where do you store your designs

[ByteStitch]

Hello I am new to amaya. Just bought a refirb big red and design studio 9. looking at the design database that is included. Wondering where is the default directory for the designs. do they all have to be stored there? or is it a linking of each individual design?
I am trying to set up a folder directory of my designs on a networked drive and not sure how to connect it to the design database any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Steve]

I have a folder on my computer called C:embroidery and save everything in there that is embroidery related.

[Rod or Sharon]

Melco supplies all of "the designs" that they allow the customer to use with Ver 9 and below, in C Drive, Designs.

It is not advisable to store any other designs or any of these designs that may have been edited and saved with a different file name within the Melco Design Shop Design Folder.

If you do and then have to do a clean un-install of the software and then reload it or install an Upgrade----only Melco's supplied designs will be loaded because that is all that is on the software's CD.

Just like Steve has done, create a new folder "outside" of the Melco Design folder and save all of your other embroidery stuff there.

You will load all designs to the OS or to Design Shop by then accessing these different folders or jump drives, floppy's or CD's.

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[ByteStitch]

Thank you. That is what I thought. I had hoped that the design database would catalogue and display all my designs. guess that is not it purpose.
Joan

[Juli in Kona]

Has anyone asked Melco about this? I came from home embroidery so had a huge system already in place so I just ignored their designs system. But for someone just starting out without a good system in place, it would be nice to be able to use it without loosing it with a new update or upgrade.

Juli in Kona

[Rod or Sharon]

You won't lose anything with any updates Melco makes. Melco's folder has their designs in it. Just create your own folders for your designs and don't put them in the Melco file. You create any file you like in your C drive (or whatever drive you choose)and simply save your designs there. Design Shop or OS can go to those files and load or save to them.
Sharon

[Juli in Kona]

But the question is CAN you use their system for you own designs and not loose file with upgrades?

Juli in kona

[Rod or Sharon]

NO

[Rod or Sharon]

Julie, they don't really have a "system". They only have a "folder or file" of designs. And, yes, you would lose that file or folder when you either delete or upgrade. You get whatever they have in their new software. There was a time several years ago where I actually pulled that folder out of the Melco file and just placed it on my C Drive as a folder so I would be sure I didn't lose it (just in case changes had been made to the new upgrade).
Sharon

[Juli in Kona]

I am wondering if we are not missing out on a good system here. Is there anyone in the almost 1000 members of this list that use the database?

And Rod, is that you that said, "NO"? Are you sure about that -- because when you look in the Help for the Database, there is quite a bit there. You can have customers and prices. Is this wiped out every time we upgrade? I would think not, but you do think it does get wiped out. How do we find out the real answer instead of just guessing or going with our gut feeling.

Juli in Kona

[The Embroidery Authority - OLD]

Julie,
I don't know of anyone who uses it. I'm sure someone has found a use for it but with the power of today's PCs, organizing your designs/files is a snap using Window's Explorer.

Ed

[signman]

I have a second harddrive installed on our computer and a file on that labeled 'Customer designs'. Each customer, even if only 1 file, gets a folder in there and designs and changes are saved right to that. In case of computer meltdown or even upgrading the computer, the tech (won't catch ME doing it!) just takes the hard drive 'storage' and moves it over. Never had a problem with a lost image yet! Only images I forgot to save in the right place...LOL...

[Five Point Emb]

I store my designs on the C drive in folders labeled, 'schools', 'fire departments', 'business A-F', business G-L', etc. And just like signman, even if there's only one design, the business has its own file. But then I keep a copy of everything on CD's with the same labels. After reading about computers crashing and losing all the created designs, I decided a backup system may take a little time, but may prove to be well worth it.
Happy New Year to all!
Darlene
Five Point Embroidery
Perrysburg, OH

[Steve]

Darlene,
CD's are a waste of time and money burning them all the time. Embroidery files are less than 1mb in size. I have a 16gb flash drive I picked up on sale for about $50 2 years ago (you can buy them now for around $25.) It is much faster to move them to USB and you wont have a stack of CD's sitting there taking up space.

[Game Day Designs]

I also use a flash drive to store everything from designs to invoices, etc. This is also helpful for me since I have more than one computer that I use. I just grab the flash drive and plug it into whichever computer I am using and everything is right there. I have created folders for each customer, similar to Darlene, and there is no worry about losing the info if my computer fails.