2 tabs, simply select Save As Save As , and then choose your personal machine's embroidery format under Save as Type.

Module Minute

Have you ever created decorative Motifs in 5D™ Design Creator or 4D™ Fabric Decorator? Making a special Motif for a holiday or a personal occasion can be great fun. How about a kite-flying Motif to incorporate into an Encored design?

In 5D™ Design Creator, you can create a Motif over a background picture, or use a MiniPic MiniPics or Shape Shapes and modify the line, or simply freeform draw a line like the kite pictured here. Choose Start a New Design with no Picture in the ExpressDesign Wizard. Select the Draw Window, which has tools for creating and saving Motif stitches. Change the Hoop to a Height and Width the size you would like your Motif to be, and Finish.

Add a Mini Pic MiniPics or Shape Shapes and modify the lines, or draw your own line with Freehand Draw or Polygon Draw .

Before you draw, consider how a Motif Line or Motif Fill stitches. Begin drawing at the left side of the work area on a specific horizontal grid and end on the same grid at right, so you don't get an extra connecting stitch as the Motif repeats. Keep the line 'continuous', with no breaks.

Create the shaping for the Motif pattern by the placement of round or square points or nodes as you draw from the start toward the end. Save your Motif in the 5D™ Embroidery System software with Export to My Motifs in the Draw Motifs toolbar . Also, Save as Drawing , and create a .4qb file in case you want to adapt the Motif later.

In 4D™ Fabric Decorator software, choose Create New Motif in the 4D™ Fabric Decorator Wizard, and load and size a background image. Use the AutoTrace tools in the Wizard, or finish the Wizard and use the drawing tools to create your Motif. Export to My Motifs (4D)Export To MyMotifs and you are ready to design using Motif Fills in 4D™ Design Creator or 4D™ Fabric Decorator software.

For more information on how to create your own decorative Motif in 5D™ Design Creator or 4D™ Fabric Decorator, select Help, and then the Index tab. Type in Motif, and the links will open to help you find steps to create a Motif stitch!

Skill Builder

Now that you have designed your own Motif stitch, have some fun creating a distinctive embroidery. Select the Motif page in the 5D™ Embroidery Extra module. Next, choose My Motifs in the Motif menu. In Pattern, select the Motif you just created.

Adjust the size if desired. If you want to 'stretch' the Motif in Height or Width only, you can uncheck Proportional. Select Options in the Motif menu and choose a preferred Stitch Type and Length. Set a shorter stitch length for a smoother stitch in a tightly curved or detailed Motif.

In the Design tab of the Control Panel, select Encore Encore , and then Circle. Experiment with the number of repeats, using Setup to return to the settings for Encore. Remember, in the 5D™ Embroidery System software, you can click and drag any of the Encore repeats to adjust the Encore elements! When you are through, right-click, and either add some additional enhancements to your design, or Save As Save As or Send Send 1 Send 2 to your embroidery machine.

In the 4D™ Embroidery software, you can create a single Motif stitch in 4D™ Design Creator using the FreeHand Motif Line . Save the Motif Stitch Save Motif and open it in the 4D™ Embroidery module to Encore the design.

5D™ QuiltDesign Creator

You can easily create special textures using your own unique Motif Fills and Motif Lines in the 5D™ QuiltDesign System or 4D™ QuiltDesign Creator software! In the New Design Wizard, select Start a New Element. In the next page of the Wizard, set the Height and Width as a guide for sizing your Motif. In 5D™ QuiltDesign System software, you can type in either mm or inches and the software will recalculate to your default size settings! Select Finish, and you are ready to design your Motif.

Select Preferences and adjust the Grid size as small as it will go, so you can use the Grid as a reference when drawing. Use Freehand Draw or Polygon Draw from the Create tools, and doodle a line from left to right in the work area. Remember to select a horizontal gridline as a 'baseline' and begin drawing from the left, ending up at the right on the same horizontal line. Save with Export to My Motifs .

Create a new quilting design with a Motif Fill, and select your personal Motif from the My Motifs Group and Category. Free-motion quilting has never been so quick and easy as when you stitch a Motif Fill design in the embroidery hoop or on your automated long-arm quilter!

Fun Facts to Know and Tell

Create .4qb files in the 5D™ QuiltDesign System or 4D™ QuiltDesign Creator, and open them in the 5D™ Embroidery System to save as Motif stitches, so you can create embroideries that coordinate with your long-arm quilting designs!

Best wishes from 5D

SOS

This month with SOS features Mastering Your Embroidery Software: "Setup and Backup your MyThreads database". In the Technology Corner, SOS members will explore why "It's Smart to Update your Software".

SOS is a membership program which provides education and support of the 5D and 4D Embroidery Systems. SOS is currently available in the US, Canada, and Australia. Please visit your authorized 5D dealer to learn more and sign up today.

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