Direction Lines for the Auto Column Tool

The Auto Column tool utilizes advanced algorithms to populate objects with satin stitches, closely emulating the manual techniques used by professional digitizers. However, specific designs may require manual adjustments to the stitch orientation in certain areas.

This control is achieved through direction lines. A direction line is defined by drawing a path from an existing edge node across the filled area. Note that a direction line must intersect the filled area to influence the stitch orientation; if it remains outside the object boundaries, it will have no effect.

The example below illustrates how a direction line modifies the flow of stitches within an automatic column.

To implement this, enter Create/Edit mode and select the node intended as the starting point for the direction line. Next, click the secondary mouse button at the location where the line segment should terminate. This action marks the endpoint and opens a context menu.

To finalize the adjustment, select the "Place Direction Node Here" command from the menu. The software will immediately recalculate the stitch angles based on the new vector.

To revert to the original automated stitch flow, simply delete the node located at the end of the direction line.