Trouble with applique?

[MikeFreeman]

Hi all, I am having a bit of bother using Design shop pro + v9, to create sew files for laser cut letters...
For example I create the name SALLY IN Adobe illustrator which i then copy and paste into design shop. I then run the convert to appliqué function with walk normal outline stitch,walk normal tack down stitch and cover stitch turned off as I am using twill so no need for a cover stitch. Problem is design shop treats all the letters separately so it wants to laydown placment stitch for the S and then the tack down stitch for the S before moving onto the A.. What I want is for the outline stitches for all the letters to be sewn first S,A,L,L,Y and then followed by the tack down not one letter at a time.
The only work around I have so far is to use the offset path command in Illustrator witch creates my original cut line with a 1.5mm inner path which is the copied into design shop as two vector objects, I then convert the outerline into a walk stitch for placement and the inner line into the tack down stitch.. Simple enough but would be nice to be able to use the appliqué command.

[KERRMINATOR]

If all you're talking about is re-sequencing the design so that the placement stitches run first, then the tack down stitches, you just have to move the objects around in the design tree and make all the placement run stitches one color, and the tack down stitches a different color....hope that's what you meant

[MikeFreeman]

You would think [img]smile.gif[/img] , design shop wont let me seperate the objects in the design tree. You can see the 2 elements of the letter S but you cant seperate them.. I can make a colour change but it still will not let me re- sequence...

[KERRMINATOR]

Oh Ok. I see now (I just made two applique shapes to see what the deal was). I changed the applique objects to wireframe and that split them into the two parts that you can easily re-sequence. It eliminates the fill thing for the applique fabric, but I don't know if you needed that anyways, other than for a visual of what it will look like.

[KNC Designs]

Insert the said vector convert to stitches using walk stitch.This will give you the outline stitches needed for your layout. Then line up your vector again on top of those stitches and convert to stitches using your applique selection but turn off your tack down selection.

[MikeFreeman]

Kerrminator, What is this dark magic you present me with LOL... That solved alot of headaches for me,Thankyou vey much...

KNC.. I see where your going with that but doesnt that just give me 2 outline stitches. You cant turn outline stitch off but you can make it a jump stitch so it does not sew out, and use the tackdown stitch but turn off the cover stitch..

[MikeFreeman]

Is there a simpler way, I see how you can convert a vector object to a walk stitch outline which is perfect for a placement stitch. So if I could just duplicate that stitch and then apply a 1.5mm offset to it would work just fine. Cant seem to apply an ofset to a walk stitch though?

[Barbara Bunker]

How about selecting the first walking-stitch design, duplicating it, and then changing the size to 102% (or whatever percent that will give you the 1.5mm offset)?

Barb in Broomfield, CO

[KERRMINATOR]

Haha "dark magic".....Another way I do applique is turn the vector into a run stitch, then right click and select "change element type." Select "single line center" but click "add" instead of "replace." Then you have both the run stitch, for the placement, and the zig-zag or satin stitch for keeping the applique in place. Once you have the single line input, you can go into it's properties and offset it to whatever percentage you want. (90% on, 10 % off, or 75% on, 25% off, etc.)

If you only want a run stitch to tack down whatever your applique fabric is, you can skip the first step.....just turn the vector into the "single line center" input, set your line width at whatever offset you'll want (1.5mm). Then go to the object's properties and change the single line to be either to the right or the left (depending on how it was digitized....just make sure the input line is the outer line). Once you do that, right click on the object, operations and click change element type. Choose "walk normal." At the bottom, select "edge" (rather than input line) Click replace, and YAY!....two run stitches. The only issue with this way, is you now have to duplicate it, and delete the outer line on one, and the inner line on the other so that you can make two separate colors and re-sequence.

There are a ton of ways to go about it, just pick whatever is easiest for you.

[MikeFreeman]

Thanks Kerrminator, followed it all the way to the bit where (two run stitches. The only issue with this way, is you now have to duplicate it, and delete the outer line on one, )
How are you deleting the outer line.. Mine appears to be one object, i cant seperate the inner and ourter lines?

[KERRMINATOR]

You have to delete all the little anchor points (the little circles/squares) that make the shape. So if you duplicate it, you have to delete the anchor points of the outer line, until you only have the inner line left. Then for the duplicate, delete all the anchor points for the inner line until you only have the outer line left. It's sort of a goofy way of going about it, but it gets you two parallel lines that are exactly the distance apart that you want.

[MikeFreeman]

Ohh Too much work that one LOL...

[KERRMINATOR]

haha sorry :-P if it was a simple shape or something, I'd do it that way. Doing it with letters would be a tad time consuming but it can work. :-D

[Juli in Kona]

If I was doing this, I would do a bit more work in the graphics program, instead of trying to make the applique function in DS do things it doesn't want to do.

Juli in Kona

[KERRMINATOR]

It seems like the applique function should be more editable....not being able to re-sequence in the case of having more than one applique shape in a design seems a bit silly.