Can someone help "Blending"

[Greenwing]

I have taken the classes at melco basic and advanced. but have never been able to understand this tool.

here is what I have done
1 create a shape (with fill sts )
2 open properties
3 select "Effects"
in there turn on custom density.
4 turn on blend.

it creates a copy that is blended of the same color . fine so far,
It blends from the begining to the end.

Now what I need is a 3 inch x1 inch shape to go from yellow to red blending in the middle inch leaving the first inch yellow then blend then blend to red, all red in the last inch.

I know there is a graph in the properties effects tab, (I think to control this) But it just seems to screw it up worse.
If any one can tell me how it works I would be greatful.

Looked in the instructions and they have less infomation there then I posted here.

ANY HELP controlling this blending would be great!!

[Rod or Sharon]

Jerome,

Blends can be tricky and usually time consuming to get the effect one wants.

The blend tool pretty much blends in the direction of the stitch using either linear or exponential spacing that you control. Stitch direction changes(small) affects the blend very rapidly.

With what you are trying to accomplish, you may not want to use the blend tool. It may be that creating multiple fills and using the "random edge" tool will give you better control over the blending look you want. Density control and overlapping two fills, one yellow and one red, for the center and using random edge for both edges and then for the left and right yellow and red fills, use random edge one or two depending on which direction you want the blend to go. By overlapping the left and right fills over the center fills and playing with it , you can achieve the blend I think you are describing.

For the center fills you might even try using the "blend" tool with one reversed on top of the other and using the radom edge at the same time to achieve the center blend. It takes lots of experimenting .....

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Greenwing]

The blend tool is what I was hoping to use as I want it to blend horizantally allong the stitch direction.

I already know the random edge is usless in DS as there is NO control you get what you get with it.

I was just hoping to avoid having to lay in the blend by hand.

Again DS forces me to leave it and go back to a competing software.

This program is not the best value when I have to have other programs to get where i need to go.

AAAAhhhh!

Sorry...

[Greenwing]

By the way When I purchased my machine at the trade show.
They were sewing a bag with a Large AMAYA logo on it the sitiching in the lettering is exactly what I want...

There software cant even do what they were demoing I have the bag right here.

Anoying

[MJ]

Why don't you contact Melco and ask them how they did those letters on that bag?
I'm also having trouble with blending.

[Dorothy Compton]

The lettering might have been from the Blaze font. Blaze was (is?) a premium font that wasn't even included in the font book. I have it and use it regularly. Call me if you want a wireframe letter to edit to make a square (maybe a capital c).

Dorothy (916) 635-7467

[Greenwing]

I actually did call Melco and talked to the trainer.
The creator of the design used Wilcom, It was created some time ago.
While DS was being created.

how’s that for a Kick in the pants...
just my luck...

They say it can be done though I have not had much success, I will get it. If not on this design I will figure it out.

[Juli in Kona]

Have you actually tried to sew out one of your efforts to make the blend? Sewing it out is real different than looking at the screen!

You can try to do two blends. Make one design that is the lower 2/3 of the total design and another design that is the upper 2/3 of the total. Try blending them separately and putting one on top of the other.

Juli in Kona

[Greenwing]

I have been playing with it a bit,
I have found exponetial works better then linar and I found the same thing I seem to have to do it in sections.
Thanks
I am going to get this working Just think it should be easier..

[Body Cover]

WE don't have that feature in our version but as a graphic designer, I am wondering if you created three fills, one on the left with color "A" and on on the right with color "B". lets say for discussion that the design is 5 inches wide. if you want an inch of solid color at both sides. make the left fill 1.5" and the same with the right and then create the blend as the third fill that sews over the top, say maybe 3" wide, you should have enough overlap underneath to have no shirt show through. But as much solid color area at either end as you choose and then your blend can start at the farthest edges without issue and you may get the look your looking for. Just an idea, and only a theory, this is how we might do it in a screen printing setup.

Good luck, Ron

[Greenwing]

Yes that is how it seams I will have to do it.
I was finally able to get what I wanted on the screen.
BUT!!!!

when you set the custom density and choose blend it adds a second section of the same color you previously had. (which is fine right just change one to the other color in the blend , You woul think).
WRONG!!!
I did just that and though it changed in DS and showed the colors and all.
When loaded in the AOS there are no color stops for the second color in the blend.
I had to turn blend off and duplicate the letters and then reverse the custom density to get the color change I needed.

I am getting very frustrated.

Melco should have this spelled out in the help section not just leave it for us to figure out.
well back to work one letter done and 14 left to go...

[Greenwing]

Hey all
I hate when a problem gets resolved off group and never gets passed on to the group so here is the answer.

I emailed Rod & Sharon the file I was creating and here is what they Found.

*******
My message to them

Rod or Sharon

I know I have no right to ask this but,

I am a member of the Amaya group
I have been trying to use the Blend tool.

I have attached a file that though in DS it shows a color
separation for the layers in the blend.

It does not transfer this to the AOS when sent to the machine.

Can you peek at it and see what I am doing wrong....

Sorry to ask
but I am at the end of my rope here...

**********
Rods Reply

Jerome,

The problem you are having is that you are trying to save "Custom Density" elements as an OFM(condensed) file format. If you go into the "Help" toolbar tab(search) in DS and type in blend, and then select "Top Stitching" and scroll way down to the auto blending section, you will come across a "Note" that says "Custom densities cannot be saved as a condensed file." You must save this type of file as an EXP format for the colors to carry over into AOS.....I don't have a clue why this is, but....some nerdie geek creation I guess......

In your design I found that between the LA and the S was a stitch(element) connector that messed things up when the design was saved as an EXP. Instead of having 10 colors, only 9 showed up as it was color blocking the yellows in the LA and S together as one. By converting the new EXP yellow element back to wireframe and putting in a new color break at the connector point, this allowed the 10th color to now be carried over when the design was resaved as an EXP file.

Attached is your design saved as an EXP with the changes I described above... ( My wife says that she can hear you already }....)

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer


Thank you again Rod & Sharon