Custom Fill Patterns

Patterns are pictures that define splitting of fill stitches. The split points are visible on the actual embroidery as a texture. It is possible to draw a template for the split points and this template is called fill pattern in the Studio.

Besides many pre-defined fill patterns, Studio provides also an pattern editor tool to create your own, custom patterns.

Pattern Editor

Use main menu > Gadgets > Fragment Editors command to open window with available editors. Switch to Pattern Editor.

The meaning of controls in this window is following:

How to Draw New Pattern

Plain fill is typically used for larger objects, which means long rows inside the fill. If each row would contain just 1 stitch (which is the case of column object), the stitches would be very long, loose and they would not create a compact fill. Therefore, the rows are split into number of shorter stitches. Optimum length of the stitches is approximatelly 4 millimeters.

The easiest way of how to learn making of your own patterns is to examine pre-defined Studio patterns. Use main menu > Gadgets > Fragment Editors to open Editor tool, select Patterns tab and open any pattern from PATTERNS folder.

The colored dots or lines define place, where the fill stitch will be split.
Use primary mouse button to draw the dots and lines (with Shift key on hardware keyboard depressed).
Use primary mouse button with Ctrl key on hardware keyboard depressed to erase dots .

Note: if there is no hardware keyboard on your device, switch brush / eraser mode with button on the splitter panel (J).

Position of cursor in the drawing area is indicated by small cross in the preview at the right side of the window. This indicator helps to draw contiguous patterns.

Layers are used to create interleaved pattern. If there are 4 layers in the pattern, for example, each layer applies only to the each 4th line of stitches. Consequently, final pattern looks like if there are all 4 layers interleaved.

Pattern with 4 layers. Each column of pixels belongs to different layer. The layer that is currently edited is highlighted.

Pattern with 4 layers applied to rows of stitches. Needle points appear on places where stitches cross the pattern pixels. Each layer (column in this case) applies only to the each 4th line of stitches.

3D preview of stitches with pattern. The fill with interleaved pattern is flat.

Interleaved pattern produces a flat fill texture. For patterns with more puffy texture use single layer of pixels (no interleaving).

Controls

Save Pattern . Use this command from pop-up menu to save pattern to disc. Patterns are automatically stored with design with which they were created, so you need to save pattern only if you want to use it in other design.

Open Pattern . Use this command from pop-up menu to load some previously stored pattern into your design.

Clear Pattern . Use this command from pop-up menu to reset selected pattern.

Import Background image into background. Use this command from pop-up menu to open an image and use it as the template when drawing the pattern.

Skew left and Skew right . Use any of these command from pop-up menu to modify the pattern. Sometimes a nice new pattern can be created from existing one by just clicking any of these buttons.