New in Embird 2010 Build 8.8 C (Nov 11, 2010)
- GENERAL:
- New formats are supported
- Inbro .INB
- Quilting: CompuQuilter .CMD
- Quilting: CompuQuilter .CQP
- Quilting: AutoCAD .DXF (only reading, Embird cannot save .DXF files)
- Quilting: Handi Quilter .HQF
- Quilting: IntelliQuilter .IQP
- Quilting: Machine Quilting Robot .MQR
- Quilting: .PAT
- Quilting: Statler Stitcher, HQ Pro-Stitcher .QLI
- Quilting: .SSD
- Quilting: PC Quilter .TXT
- MANAGER:
- New thread charts "Simthread" and "Gutermann creativ Dekor" were added.
- New command "Right Panel > View > View File Fullscreen" was added.
- New option "Options > Documentation Options > Add Date" was added. If ON, the current date is included into printed and exported documentation.
- New option "Options > Show > Show Stitch Direction" was added. If ON, a small arrow is displayed at the midpoint of each stitch.
- New option "Options > Show > Show Quilting File Types" was added. If OFF, Embird does not try to display the content of files with extension .CMD, .CQP, .DXF, .HQF, .IQP, .MQR, .PAT, .QLI, .SSD and .TXT when viewing designs.
- New option "Quilting Design Stitch Length" was added to "Options" menu. It allows to specify the stitch length for compiling quilting designs, formats .DXF, .PAT and .QLI.
- New option "Insert trimming codes" added to dialog box which allows to choose the format when converting designs in Manager or saving them in Editor. If ON, the codes for thread trimming will be inserted before every JUMP and STOP code.
- New option "Shrink to fit hoop" added to dialog box which allows to choose the format when converting designs in Manager or saving them in Editor. If ON, the design will be shrinked (if necessary) to fit the hoop. The settings in Editor's menu "Options > Stitch Density" affect how the design is resized.
- New buttons were added to "Viewer" window which appears after selecting "Right Panel > Open in Viewer" menu. These buttons allows to quickly sort designs and/or photos - just click the button and the currently shown design/photo will be moved to (or copied to, or the shortcut to the design/photo will be created in) folder which is predefined for the button. The "Undo" and "Redo" buttons are also available to cancel/repeat the movement of file. See also tutorial "Sorting Designs and Images in Embird".
- New command "Export Medium Documentation" added to "Right Panel" and "Left Panel" menu.
- New command "Export dBase Documentation" added to "Right Panel" menu. Use this command to create dBase .DBF database file with records containing information about selected designs - File name, Width, Height, Stitches, Colors, Thread changes, Hoop width, Hoop height.
- New command "Export Excel Documentation" added to "Right Panel" menu. Use this command to create Excel .XLS file with information about selected designs - File name, Width, Height, Stitches, Colors, Thread changes, Hoop width, Hoop height.
- Now it is possible to choose which type of documentation will be created if the option "Options > Automatically Create Documentation Files (*.jpg)" is ON. When you switch ON this option, a dialog box will appear on the screen, allowing to choose the type of documentation: Simple, Medium, Detail, Snapshot, Image, Animated image, Color Layers or Thread list.
- New button "Add to Zip" added, allowing to quickly ZIP selected file in "Files:" box at the Right Panel. You will find this new button above the "Files:" box.
- Four new "Quick" buttons (Q,R,S,T) for switching folders added to Manager, you will find them at the Right panel above the "Folder:" box.
- Now you can predefine another (seventh) filter in Manager. You will find the new button at the Right panel above the "Filter:" box.
- Embird is now capable of displaying icon from Melco .OFM files. It cannot display real stitches, only the preview icon which is contained in these files.
- New button "Change font size" was added to main toolbar in Manager, allowing to increase the size of font in "Folder" and "Files" boxes at Right Panel. The new button is located at the left side of button with "red key" icon (which shows the list of installed plug-ins).
- EDITOR:
- Now it is possible to choose negative speed in Sew Simulator, this will remove stitches.
- Now it is possible to drag guide lines from horizontal and vertical rulers in Editor, and drop them to work area. Once there is a guide line on work area, you can right click it for popup menu allowing to rotate, duplicate, delete or flip the guide line. Also, it is possible to select stitches above/below or leftwards/rightwards. New commands in "Edit" menu under "Guide Lines" sub-menu allow to lock guide lines, erase them or switch ON/OFF the snapping of objects to guide lines when you move some object along work area. Now it is possible to specify the number of tie on/off stitches when inserting these stitches in Editor via "Insert > Tie On/Off Stitches".
- New menu "Full Screen" was added to "View" menu in Editor. It maximizes Editor window to full screen.
- CROSS STITCH:
- New command "Clock" added to "Insert" menu.
- New commands "Load Color Palette" and "Save Color Palette" added to "File" menu.
- Now it is possible to Rotate Left or Rotate Right characters when inserting "Insert > Simple Text" menu. This way it is possible to create vertical text.
- New command "Insert Font Temporarily" in "Text" menu allows to temporarily install selected TrueType (.ttf) or OpenType (.otf) font. Then you can use this font with Text tool.
- Now it is possible to create multi-line text with Text tool. Just press ENTER key to move cursor to the next line.
- ICONIZER:
- Iconizer plug-in now shows icons also in 64-bit type of Windows Vista and Windows 7. There is a new switch "64-bit Windows" located below "OK" and "Cancel" buttons in "Options > Iconizer Settings" dialog box.
- Because the development tool is still not available in 64-bit version, this temporary 64-bit Iconizer uses 32-bit kernel. Therefore this Iconizer is not as quick as the true 64-bit Iconizer which will be developed once the 64-bit version of development tool is available.
- In case there is problem with frequent Explorer crashes when using this 64-bit temporary Iconizer, please switch OFF the displaying of DETAILS PANE in Windows Explorer via its menu "Organize > Layout > Details Pane".
- In case the 64-bit Iconizer still does not work and there are blank folders with no images in Windows Explorer, please switch OFF the option "Always show icons, never thumbnails" in menu "Tools > Folder Options, tab View". You will find also "Embird Explorer 32-bit" application in "Start > Programs > Embird 2010" program group, intended for those users for whom Iconizer 64-bit is still causing
- crashes in Windows Explorer. In such a case you should disable 64-bit Iconizer, and use 32-bit Iconizer instead (setting "64-bit Windows" below "OK" button is OFF).
- HOOPS:
- New hoop was added
- Brother Quattro (200 x 300 mm) - Vertical
- Brother Quattro (300 x 200 mm) - Horizontal
- STUDIO:
- Added setting of rotation focus point in the Transformation window. Added button to move focus point to center of the hoop.
- Added 'Auto Repeat' function in the main menu>Transform. Allows to duplicate selected objects on various baselines with gap and mirror options. Preview button allows to test and adjust result before closing this window.
- Adaptive initial speed of sew simulator - if there are less stitches selected, the speed is lower.
- Option 'Apply Rotation to Fill Stitches' in main menu>Transform. If this option is checked, angle of fill stitches is adjusted when object is rotated or mirrored.
- Pause button in sew simulator. Also, options to pause on trim, color change, backward path, connection and sfumato shade change.
- Buttons 'zoom to selected object' and 'zoom and edit selected object' added to horizontal button bar.
- More intuitive start of lettering mode: click on text button and then click on work area to place start point of text. If you click on existing text, it will switch to text editing mode.
- Even easier access to editing of existing text. Select any object belonging to text and use main menu > Text > Edit Text or pop-up menu > Edit Text.
- Easier selection of font - when list of fonts is dropped down, press key representing the first letter of the font name, for example 'G'. List will scroll to fonts with name beginning with G.
- If object was created as part of text label, it is marked with this text label in the object inspector.
- 'Rotate Left' and 'Rotate Right' commands added to main menu > Transform.
- Change to main menu > Transform > Expand and Shrink Object functions - these functions work work also with outline objects.
- Allowed negative value for gap in auto repeat function.
- Added export of design into vector graphic format (*.SVG) for use of design in programs like Corel Draw. Main menu > File > Export
- New grid options - 'Additional Grid' - radial and diagonal grid layers.
- New tool: Lasso for selection of objects with polygon. "Add" and "Subtract" options to modify existing selection.
- Improvement to 'Snap to Grid' and 'Snap to Guidelines' functions
- Displaying of hoop overlaps (if selected hoop has any).
- Fix to detection of backward paths and displaying of correct icon in the object inspector.
- Fix to 'Set Identical Colors' function when working with objects of different type.
- Studio now allows to insert image from clipboard (CTRL+V or main menu > Edit > Paste)
- New tutorials (in help file): Connections, Outlines-overview, Working with mask in Studio
- Minimum stitch limit of outlines, connections and manual stitches changed to 0.2mm to allow creation of cutwork objects.
- Fix to transfer of hoop size to Editor
- Fix to occasional stray stitches when creating outlines with border sample
- New hoop supported: Brother Quatro 20x30cm
- Synchronization of thread catalogs (marked threads) with Embird
- Fix to problem with missing parts of letters when using Alphabets in Studio
- Fix to occasional gaps in Font Engine auto-column lettering.
- Fix to recovery of panels and windows size.
- Fix to reducing of nodes number on second side of column object when using Transform > Reduce Nodes Number
- Enhancement of Reduce Nodes algorithm
- User Editors window is now accessible also from Parameters window. Click on Parameters button on top part of Parameters window and select 'User Editors' from the drop-down menu
- Enhanced function arrow buttons in Parameters window - when previous or next object is selected with these buttons, the work area is scrolled and zoomed to display newly selected object.
- If part of complex object is selected and edited or transformed, selection is preserved.
- New pop-up menu for color palette: options to pick color from image or from color catalog. To open color definition window, please use double click instead of right-mouse click.
- Separate parameters and color copying. Copying of parameters with drag-and-drop 'Set Identical Parameters' function in object inspector now doesn't copy color. Use 'Set Identical Color' to copy colors.
- Added option to define number of tie-up stitches for Manual Stitches objects (Parameters window).
- Added text label in the object inspector window that indicates the outline sample (single stitch, triple stitch, redwork, etc.).
- Fix to disappearing overall 'Length' parameters in Parameters window if auto-column objects is selected.
- Fix to missing tie-up stitches on end of some objects.
- Fix to freezing of stitch samples editor when loading .ESM file that does not contain Embird stitch sample.
- Fix to occasional wrong connections between in Font Engine lettering.
- Fix to editing of grouped objects parameters.
- Measurements in cm changed to mm to make units same across the Studio and Embird. Where possible (enough space), measurements are displayed in both mm and inches.
- Fix to "Corner" function - position of rotated copies.
- Fix to remembering size of Studio screen and other windows used by Studio.
- Studio remembers path to shapes library folder
- "Save as" dialog window now contains last file name.
- Fix to Sew Simulator: invisible objects are ignored.
- Fix to tie-up stitches on end of object when object of other color follows.
- Sew Simulator - added indicator of actually sewn stitch (little red cross) to make it more visible when multiple layers are sewn one on top of another.
- Fix to compilation of columns with zero start or end width.
- Fix to zooming with scroll wheel: preserving the spot under the cursor.
- Fix to Font Engine lettering spacing at beginning of the line.
- Fix to Font Engine - vertical lettering
- Fix to detection of backward paths
- Fix to problems with Studio window minimalization resizing and panels displaying
- Short-cuts changes: CTRL+N=new file, CTRL+Shift+A=Deselect All, ALT+1=Normal View, ALT+2=Enhanced View
- Enhancement to use of large speeds (1000 and 2000 st. per sec.) in Sew Simulator
- Enhancement to Transform > Combine Outlines command - now works also with incontiguous selection (in object inspector) of outlines and with reversed (swapped start and end with respect to adjoined object) outlines
- Fix to displaying size of selected object(s)
- If "Make Cover Stitches" option is unchecked, a green arrow icon appears next to this checkbox to warn user that some stitch options are not active in this mode.
- EMBIRD:
- Fixed bug in .VP3 file saving routine.
- Fixed bug in processing of Quilting .IQP protected patterns.
- Saving multiple objects to .VP3 file is now supported in Editor.
- CROSS STITCH:
- Fixed bug with displaying of grid in Cross Stitch plug-in.
- STUDIO:
- Fix to size of panels when zoom window is disabled
- New button in Transformation window to move focus point to center of selection
- About 100x faster detection of backward paths when working on design with hundreds of outline objects
- Fix to disappearing icons in the object inspector and parts inspector
- New feature - indication of groups in the Parts window. Items belonging to same group are marked with link. This feature is useful for complex objects with many different-level groups.
- New feature in Font Engine - recently used TTF or OTF font is marked as favorite (yellow star icon) and moved to top of the list for quick access. Studio remembers favorite fonts even after restart.
- Option to set global underlay offset in absolute (mm) units - Parameters window > whole design > offset tab
- Fix to missing global offset options when auto-column object is selected.
- Fix to problem with snapping objects to multiple guide lines at once.