Custom Fill Patterns

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

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

Pattern Editor

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

The meaning of the controls in this window is as follows:

How to Draw a New Pattern

Plain fill is typically used for larger objects, which results in long rows within the fill. If each row contained just one stitch (as is the case with a column object), the stitches would be very long and loose, and they would not create a compact fill. Therefore, the rows are split into a number of shorter stitches. The optimum length for stitches is approximately 4 millimeters.

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

Colored dots or lines define where the fill stitch will split. Use the primary mouse button to draw dots. If you hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, you can draw lines. To delete dots, use the primary mouse button with the Ctrl key on your keyboard.

Note: If there is no hardware keyboard on your device, switch between brush and eraser mode using the button on the splitter panel (J).

The position of the cursor in the drawing area is indicated by a small cross in the preview on the left side of the window. This indicator helps in drawing contiguous patterns.

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

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

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

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

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

Controls

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

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

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

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

Skew Left and Skew Right. Use either of these commands from the pop-up menu to modify the pattern. Sometimes, a nice new pattern can be created from an existing one by simply clicking one of these buttons.