Elna XPRESSIVE 2 User Manual

Xpressive II

07.10.2005

Elna International Corp. SA

User’s Guide

oper of the software, Pulse Microsystems Ltd. Al l rights reserved. US Patent Nos. 5 270 939; 5 343 401; 5 430 658; 5 506 784; 5 510 994; 5 541 847; 5 668 730; 5 771 173; 5 809 921; 6 196 146; 6 216 618; 6 390 005. European Patent Nos. 0545773. Other patents pending.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and/or

nondisclosure agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of those agreements. No part of this publication and the software may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without the manufacturer’s written permission.

Commercial or industrial use of trademark and copyrighted works (For example, books, paintings, drawings, photos, fanciful characters, and so forth) owned by other companies or persons, for creation of embroidery patterns without permission is illegal and may result in either criminal or civil liability.

Microsoft and Windows®2000/XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names are copyrighted and registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. All computer and software names identified by TM or tm are trademarks of their respective manufacturers.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Getting Started

The Xpressive package ............................................................. 10

System Requirements......................................................... 10

Backing up files ................................................................... 10

Connecting Hardware................................................................ 10

Connecting the Elna embroidery machine ...........................11

Configuring the Elna embroidery machine ...........................11

Installing Xpressive.....................................................................11

Using other disk formats................................ ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .......11

Registering Xpressive.................................................................11

Obtaining a License for Xpressive from the Internet ........... 12

Obtaining a License for Xpressive without Internet Access. 13

Transferring a License from a Second Computer................ 15

Opening and Closing Xpressive................................................. 18

Calibrating your Screens for Accurate Measurements .............. 19

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 1 User’s Guide

Chapter 2 Setting up Xpressive

Setting up the workspace environment...................................... 22

Showing and hiding toolbars...... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ............... 22

Showing and hiding the draw ribbon....... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ....... .. 23

Customizing the draw ribbon ..................................................... 23

Setting user preferences............................................................ 23

Chapter 3 Learning the Basics

Understanding the Xpressive Workspace.................................. 26

Title Bar............................................................................... 26

Menu Bar............................................................................. 26

Status Bar......... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... ... ......................................... 26

Xpressive Tools ................................................................... 26

Tools on the Ribbon............................................................. 26

Draw Ribbon Tools .............................................................. 28

Editing Tools........................................................................ 29

Viewing Tools....................................................................... 30

Stitch Edit Tools................................................................... 30

Lettering Tools..................................................................... 30

Punching Tools.................................................................... 31

File Tools ............................................................................. 31

Correcting mistakes................................................................... 32

Creating new designs ................................................................ 32

Entering measurements............................................................. 32

Opening and closing designs..... ................................................ 32

Opening designs using the Library feature.................... ... ......... 34

Saving designs........................................................................... 35

Saving a Copy of a Design ........................................................ 36

Setting up design worksheets.................................................... 36

Using the scroll bars .................................................................. 37

Working with Thread Charts ...................................................... 38

Changing the colors in designs ........................................... 38

Adding custom thread colors to a custom thread chart....... 39

Adding standard thread colors to a custom thread chart..... 39

Choosing a thread chart...................................................... 40

Changing the thread chart................................................... 40

Removing a thread color from the custom thread chart...... 40

Removing all threads in the custom thread chart................ 40

Printing Designs...................................... .... ... ... ... .... ... ............... 41

Changing a design’s print settings....................................... 41

Previewing a design before printing.................................... 42

Printing design worksheets......................................... ... .... .. 42

Printing in 3D View.............................................. ... ... ... .... .. 42

Inputting and Outputting Designs............................................... 43

Inputting a design................................................................ 43

Outputting a design ............................................................. 43

Outputting a design to the Elna embroidery machine ......... 45

Chapter 4 Viewing and Measuring Designs

Viewing Methods and Tools ....................................................... 48

Magnifying and reducing the view....................................... 48

Viewing designs................................................................... 48

Viewing the actual size of designs....................................... 49

Viewing the whole design on-screen................................... 49

Viewing a design selection on-screen................................. 50

Viewing parts of a design not visible in the design

workspace ........................................................................... 50

Viewing Buttons......................................................................... 50

Changing the background color of the current window ....... 50

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 3

User’s Guide

Showing and hiding outline segments................................. 50

Showing and hiding machine commands............................ 51

Showing and hiding the stitch placements in designs......... 51

Showing and hiding beads...................... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... .. 52

Showing and hiding stitches in design files......................... 52

Defining grid settings........................................................... 53

Showing and hiding grids..................... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... .. 54

Showing and hiding 3D stitches ......................................... 54

Viewing the sewing order of designs................................... 54

Viewing Commands................................................................... 55

Displaying a hoop while designing ...................................... 55

Finding potential stitch problems......................................... 56

Hiding outlines in design files.............................................. 56

Setting the 3D View options ............................................... 56

Viewing a design by thread color order............................... 57

Aligning and Measuring Designs ............................................... 57

Adding guidelines................................................................ 57

Moving guidelines............. ... .... ... ......................................... 58

Changing the ruler origin..................................................... 58

Defining ruler units............................................................... 58

Measuring designs.............................................................. 59

Chapter 5 Creating Lettering and Merging Designs

Creating Embroidery and TrueType® Lettering ......................... 62

Creating lettering using the Text tool ................................... 62

Creating horizontal lettering................................................. 62

Creating circle lettering........................................................ 63

Converting TrueType® lettering to Satin stitches................ 64

Inserting color changes................. ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ......... 65

Kerning the space between letters...................................... 65

Modifying Text segments..................................................... 67

Drawing mode for lettering .................................................. 68

Merging Designs........ .... ... ......................................................... 69

Merging designs with lettering............................................. 71

Chapter 6 Changing your Segment Settings

Changing the settings of a segment .......................................... 75

Changing Text properties............................................ ... ... ... .... .. 75

Choosing an embroidery font .............................................. 75

Choosing a TrueType® font................................................. 76

Choosing the Fill type for TrueType® lettering.................... 76

Changing the shape of lettering manually........................... 76

Changing the vertical position of lettering ........................... 78

Changing the size and position of circle lettering................ 79

Rotating lettering manually.................................................. 81

Changing the shape of lettering .......................................... 82

Setting the lettering height................................................... 82

Setting the justification ........................................................ 82

Setting lock stitches for lettering.......................................... 83

Changing Satin properties ...... ............................................. .... .. 84

Selecting a Fill pattern for Satin stitches ............................. 84

Setting the density for Satin stitches ................................... 84

Changing Satin Effect properties................................ ... ... ... .... .. 85

Applying a jagged effect to Satin stitches...................... .... .. 85

Changing Run properties........... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ...... 86

Choosing a style for Run stitches........................................ 86

Setting the stitch length for Run stitches............................. 86

Changing Steil properties.................................. ... .... ... ... ... ... .... .. 87

Setting the width for Steil stitches........................................ 87

Changing Complex Fills properties............................................ 87

Adjusting the stitch length for the selected Fill pattern........ 87

Selecting a pattern for Fills.................................................. 87

Setting the stitch density for Fills......................................... 88

Changing Carved Fill properties ................................................ 89

Choosing a Carved Tile pattern........................................... 89

Creating Carved Fills........................................................... 89

Changing Programmed Fill properties..................................... .. 91

Adjusting the stitch length for Programmed Fill patterns..... 91

Choosing a Programmed Fill pattern................................... 91

Changing Pull Compensation properties ................................... 92

Adjusting pull-compensation ............................................... 92

Changing Underlay properties....................................... ... ... .... .. 92

Selecting the underlay type................................................. 92

Changing the inset distance.............................................. .. 93

Increasing the number of lines for perpendicular under lay. 93

Specifying the underlay density........................................... 94

Specifying the underlay stitch length................................... 94

Changing Commands properties...................................... ... .... .. 94

Adding machine commands................................................ 94

Applying lock stitches.............................................. ... ... .... .. 95

Changing a thread color number......................................... 96

Chapter 7 Design Editing in Stitch Mode

Editing Stitches and Stitch Groups............................................. 98

Selecting stitches in various ways....................................... 98

Deleting stitches.................................................................. 99

Flipping stitches in a design file......................................... 101

Mirroring stitches in a design file....................................... 102

Moving through Stitch designs .......................................... 103

Moving stitches in a design file......... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... 105

Moving or copying stitches................................................ 105

Resizing stitches in a design file ....................................... 107

Rotating stitches in a design file.................... .... ... ... ... ... .... 109

Editing Stitches.........................................................................110

Adding a trim ......................................................................111

Changing thread colors in design files ...............................111

Changing existing machine commands..............................113

Inserting a stitch ............ ... ... .... .......................................... .114

Chapter 8 Design Editing in Outline Mode

Editing Segments......................................................................116

Selecting segments............................................................116

Converting stitches to outline segments .............................118

Converting stitches to stitch segments...............................118

Deleting segments..............................................................119

Moving through Outline designs.........................................119

Reflecting segments.......................................................... 121

Resizing segments............................................ ... ... ... ... .... 122

Rotating segments............................................................. 124

Closing Open Segments.................................................... 125

Copying segments................................................................... 125

Copying segments using the Clipboard............................. 125

Moving segments. ............................................. ... .................... 126

Moving segments manually........................ ... .... ... ... ... ... .... 126

Moving segments using Power Edit .................................. 126

Moving segments using the Clipboard .............................. 127

Nudging segments ............................................................ 128

Sequencing Outline Segments ................................................ 128

Inserting segments earlier in the segment sequence........ 128

Inserting segments later in the segment sequence........... 129

Moving a segment backward or forward ........................... 130

Moving a segment to the start or end of a design ............. 132

Locking Segments in Sequence View............................... 135

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 5

User’s Guide

Resequencing by color..................... .... ... ... ....................... 136

Chapter 9 Using Paths

Drawing Lines...................................... ... .... ... ... ... .... ................ 138

Forcing horizontal and vertical lines.................................. 139

Drawing diagonal lines.................. ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... 140

Drawing mode for lettering ................................................ 140

Drawing modes for punching......... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... 141

Drawing straight lines........................................................ 141

Vertex and Point Editing........................................................... 142

Adding and deleting anchor points.................................... 142

Changing the properties of an anchor point ...................... 142

Moving anchor points.................... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... 143

Resetting Handles............................................................. 144

Working with Beads....................................... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... 144

Different bead types .......................................................... 144

Changing the location of start and stop points .................. 144

Adding angle lines to segments......................................... 145

Chapter 10 Working with Images

Scanning images ..................................................................... 148

Loading images for punching..... .............................................. 148

Rotating scanned images ........................................................ 149

Resizing scanned images....... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... 151

Removing scanned images.................................. .... ... ... ... ... .... 152

Hiding and showing images..................................................... 153

Lightening images.................................................................... 153

Auto Tracing Images................................................................ 153

Chapter 11 Using Punching Tools

Common embroidery stitch types ............................................ 156

Digitizing tips............................................................................ 157

Embroidery........................................................................ 158

Other items to consider ..................................................... 158

A successful digitizer......................................................... 158

Manual and Run Stitches......................................................... 158

Creating Bean stitches ...................................................... 158

Creating Manual and Jump stitches.................................. 159

Creating Run stitches........................................................ 160

Creating Two-Ply stitches.................................................. 160

Satin and Fill Stitches........................................................... .... 161

Creating Satin or Fill stitches with the Enhanced

Column tool ................ ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ....................... 161

Creating Satin or Fill segments with holes ........................ 161

Creating stitches with the Complex Fill tool....................... 163

Creating Steil stitches........................................................ 164

Adjusting Satin and Fill Stitches............................................... 164

Changing the angle lines in Complex Fill segments ... ... .... 164

Appliqué................................................................................... 165

Creating an appliqué border.............................................. 165

Programmed Runs.. ............................................. .... ... ... ... ... .... 165

Using Programmed Runs.................................................. 165

Carved Fills.......... ... ... .... ... ... .................................................... 166

Applying Carved Fills to TrueType® lettering.................... 166

Chapter 12 Using Autodigitizing and Cross-Stitch Wizards

Using the Autodigitizing Wizard............................................... 168

Creating a New Xpressive Cross-Stitch Design....................... 169

Selecting an Image............................................................ 170

Color Reductions............................................................... 171

Transforming an Image ..................................................... 173

Image Edit.................. .......................................... ... ... ... .... 177

Adding Outlines to an Image............................................. 179

Final Preview..................................................................... 181

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 7

User’s Guide

Appendix A Keyboard Shortcuts and Commands

Keyboard Shortcuts ... .... ... ... ............................................. ... .... 184

Keyboard Commands.................................... ... ... .... ... ... .......... 186

Appendix B Getting Help

Xpressive documentation......................................................... 190

Using the Xpressive online Help.............................................. 190

Opening the online Help.................................................... 190

Using the Contents........................... .... ... ... ... .... ................ 191

Using the Index ................................ .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... 191

Using Search.................... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ....................... 191

Using the Font Help........................................................... 192

Using the Fill Help................... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ............. 192

Saving your favorite topics ................................................ 192

Printing online Help topics................................................. 192

Glossary....................................................................................195

Index..........................................................................................221

CHAPTER 1

Getting Started

Welcome to the Xpressive II embroidery design system for the Elna home-based embroidery machine. The Xpressive provides you with the information you need to install the software and hardware and to learn about Xpressive.

Before you begin, you should be familiar with basic Windows®2000/XP usage and conventions. To learn more about Windows®2000/XP, see the Windows online Help.

In this chapter:

• Find out what you receive in the Xpressive package.

• Learn how to connect the Elna machine to your computer.

• Learn how to install the Xpressive software.

User’s Guide

The Xpressive package

We recommend that you follow the procedures outlined in the Getting Started Guide to ensure that you install Xpressive correctly.

Each Xpressive package includes the following components:

• Xpressive Getting Started Guide.

• Xpressive User’s Guide.

• Xpressive CD-ROM.

System Requirements

Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. For additional information on setup and system requirements, contact your distributor.

Minimum Recommended System Requirements:

• Genuine Intel Pentium 4, 2GHz PC computer (or higher) with a CD-ROM drive

• 17" or 21" monitor with 1024x768 video resolution with 16-bit color display (or higher).

• 256 megabytes of RAM

• Microsoft® Windows®2000/XP operating system

• 3.5-inch high-density disk drive for most disk formats

• Minimum 1 gigabyte hard disk drive space available

• Mouse (3 button is preferred for punching)

Backing up files

If Microsoft Backup is not currently installed on your computer, refer to the Windows®2000/XP online Help fo r installation instructions.

Windows®2000/XP comes with an efficient file Backup program called Microsoft Backup. We recommend you use Microsoft Backup to backup files and designs on a regular basis. Backing up your work protects your designs in case the data on your computer is lost or damaged.

To back up files:

1 Click Start. 2 Choose Programs—Accessories—System

Tools—Backup.

3 Follow the instructions provided.

If you have any problems, consult the Microsoft Backup’s online Help.

Connecting Hardware

You can now set up all the hardware you want to use with Xpressive. This section describes how you can connect these devices. The most important device is the Elna embroidery machine.

Xpressive supports many different peripheral devices. The most important device you need to connect is your Elna embroidery machine.

First, you need to connect the peripheral devices to the ports at the back of your computer. Then, when you install Xpressive, these hardware components are configured to run with Xpressive.

Connecting the Elna embroidery machine

We recommend that your embroidery machine settings be configured using the Xpressive Installation.

Serial embroidery machines are configured during the Xpressive installation once the machine’s hardware has been set up.

To connect the Elna embroidery machine:

1 Use the Elna documentation to set the

correct port settings.

2 Connect the machine to an available

serial port on the computer using the serial cable provided with Xpressive.

3 Turn on your computer.

Now, when you install Xpressive, the

machine settings will be set accordingly.

Configuring the Elna embroidery machine

See the Elna documentation for more information on how to set up the Elna embroidery machine.

Installing Xpressive

Y ou must be runni ng Windows®2000/XP to install Xpressive.

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 11

User’s Guide

2 Click Next to follow the installation. 3 Follow the instructions on each screen.

Using other disk formats

Xpressive supports other disk formats such as Elna, Tajima, Pfaff, and Brother, Pfaff, Janome, Viking, Poem, and Singer.

Registering Xpressive

Initially you can use the Xpressive software for up to 30 days without a license. To use it in this 30-day trial mode, select this option when you install the program. Each time you run the program the remaining number of days in the trial period will be displayed.

To install Xpressive:

1 Insert the Xpressive CD into the CD-

ROM drive.

You see the InstallShield introductory screen.

Any time during the evaluation period you can start the registration using the Help menu. You can choose one of the following options to obtain a license:

• U sing a serial number (requires Internet connection).

• Providing an unlocking key given to you by phone or e-mail.

• Transferring a license from another computer.

Obtaining a License for Xpressive from the Internet

If you received a product serial number with the program, the number can be used to obtain a license. If you have an Internet connection, you can have the program automatically obtain a license.

2 Select the Install a license option and

click Next.

You will see another Xpressive License Activator wizard page appear.

To obtain a license from the Internet:

1 To open the Xpressive License Activator

wizard, select one of the following procedures:

 If you are using the 30-day trial mode

for Xpressive, choose Help—Open License Activator.

 If your 30-day trial mode has expired,

double-click the Xpressive link on your computer desktop.

You will see the Xpressive License Activator wizard appear.

3 Select I received a serial number & I have

an internet connection on this machine

and click Next.

You will see the Welcome to Purchase Wizard page appear.

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 13

User’s Guide

5 In the Serial number field, enter the serial

number you received and click Next.

You will see another Purchase Wizard page appear.

6 To finish obtaining a license for Xpressive,

click Finish.

4 Read the information shown and click

Next.

You will see the Purchase Wizard page appear.

Obtaining a License for Xpressive without Internet Access

If you do not have an Internet connection, you will need to contact your dealer or distributor to obtain a license. Please refer to the contact information that you received with your package.

To obtain a license without Internet access:

1 To open the Xpressive License Activator

wizard, select one of the following procedures:  If you are using the 30-day trial mode

for Xpressive, choose Help—Open License Activator.

 If your 30-day trial mode has expired,

double-click the Xpressive link on your computer desktop.

You will see the Xpressive License Activator wizard appear.

3 Select I received a serial number & I don’t

have internet connection on this machine

and click Next.

You will see another Xpressive License Activator wizard page appear.

2 Select the Install a license option and

click Next.

You will see another Xpressive License Activator wizard page appear.

4 In the Site Key field, enter the site key you

were given for your computer or click Browse and find the location of the site key. Click Next to continue.

You will see another Xpressive License Activator wizard page appear.

5 Click Next to continue.

You will see another License Activator wizard page appear.

6 Click Finish to complete your installation.

Transferring a License from a Second Computer

If you are running an installation of Xpressive on your computer, without a license, you can transfer an existing license from a second computer. You can copy an Xpressive license onto a floppy disk, USB device or network directory folder. Only the Xpressive installation with a lice nse can r un the software.

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 15

User’s Guide

2 Select the Install a license option and

click Next.

You will see another Xpressive License Activator Wizard page appear.

If you are using the 30-day trial, it is considered a temporary license.

To transfer a license to a floppy disk:

1 On the computer without a license, open

Xpressive.

The first time you open Xpressive you will see the License Agreement dialog. To continue, click I agree.

You will see the Xpressive License Activator wizard appear.

3 Select I want to transfer a license from a

second computer and click Next. You will see another Xpressive License

Activator wizard page appear.

9 Browse to your A:\ drive that contains

your floppy disk.

10 Click OK.

You see the License Transfer confirmation dialogs. Click OK. Xpressive will shutdown.

4 Insert an empty floppy disk into your A:\

drive.

5 Click Next and a registration file will be

copied to your floppy disk.

You will see another Xpressive License Activator wizard page appear. Leave this wizard page open.

6 Remove your floppy disk. 7 On the computer with a license, open

Xpressive and insert the floppy disk into your A:\ drive.

8 Choose Help—Transfer License.

You will see the Browse for Folder dialog

The installation of Xpressive on this computer will no longer have a license.

11 Remove your floppy disk. 12 On the computer without a license, insert

your floppy disk into the A:\ drive and click Next.

The license will be copied to this installation of Xpressive. You see another License Activator wizard page appear.

13 Click Finish.

Xpressive will be launched. You can begin using Xpressive on this computer.

appear.

T o transfer a license t o directory or USB device:

1 On the computer without a license, open

Xpressive.

You will see the Xpressive License Activator wizard appear.

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 17

User’s Guide

3 Select I want to transfer a license from a

second computer and click Next. You will see another Xpressive License Activator wizard page appear.

2 Select the Install a license option and

click Next.

You will see another Xpressive License Activator Wizard page appear.

4 Click Browse and locate the network

directory you want to transfer your license to.

5 Click Next.

You will see another Xpressive License Activator wizard page appear. Leave this wizard page open.

6 On the computer with a license, open

Xpressive.

7 Choose Help—Transfer License.

You will see the Browse for Folder dialog appear.

The installation of Xpressive on this computer will no longer have a license.

10 On the computer without a license, click

Next.

The license will be copied to this installation of Xpressive. You see another License Activator wizard page appear.

11 Click Finish.

Xpressive will be launched. You can begin using Xpressive on this computer.

Opening and Closing Xpressive

To open Xpressive:

• Do one of the following:

 Double-click the Xpressive icon

created on your desktop.

 Choose Start—Programs—Xpressive.

You will see the Xpressive window appear.

8 Browse to location of the specified

network directory or USB device you want your license transferred to.

9 Click OK.

You see the License Transfer confirmation dialogs. Click OK. Xpressive will shutdown.

To close Xpressive:

• Choose File—Exit.

Calibrating your Screens for Accurate Measurements

Xpressive allows you to calibrate your monitor to display design dimensions

accurately. When you use the Back to 1:1 tool, a tool used to display designs in their original size, the ruler measurements will be accurate and mat c h t h e n u m b e r o f centimeters or inches that the design measures.

To calibrate your screen:

1 Start Xpressive. 2 Choose Tools—Configuration—Calibrate

Screen...

You see the Screen Calibration dialog appear.

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 19

User’s Guide

3 To calibrate the screen, place a ruler

against your monitor and measure the dimensions of the image shown in the dialog.

4 In the Width box, enter your width

dimensions for the image shown.

5 In the Height box, enter your height

dimensions for the image shown.

6 Click OK.

CHAPTER 2

Setting up Xpressive II

Elna Xpressive II allows you to arrange your toolbar in a way that suits your needs. To set up Xpressive, you can change the settings for user preferences such as Company Name and Units of Measurement. Once Xpressive is set up to suit your needs, you will find learning the basic components of the software a lot easier.

In this chapter:

• Find out how to set up your workspace environment and user preferences.

• Learn how to arrange your toolbars in a way that best suits your needs.

Setting up the workspace environment

The Xpressive workspace includes the toolbars, menus, ribbon, and the design window containing the design you are editing. The way many of the tools work and the look of the workspace is controlled in the Environment Display user settings. You can change the look and functionality of your design workspace by changing these settings. For more information on the design workspace, see the section on "Understanding the Xpressive Workspace".

 Activate Auto-panning. When you

select Activate Auto-panning, the system automatically pans for you when you reach the edge of the window while you are designing.

4 Click OK.

Showing and hiding toolbars

You can hide or move a toolbar if it is blocking your view of the workspace and cluttering the screen. You can move the toolbars anywhere on the screen. If you drag a toolbar to the edge of the design workspace, it attaches to the sides, top, or bottom edge of the workspace. You can arrange the toolbars in an order that is comfortable for you. You can also leave toolbars floating on your workspace.

To see the name of each tool on the various toolbars, simply move your pointer over the tools. A small Tool Tip box pops up and displays the tool name.

To set up the workspace environment display:

1 Choose Tools—Configuration—User

Settings.

You see the Settings property pages.

2 Click the Environment - Display property

page.

3 In the Tool button size box, choose Large

or Small button sizes for the toolbars.

To show or hide the toolbar:

1 Choose the toolbar you want to show or

hide from the Toolbars menu.

A check mark indicates that the toolbar is visible on your screen.

2 To move the toolbars, drag the floating

toolbar by its title bar or drag by the gray area around the buttons.

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 23

User’s Guide

Showing and hiding the draw ribbon

You can show or hide the draw ribbon. The draw ribbon tools control which parts of the design are drawn.

For more information on using Draw Ribbon tools, see “Draw Ribbon Tools”.

To show or hide the draw ribbon tools:

• Click the Hide/Show tool.

Customizing the draw ribbon

Xpressive makes it easy to customize draw ribbon settings.

To customize the draw ribbon:

1 From the draw ribbon, click the draw

ribbon mode setting tool.

You see the Draw Ribbon Setting dialog appear.

2 In the Draw Mode area, select one of the

following draw modes:  Normal. All stitches in the design are

drawn and the design window position remains fixed.

 Auto-pan. All stitches in the design

are drawn. While the design sews out, the system automatically pans the design each time it reaches the edge of the window. This feature is useful if you want to zoom in and see stitches in more detail.

 Only show stitches inside the

window. Only stitches displayed in

the design window are drawn and the design window position remains fixed. Inside the design window, you will only see stitches being sewn for visible areas of the design. This feature is useful if you zoomed into a specific area and only want to have this area of your design drawn to save time.

3 To show the design as gray until the

system sews each of its stitches in color, click Show gray after active.

4 In the Stop at area, select one or more

machine commands you want the Play backward one color button and Play forward one color button to pause at as the design sews out. For example, you can enable the design to pause its drawing whenever it encounters a Trim. If you do not select any commands, the design will pause at all color changes while drawing.

5 Click OK.

Setting user preferences

You can change user preferences such as Language, Company Name, and Units of measurement.

Y ou need to rest art Xpressive if you hav e selected another language.

Y ou must have the p roper *.dll files to run Xpressive in another language. Without these files, the program will not run in the language you choose.

To set user preferences:

1 Choose Tools—Configuration—User

Settings.

You see the Settings property pages.

2 Click the User Preferences property page. 3 Select the following settings:

 From the Language list, select the

language for Xpressive’s menus and dialog boxes.

 In the Company Name box, enter your

company’s name.

 In the Units of measurement area,

select Metric or Imperial as your unit of measurement.

4 Click OK.

CHAPTER 3

Learning the Basics

Before you start using Xpressive, we recommend you learn a few of the basics outlined in this chapter and then try the lesson at the end of this chapter.

In this chapter:

• Learn basics such as how to start a new design, open and close existing designs, and save designs.

• Find out how to set your preferences and use basic tools on the design workspace.

• Learn how to print designs.

• Learn how to input and output designs.

Understanding the Xpressive Workspace

The Xpressive workspace contains several areas. The screen below shows the Xpressive workspace.

Title Bar

The Title Bar appears at top of the Xpressive design window and the top of a minimized design workspace. When you open a design, the design’s name, recipe (style), machine format settings, and design information are displayed in the title bar. The number of thread colors in a design as well as its stitch count are automatically updated in the title bar. A design’s stitch count is consistent with the stitch count printed or sewn out using the specified machine format settings.

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar appears below the Title Bar. The Menu Bar contains a list of menus specific to Xpressive.

Status Bar

The Status Bar appears at the bottom of the Xpressive design window. On the left-side of the status bar, the color palette shows the thread colors used in the active design. You will also find specific design information in other areas of the status bar. For example, the status bar shows the design dimensions of the active segment or stitch, the scale of zoom, the names of segments, etc.

Xpressive Tools

Xpressive has many tools available in the Toolbar and on the ribbon of the design window. The following charts describe the tools specific to Xpressive.

Tools on the Ribbon

Tool What it means

Segment Settings: Displays a

Segment Settings dialog that allows you to view and change segment settings.

Auto Close: Closes a segment when punching.

ELNA XPRESSIVE II 27

User’s Guide

Tool What it means

Autotrace: Detects contours and

traces an image to produce stitch segments.

Show Commands: Shows symbols at the locations on the design where the embroidery machine performs commands, such as stop, trim, and changeover.

Show Dots: Shows the stitch penetrations represented by a black dot.

Show Beads: Shows start, stop, and angle line beads.

Show Stitches: Shows the stitches of segments in the design window (default setting).

Show outlines. Shows the outlines of segments in the design window (default setting).

Show Grid: Shows a background grid to help you align anchor points or measure a design.

Change Background Color: Displays a color palette that allows you to change the background color of the window.

Hides/shows the draw ribbon: Hides or shows the design draw ribbon.

Show 3-D Stitches: Use to provide a realistic view of your design and give a better idea of how stitches will look.

Tool What it means

Move by 1: Use to move backward

or forward through a design by 1 unit (segment or stitch).

Left-click the tool to move backward through the design by 1 unit. Right-click to move forward, by 1 unit, from the currently selected stitch or segment.

Move by 10: Use to move backward or forward through a design by 10 units (segment or stitch).

Move by 100: Use to move backward or forward through a design by 100 units (segment or stitch).

Move by 1000: Use to move backward or forward through a design by 1000 units (segment or stitch).

Move to Previous/Next Command: (Only available in

Stitch Mode). Use to move the stitch select pointer to the previous or next command in a design.

Move to Previous/Next Color: Use to change the selection to the previous or next color change in the design.

Move to Start/End: Use to mov e to the start or end of the design.

Convert: Use to convert lettering to segments or segments to other stitch types.

Draw Ribbon Tools

Draw Ribbon tools make it easy to see how your design will sew out on-screen. You can use the Draw Ribbon tools to eliminate potential sewing problems.

When you click the tool on the ribbon, the draw ribbon tools (scrollbar slider, sewing simulator, and draw ribbon mode setting) will appear on the ribbon of the design window.

The draw ribbon controls which parts of the design are drawn. You can draw stitches while the draw bar is active, as well as commands and stitch dots when turned on.

When the draw ribbon is active, you can not draw a full screen crosshair , selection box, outlines or beads.

Scrollbar Slider

The length of the scrollbar slider represents all of the stitches in the opened design. You can move the scrollbar slider by dragging it to see a design as it will look sewn to a particular point. The color display within the scrollbar indicates the thread color that will be sewn when the scrollbar slider is positioned over it. Clicking on the arrows at the ends of the scrollbar will advance or retrace the design position by one stitch.

Sewing Simulator

The sewing simulator allows you to watch your design draw on a stitch-by-stitch basis, simulating the sewing action of your machine. The simulator controls are similar to a CD player or VCR. You can push various control buttons and slide the speed control to vary the rate of sewing.

Draw Ribbon Mode Setting

The draw ribbon mode setting tool allows you customize draw ribbon commands to suit your needs. You can select various drawing modes, show segments as gray after being active and select commands that the sewing simulator buttons will stop at.

Using Draw Ribbon Tools

The following table explains how to use the draw ribbon tools in more detail:

Tools What is does

Play backward one stitch:

Move backward in the design by one stitch.

Scrollbar slider: Drag the scrollbar slider to advance the design to a specific position. When the scrollbar slider is positioned over a color, you will see the specified thread color being sewn in the design. The entire length of the scrollbar slider represents the entire design.

Play forward one stitch: Move forward in the design by one stitch.

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