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There have been very significant changes to the user interface, the most obvious one being an increase in the size of the main icons from 16x16px to 36x36px images. Dialogs and tool bar dialogs have generally increased from 16x16px to 24x24px images.
In many cases, though there remain some to be converted, dialog buttons with text are being replaced by ones with images in an effort to reduce translation needs.
By default these are kept to a minimum on start up, there being just three; 'Filing', 'Undo/Redo' and 'Activities'. Using the View menu you can add 'Data I/O' (printing and so on) and 'Edit' (copy, paste, and so on), then arrange them as you wish.
The program still flows through a sequence of tasks or 'activities' which appear as icons at the top of the program. At the start and end there is an 'Import' and 'Export' action and in a change to previous versions the 'Parts' and 'Grading' activities have been separated. The aim here is to make the 'work flow' as logical as possible easing the learning process.
Under each of the 5 main activity icons there is a small green bar. These bars all have an action related to the specific activity.
The processes and dialogs relating to the import and export of data have been 'streamlined' making the actions faster and more convenient.
The workspace controls, following the Delcam standard, are now in a tool tray down the right hand side of the window. The same shortcuts and actions are still available from previous versions but in addition so are the standard PowerSHAPE controls like Shift+Middle button to pan and Ctrl+Middle to zoom. 'Master' On and Off and similar actions are also here.
The 'D' shortcut still displays this dialog, as does anyone one of three icons on a fly-out on the views tool tray. These provide direct access to each of the three dialog tabs. The need to accommodate the views tool tray means that this dialog is no longer attached (docked) to the side of the window but 'floats' anywhere.
A new mini tool bar is now present on the status bar. Tools like 'Measure' and 'Mirror Mode' are accessible from here or the Tools menu.
The two parts display options of the previous versions have been rolled into a single 'library' window. Here you have the option to show the parts as icons (thumbnails) or as choice of two list formats. The library has tabs for parts and edge templates, later tabs are planned for shapes and a 'reusable' parts 'store'. Standard location for the library is 'docked' at the base of the screen but it can be docked to any side or 'floated' anywhere. On a different screen too, if you have one. F11 still turns it on or off, wherever it is and, when floating, it is hidden whenever you start a function.
Despite increasing the size of the icons it is still possible to run the program in a resolution of 1024x768 (just) though the minimum designed for is 1400x900. However, a screen resolution of at least 1280x1024 or much better is strongly recommended.
In order to 'squeeze' into low resolution systems some functions have been grouped into horizontal fly-outs, with the primary or most used option as the first icon. These fly-outs have also been utilised to produce the basic 'Engineer' variant where, in some cases, the fly-out does not exist thus removing the additional 'Pro' options. In all cases the last used option 'sticks' on the tool tray.
Some images in the help may differ from what is actually seen in the program, if the work to update them didn't get finished in time for the release. Typically this is text labelled buttons instead of icons.
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A double left-click on a single line type can now start the edit process for that line as an alternative to tapping 'E' or using the popup menu, but see 'auto-edit' next.
A new 'auto edit' option has been added and if this option is active simply selecting a single line starts the edit process for that line. Not available though for boundaries, chains and decorative lines due to their complexity or exit processes. Use of this option prevents double-clicking to start edits.
A right-click on a single line now selects the line and displays the related popup menu. You can also right-click exactly on a line that you are editing to simultaneously stop the edit process and get the popup menu.
You can left-click and hold to move a selection of base lines without using the popup menu option. You can also do this while in base line edit by dragging the line not a point.
If 'auto-edit' is on just moving the cursor over a line highlights it and the same highlight is used when the ambiguity dialog comes into play. In the latter case it helps to separate lines that you have already selected from those you have not.
This small tool has been made more compact and 'non-modal'. The latter state means that you can use normal work-space zoom functions and that the list of line types updates as you select other areas of the data. Hovering over an entry in the dialog highlights the line in the work-space and single click selects one line and closes the dialog.
Eliminated the need to have a specific text selection mode. Normal selection also includes text, though it is still possible to quickly hide all text.
Now part of the new library facility with the ability to drag 'n' drop a template onto a net boundary. Provision of some sensible default templates with the installation to get you started. Edge Templates with markers or stabs can use the option 'Auto Chain Insert' that controls these features to the boundary edge. Templates can be edited directly from the library.
The line blanking options introduced in version 2.8 have been extended to include the 'toggle' option, using the Ctrl+Y shortcut and entries for these have been placed in the View menu and some in the no lines selected popup menu. The old Visible/Invisible option has gone.
The introduction of the 'blank toggle' option, using the Ctrl+Y shortcut, means that the shortcut for Redo has had to be changed to Ctrl+Shift+Z.
A minor change to layers functionality is that if there is only one layer (default) no program action can now turn it off.
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Draw (base lines), Digitise, Trace, Shapes, Draw X/Y and Notes are all on the first (inputs) fly-out.
The three duplicate options now exists on a fly-out and you no longer have to remember to Ctrl+left-click the icon to get the 'duplicate plus' (base lines with dependants). If you know this trick you can still use it, which may be a fraction faster that choosing the option from the fly-out.
It has always been possible to move one or more baselines during edit by picking and moving all the data points. Now simply clicking and dragging a 'blank' section of line does this without extra step of first selecting all the points.
This can now be done on a straight line, which is a line with just two points. The default action with split is now NOT to filter the new lines and you need to hold Shift if you wish the lines to be filtered.
This is a brand new function combined in a fly-out with 'Construction Line', upon which function the new tool is based. 'Custom' provides the means to enter the basic parameters for the definition of a high boot leg.
Another new function that is combined in a fly-out with 'Manual Springing'
This function has been moved to the Draw menu from the Tools menu.
Like 'Duplicate' the Ctrl+left-click action of adding a margin on both sides of a line is now a visible icon in a fly-out, while still allowing the Ctrl+left-click action.
A new option on the margin tool bar is the ability to reverse the direction of a variable margin
The Ctrl+left-click action here has also been added to the Marker fly-out as a separate icon. In this case if you pick a boundary first and then the line to put the markers on a chain is created first and the markers are added to it.
The feature dependants, stabs, decorative and gimps are all now on a single fly-out. ‘Stabs on a grid’ is now 'rolled' into the basic stab function when multiple lines are selected. Use the 'Repeat' function to quickly put the same set of stabs on more than one line.
You can now define up to 12 shortcuts using Alt+F key combinations for the draw functions that you use most frequently. For example 'Alt+F2' could start base line move.
Most of the tool bar dialogs associated with creating or editing a dependant line type now have a delete button that is specific to the line type. For example, if you start the marker function then select a group of lines; the delete button deletes just the markers from the selection.
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A new activity or task that moves some directly part related actions from the Grade Activity and adds a few more conveniences. Related to this is the new library panel that also carries some part management tools.
For convenience this function is repeated in the Parts Activity tool tray.
The ability to turn auto-parts on or off is included on the Parts Activity tool tray.
The extra facility that showed all affected lines when using the Ctrl+left-click action on the icon has been added as an option to the View menu.
A new function, that will eventually be on a fly-out with Grade Like Intersection but is currently just in the menu.
A new option that first turns off the graded set, putting the display back to model size, and a second click regrades the displayed data.
Moving some part actions to the Parts Activity made space for four options that provide a 'fast track' to export graded data to PatternCut, for example, and other key formats.
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Direct access to this output is now on the Assessment tool tray.
Direct access to the choice of HTML report is now on the Assessment tool tray.
Direct access to the special assessment print option is now on the Assessment tool tray.
The 'Clear All Assessments' option from the Edit > Clear menu is repeated on the tool tray as a convenience.
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As a convenience an icon has been added to the end of the tool tray for direct access to the stitching outputs tab on the exports dialog. Other than this and the GUI changes StitchTec remains unchanged from previous versions.
A problem that stopped imported lines remaining selected has been corrected.
Some additional work with notches to correct a problem with gimps.
A minor problem with the selection of layers has been corrected.
The fix for notch intersection problems, included in the previous release, was found to cause problems in some parts exported to PatternCut . This has been corrected.
A problem found with the Edit - Clear - Assessment action that produced invalid assessments and had the potential to crash the program has been corrected.
The reason for a long standing problem of strange values appearing in the increment dialog fields has been found and fixed. The same problem affected the program in other areas, such as creating a new part.
The user name and the increment file were being replaced by the same information from the source of the imported parts. This has been stopped.
A utility to convert all *.pat files in a selected directory to *.shoe has been added to the Tools menu.
- The default filter is now set to show *.shoe, *.pat and *.dpt files.
The keyword 'PARTROTATE' is added to the 'local.env' file. The default value is '0' (off). If you need this extra line in the Plt/Cut output for KnifeCut enable it by setting the value to 1. This has been introduced to counter the problem of users not wishing to update ShoeCost, the latest of which has no problem with the direction line.
Please note that if you enable it and you have an old version of ShoeCost it will cause problems.
In common with other Delcam programs this one now creates a 'mini-dump' file in a users 'temp' folder, if the program crashes. You may be asked to send this file to Delcam to assist in debugging a problem. See 'Problems' in the help file.
The expiry date of the program is now shown alongside the version number in the Help - About screen. This is checked against the expiry date of a maintenance contract to determine eligibility for updates.
This output format has been improved in respect of the treatment of corners as required by TechPac.
Use of a compound file format, similar to that used by Powershape (.psmodel), but named '*.shoe' to store all design information from Delcam CRISPIN programs, this is now the default file storage format. The old *.pat file format can of course still be opened but is automatically saved as '*.shoe' if modified. The standard practice of an option to 'save down' to version 2.6 or lower as a '*.pat' file is provided. In this version the only perceived user benefit to using '*.shoe' is that the preview image is stored within the file, not as an external image. Further developments are planned to take full advantage of the compound file characteristics.
The PNG preview image of a pattern is now part of the '*.shoe' compound file. This means that the 'image' folder in a pattern directory, once all patterns are stored in the new format, is no longer necessary. However, it remains while there are still .pat files to open.
New tool to determine centre lines in bottom patterns.
New tool for automatic springing or deadening to complement the existing manual process.
The possibility to set a line as a mirror axis so that most new line types are automatically mirrored on completion.
Means to automatically constrain markers to a boundary edge.
The 'Trim' functionality has been enhanced and now neatly trims curved lines exactly to the boundary. However, there is a price to pay in terms of performance. Dependant upon how many lines there are to be trimmed it can take three times longer to grade a part. Also, having graded and trimmed the lines in a part, moving the image (zoom and so on) can be very sluggish. So, use trim if absolutely necessary but avoid it if you can. In connection with an earlier change made in 2.6.3 you are now given a warning if the process 'throws away' a marker.
A new stab function that puts stabs on data points. The quantity of stabs and their position is completely controlled by the data points.
The files have previously accessed as 'imports' but the functionality was always really 'open'. In Crispin2D terms 'import' has always meant a function that can 'add' to existing data. The FDS open function starts a completely new pattern, because of this the FDS '*.dat' option is added to the 'Files of type:' list in the open dialog. The option is removed from the Imports dialog. A couple of bug fixes have been included in this function.
Not that it has any vital importance but the Delcam CRISPIN logo is now shown at the bottom right of the screen.
The reference to 'DataStore' has been removed from the displayed pattern properties.
The action of 'cut' (Ctrl+X) has been improved and cutting one dependant to paste (move) to another no longer removes the entire dependency down to the base line.
A problem was found when saving Edge Templates and has been corrected.
This option has been added to the Help menu and makes it easier to access the update site and provide the required license information.
It was possible to crash the program by picking certain options from the Draw menu while 'in' Assessment. This possibility is now blocked.
Some minor issues and inconsistencies with this function have been resolved.
A minor bug that could prevent a saved selected from being used has been fixed.
When a pattern contained more than one layer on loading a pattern the first use of 'master' would not show selected parts. This is corrected.
Some changes have been made that should eliminate instances of failed boundaries due to missed intersections with notches. Similar changes have also been made to the dependant construction line to address the same potential problem.
The small dialog used with stabs, gimp plus and decorative features had lost the apply button. This is corrected.
Chinese characters in part names were causing some problems. This has been fixed.
On saving the colour palette the index was being shifted one step with the effect that lines given one custom colour would switch to another. This has been corrected.
In version 2.4 some users reported that the first and last parts output to PatternCut were duplicates. However, this proved impossible to replicate during in-house testing. To counteract this problem a check for duplicates is added.
The recent performance changes could not work when the slave was a single data point, like a grade centre, and caused the program to crash. This has been corrected.
Improvements have been made to this process in support of more recent PDF versions and the avoidance of issues caused by some graphical content. Despite these changes it is still recommended to limit PDF files to plain vector content.
Holding down the X or Y keys and using the 'S' to move between points has been copied from the Move function for base lines.
As you connect stitch paths to create a program sequence the accumulated paths now remain highlighted so that you can ensure that no paths are missed from the sequence.
The means to set the mark/space ratio used in the old PE2 program has be re-instated as an extra percentage field to the right end of the tool bar dialog.
The means to separate markers is added as a check box after the above ratio field.
The possibility to customise columns and generate a report about patterns in a particular folder has been added to this old feature.
A facility to convert a Boundary to a Chain and vice versa is added. With one of these line types selected tapping 'X' starts the edit process for the other line type.
The number of possible colours is increased to 48. It is now also possible to give notes different colours.
DXF data with a large displacement from the origin is corrected,
DXF without proper indication of units is managed.
DGK (Delcam Graphics Kernel) has been used to improve results with certain versions of DXF.
Import multiple DXF files into 'new' without having to save.
The value of a margin can be set to change at graded sizes.
Support for importing '*.ds5 files' is added to the open dialog.
Specific path for this output is added to options.
This is based on the usual 'init' function F6 but varies if data is selected (highlighted).
This is a new function that creates a stab at each data point on a base line. The position of each stab is thus directly controlled by the data point as the line grades.
This is a function copied from PowerShape where selected lines can be hidden. It is currently only available from keyboard short cuts but will eventually replace 'Visible/Invisible. 'Ctrl+J' hide (junk) the selected line(s), 'Ctrl+K' hide everything but (keep) the selected lines, 'Ctrl+L' turn them all back on.
Part direction information added as a part property is now passed to the KnifeCut program.
By utilising code from PS Exchange file formats; DGK, IGS, DXF, DWG, DDX, and 3DM (RhinoCAD 2D) are added to the file 'Open' and 'Save as..' dialogs.
Improvements to the process to reduce kinks in tight corners.
Some versions of DXF from other CAD systems had a curve structure that was not accurately being converted, producing poor results. This has been corrected by incorporating some elements of the Delcam Graphics Kernel. The visible result of this a lot more DLLs in the installation directory. Further improvements brought by the use of DGK will be implemented in the next version.
Some improvements to the import of PDF. The optimum or safest settings for the output from Adobe have been determined and recorded in the help.
Improved management of layers in connection with the use of 'Master'.
It is now possible to import several sets of data, such as DXF, into a new 'untitled' pattern without saving.
To accommodate DXF data that has no information or the wrong information in respect of units, the program will now pause for confirmation. Additional information regarding the correct interpretation of units with DXF imports and the new import confirmation step has been added to the help here.
Chain lines were not being converted after being graded. This is fixed.
This is now saved in the environment as a separate colour.
Some additional information regarding a useful 'trick' with copy, paste and dependants is added to the Paste page in the help.
A bug that caused values to be corrupted if a size or fitting was deleted has been corrected.
The long standing issue with the part icons blanking seems to be finally fixed.
If a value for distance along a line was entered with no line selected the program would crash. This loop hole is closed.
If this option was on and displayed data had no clearly defined boundary it would slow the grading process. This is corrected
Using the DrawingBoard VI and the latest TabletWorks drivers it could be very slow. The program has now been set to recognise this digitiser and modify procedures to suit. This has made a big difference to the performance but it should be noted that this has only been tested with the DB6 and only applies to the DB6.
The abort action with the right mouse button suggested by the prompt now works.
'Type 2' markers were being exported to PatternCut as 'Type 1'. This is corrected.
An enhancement, introduced at 2.2, that ensured a boundary would not be destroyed when deleting a notch was found to cause a crash in some circumstances. This has been corrected.
The sizes of the Operator and Company name fields have been increased to 31 characters.
A small problem that could result in duplicate part names has been corrected.
It was discovered that this tool did not work if used as the means to import data. This has been corrected.
A change in this version had prevented the possibility of using Replace on more than one chain at a time. This is corrected.
The long running issue of seeing empty part icons now seems to be fixed.
A variation of the PDF format was found that couldn't be read by Engineer. The process has been updated to accommodate it.
A minor enhancement to clean-up the selection of a single size to grade and output. The default remains the model size and the function always resets to this after use.
It was found that the program could not manage very large pattern files, i.e files with thousands of base lines. The pattern would load properly but any save action (including UNDO) would cause the program to crash. This problem is resolved.
The change that was made in this release has been withdrawn due to issues with legacy data. It will be reviewed for the next version.
The PAF help has been updated with references to the use of existing Crispin dongles.
The change made at version 2.4.3 to fix a problem with stacking has a big performance impact with large amounts or data, so this has been made an option on the grading dialogue. However, what this means is that if the option is not set it is up to the user to avoid the problem of selecting something that hasn't been graded while 'stacking'.
When fittings were part an increment file the program would report that it couldn't find the sizes contained in group definitions (die breaks) and would delete them. This has been corrected. In some cases the increments entered would shift' to the preceding size, this has also been corrected.
If the 'target' intersection incurred the use of the ambiguity dialogue it could cause the program to crash.
Opening a pattern in this way would result in the pattern file extension appearing as ".pat.pat". This is corrected.
If the length of a part name exceeded a particular number of characters the export of a parts report would fail from the 'Icon Window'. This is fixed.
Please note that the default part icon image size is likely to be 12 pixels. Set a more reasonable value for PNG in General settings.
You can now create one of these on a single point base line.
Decorative dependant line type were not being properly rendered in PDF.
This function would crash the program if it 'found' an 'empty' file.
The use of the 'A' key to select parts in the Collective assessment was not passed to the manual parallelogram function where it was impossible to select a piece to move. This is corrected.
Fix for general PE2 problem, plus a minor fix for Edge Templates.
Fix for general import bug
Various enhancements as listed in the linked pdf . . .Click here for documented changes
This is just a bug-fix release, and minor enhancement release.
A request for a new facility that allows a user to define a graded set and output by selecting from a combination of parts and sizes.
There is a need to have another method when creating a Margin, as especially when the base line has not got enough data points on the line to control the curve precision of that line:. This has been implemented.
But what we need is an option on the Margin dialogue bar itself to just apply a different way of putting more data points on that margin only
As anticipated there has been a mixed reception to this enhancement and the requests coming in are for the ability to disable when need arises. Unfortunately is is not just simply a case of editing something in and environment file. When adding 'print boxes' or 'size codes' the single part init is very useful but has become a liability when handling the transfer of lines from one part to another. Although F5 will restore the previous view in a complex pattern you make lose 'focus' on the lines you were checking/comparing.
What is required is a user selectable 'switch' that is easily accessible but at the same time involves the least amount of effort with resource files.
The verified solution in 2.2.4, is that this action only takes place in the grade environment.
Most of the changes are shown in the linked document.
Click here for documented changes
Using existing mechanisms a specific function has been created that automates the process for making selected base lines grade like the intersection of two intersecting lines.
You can now place grade centres at any point along a line not just at the ends.
A warning is now given if you try to assign a 'slave line' to another GC and the addition of the use of the 'Delete' key to remove a 'slave'.
Additional controls have been added to the 'start end' dialogue used with Stabs and Decorative features.
Notches are now treated in a special way when selected to mirror. The 'parent(s)' of the notch is/are mirrored and a matching notch is created.
You can now choose the 'normal' or follow secondary line option for separately for each notch.
A check box has been added to the tool bar dialogue that automatically gives you a marker offset of half the width set.
The graded data align function can now use an orientation direction to check and measure the graded results.
The Reports menu has been removed and replaced by an icon on the main tool bar and an option in the File menu. In addition the created report is now opened immediately in your default web browser.
There are additional choices that can be made regarding how displayed data can be printed to maximise the use of the page size.
Using the boundary edit functions now preserve the start point of a boundary, providing that the actual lines at this point are not changed (addition or removal).
The action of the Replace function has been improved where a line has been used more than once in the selected boundary. The function is now 'sensitive' to the selected section of the boundary and doesn't just auomatically replace each instance of its use in the boundary.
Though still in the base line tool tray this is now primarily a dependant line tool when one or two lines are selected to base it on. If no lines are selected it reverts to creating a base line. When created at an intersection you now have the choice, with the 'T' key, which of the two lines to measure the angle against.
Many new features have been added to the part properties dialogue, including a preview window, search facility and an option to display the part in context.
A middle mouse button option has been added to this function that selects the parent base line(s).
The old user colour dialogue has been replaced by a tab on the display 'slide-out' and a facility added to override the default creation colour for lines.
A new function for quick and easy copying of these features from one boundary or chain to others.
These functions have been improved with the addition of a dialogue to make them more selective.
A new function providing the capability or extending a selected line by an amount, to another line or by drawing. The extend part of base line edit has also been enhanced.
A new function that copies the relationship of one base line with another to create a new base line with a similar relationship on a second base line. Similar to copying a variable margin and for use with a particular moccasin construction.
You can now tap the short cut key 'C' to convert the red 'measure line' to a base line.
These two functions no longer have the confirmation step in the prompt.
This function has been much improved and now points are added to ensure that the two new base lines match the original curvature. As a result of this the confirmation prompt in the process is removed going straight to the choice of keeping the original lines or not. You can also press the middle mouse button to split a line at all the corners or suppress the alterations to data points by holding down the shift key.
Or 'Reset View'. If you now activate a single part with Master off the view is reset or initialised to that part. This has been added as an aid to reviewing finished parts and applying Print Boxes.
You now have the option to 'append' selected parts and graded sizes to and existing Plt/Cut file for use with KnifeCut.
The splash and 'about' images have been changed to fit with the Delcam corporate image and the title bar also now shows as; ' clicktest.pat* - Delcam CRISPIN - Engineer '. As per Delcam convention you can now use a 'graduated fill' for the background colour.
This is mainly a bug-fix release.
It has been pointed out that when you make a mirror boundary and a notch is selected it is automatically included in the boundary on the opposite side. This is OK. But, this mirrored notch does not respond to Notch+/- so you can't take it out of the boundary if you want to. The only way to get rid of it is to edit/remake the boundary. Can a Notch be given the Notch Type status when mirrored to allow Notch+/- to work? - DONE
This caused a crash on loading - FIXED
If you choose to turn the option off this state is now remembered.
Trim - A bug which resulted in some internal detail being lost is fixed.
If this zoom function was used at a particular point in the base line scale function the program would crash. This is now fixed.
The default output colour is now set to white for both 'polyline' and 'spline' outputs. The ^ (caret) part name separator, if used' is now mapped to an underscore on output.
The value for 'COLSEPARATION' was having an erroneous effect on the collective grid size. This is corrected.
When the grading functionality is not licensed you can now enter a size and fitting in the pattern documentation. However, if you load a pattern where this information has already been defined you will not be able to change it. Under these circumstances you can also only use the standard Plt/Cut output for ShoeCost.
Increments - The use of the Insert key with Ctrl to add sizes or fittings after the current entry has been implemented. The Delete key can now also be used to remove entries.
A problem with nested blocks exported in DXF from Adobe Illustrator has been corrected.
In Italian the size code letters were all lowercase and it and other languages were missing the R/r entries. This is corrected.
It was possible to crash the program if the Radius/Chamfer dialogue was used to add radius before the boundary was complete. If the Radius/Chamfer dialogue is already active when a boundary is started the functions are no not active until the boundary is closed.
To avoid a problem with older versions of KnifeCut an option has been added to the FDS section of the 'global.env' file named 'FDSPLOT' that limits the stabs to the old-style output without orientation. The default is '0' with the output supported by KnifeCut higher than 2.18.04. Edit the file and change the value to '1' to set the 'downgrade'.
Revision of the help on the multi-point transform function.
Increments - A warning is now presented about replacing your grading settings when you load an increment file.
Increments - The name of the increment file you load is now stored with the pattern, see the warning note on the help page.
A facility to save more than one Collective layout has been provided in the Assessment task.
There are now 3 types of Collective Assessment processes. Currently each one outputs a simple printable text report but a method of providing a full report with images of the layouts will follow.
A keyword (AUTOPARTNAME) has been added to the 'local.env' file that, if set to 1, will automatically display the new part dialogue when you finish a new boundary.
A bug that caused the program to crash when using the display/print option on the grade rules dialogue has been fixed.
A keyword "AUTOPARTNAME" will be added in the local.env file.
Default is 0, no new part dialog automatically popup.
1 = automatical new part dialog.
Margins on Notches is now allowed.
You can now reset all the line colours to default with a single action.
Duplicate Convert implemented and a new item is added in the "Edit" menu.
We have added in the output as it was in Tempus.
This was a sheet where you had the pattern names, calculated values, number per pair (changeable)
and an additional percentage (if wanted) and this sheet you were able to print.
However, you MUST click on the Manual icon to generate the data to print.
Allow the import of DXF (or IGES) to create new parts in an existing pattern.
To simplify some issues with menu options and versions all 2D programs (Engineer, 2D Viewer and OrthoTec) have been levelled up to version 2.0##.
The grade icon will not now be active unless: There is a range of sizes AND model size has been defined AND the width and length values are greater than zero.
The facility has been added, via an environment file edit, of having the choice when chains are created for the default to be 'line ends off' or 'line ends on'.
Notch integrity improvements made.
Fix to the Add Radius option on a chain where the function would automatically turn off the ends of the line.
Important information about importing DXF files has been added to the help. See warning about characters in part names.
Using F4 after starting to create GCs would create a GC on the down click for dragging out the zoom box. This has been corrected.
A fix to the format of the stitch data passed to an EPROM was required following tests with the MQP PROM programmer.
While working on 7 the lack of any reference in help to the ability to quickly reset all base lines to GC1 was spotted. This has now been rectified.
The restriction on picking a single point base line with a GC 'on it' has been reduced to not allowing GC1 to be picked.
You can now also pick ANY single point line (including GC1 and a stab) to be a 'grade like' master.
Some additional work has been done to improve the importing of these files.
To solve the difficulty of maintaining the format of the text output, any dialogue with the option of printing now passes the text directly to the default text editor.
When adding detail to a part the recording of 'undo' was taking place after the event, which meant that the step couldn't be undone. This has been corrected.
Changing the Comelz tool diameter parameter didn't allow the entry of a decimal number. This has been corrected.
If you chose to delete margin that affected a boundary, with warnings on, and said no the boundary was still affected. This has been corrected.
Additions to the StitchTec help section and clarification in the use of the 3D file and 'obstacles' in connection with Orisol stitchers.
The output to PatternCut 1 was being given the .pcut extension that should have been reserved to PatternCut 2.
While fixing this the file name length restriction of 9 characters will now be enforced by automatically truncating it.
The pop-up menu (nothing selected) has now been enabled in the grading task.
The message added to a pattern that has been saved down to an older version is made more generic stating simply that it has been exported from a higher version.
To simplify some issues with menu options and versions all 2D programs (Engineer, 2D Viewer and OrthoTec) have been levelled up to version 2.0##.
Problems with some of the recent changes to the Collective assessment function have been fixed.
Some old patterns with badly configured size coding could cause Engineer to crash. The program has been modified to cope.
Some early XML format files missed out the 'creation date' in the file. The program has been modified to replace this information from the file system information if it is missing.
Fixed serious memory leak in xml routines that causes PC's to slow down
Orisol stitch length, backstitch start and end, speed changes.
ENCIMAT stitcher output added.
Collective part flip enabled.
Group Grade fix for length, width and width and length
Add to3D section for reverse engineering to ShoeDesign reverse Engineering
Improve performance when trim line is off.
Overwrite default directives when loading a different pallet or file
Handle pat file from old LastMaker.
Adobe DXF to handle INSERT and MTEXT inside BLOCK.
Immediate digitizing after importing tracing bmp.
Program now saves notch information regarding layers.
Edit line and zoom screen will exit function.
Now saves current lines to the active layer
Small problem with cut and paste corruption fixed.
Report formats modified
DXF version now upgraded to R13.
SXF file format fixes and stitch length allowed for ORISOL.
Handle Adobe DXF LWPOLYLINE.
DXD import lines update id number.
Pattern File Format - XML has been adopted as the basis for the pattern and increment file format. Patterns or increments created by 2.0.00 cannot be read by version 1.1.44 or older. If necessary use the 'Save as 1.1' option (not available for increments). As a consequence of this large data format change, for the first time since Engineer started, the version has had to be increased to the point that a new license is required to upgrade.
StitchTec - Addition of StitchTec functions as a licensable option. This means a new task and tool tray with a new settings tab, menu. and outputs. Other changes include the addition of two line types to the slide-out and colour settings. Stitchtec is also available as a 'stand-alone' product.
The ability to change the values of radii or chamfers for different sizes has been added. This has required a change to the data structure so older versions cannot load the patterns. Use File > Export > as version > Engineer 1.1. You MUST read the help 'Grade Radius' (Tasks - Draw - Dependants - Boundary).
The margin function now has the ability to create multiple separate margins of a given value, with the option of creating the lines on both sides of the parent. Also the use of a preset now keeps the function in 'edit mode'. As part of these new abilities the differing directions are now accounted for and remain unchanged when the margin value is changed.
As a quick alternative to selecting all the lines, then using the option Colour > Line Default from one the two context menus, a new Edit menu option now resets all the pattern line colours to your chosen colours or palette.
This dialogue can now be turned off in the View menu and the status is saved so that it is not re-displayed when the program is started.
As part of a number of cosmetic changes this icon has been removed from the main tool bar, leaving the File menu option and the shortcut 'Ctrl-D' in place. Note too the next four points.
This is now switched with a single 'T' icon. In its normal state, line selection mode is active, when selected text selection mode is active. At the risk of briefly confusing existing users the 'T' shortcut key, that previously just switched text on or off, is now also used to toggle the icon and 'text selection mode'. The 'N' key now only toggles notes (text) on or off. The 'D' key is now only used to display the slide Lines Display panel.
Since they do not create anything these two functions have been moved from the Draw menu to the base lines context menu in the 'transform' section.
The three boundary edit functions have been removed from the Edit menu, leaving them just in the boundary (dependants) context menu.
The function icon is now inactive until one or more base lines are selected.
This new function has been added to the Edit menu. The function will create a copy of any dependant line as a base line.
As inferred above you can now convert ANY dependant to a base line, including stabs and markers. These two changes are intended to assist in the creation of tread patterns for ShoeDesign.
You can now see all the lines that may be affected when adjusting a part (with Master off) by using the Ctrl key with the Construction Lines icon.
To compliment the Exports dialogue a matching Imports has been added which can also be started from a new icon on the tool bar.
In connection with the above the File > Exports menu has been expanded from the previous single 'Data Outputs' entry to three entries matching the three tabs of the dialogue.
On importing DXF any data described as a circle is converted into a 'stab'. The lifting of the restriction on converting some dependant types to base lines means that if you REALLY want circles not stabs then you can convert them. Also, when importing into a new pattern, the function can now cope with most DXF files that contain layers.
The DXF export function can now maintain and export any layers that may exist. This allows Engineer to support cutting systems that can import DXF using the layers to assign tools or actions.
If just one layer is active any new data created or imported will now be put straight into that layer. If more than one layer is active the data will be passed to the default layer.
You can now set an option to trim off any detail that exceeds the part boundary as a grading option. Following the 'WYSIWYG' convention the result is also exported as is to all outputs. One major advantage of this is that the entire score/mirror line can be included in a part definition but will be constrained within the boundary at output. See Trim 'Rules'.
While it has always been possible to open a pattern file to import the increment details from it, using the 'Load' option in the increments dialogue, a new import option has been added to the file menu specifically to import increments. This using the same open dialogue in both cases but an additional minor change is that when browsing patterns you see the pattern description and the increments description when browsing increment files.
The frequency and duration of the beep made when digitising can now be adjusted by editing the registry.
The size of the window listing the file names can now be set to a larger size by editing the registry.
You can now snap to intersections during draw by holding down the 'I' key. Note that the 'I' key is used to insert points in base line edit.
A print-out option has been added to the assessment function, along with a facility to add a percentage factor to the result for some or all parts.
The ability to move lines from any data point on the pattern to any other data point to another has been added.
Portuguese has added to the list of languages available during installation.
The range limit of 1 to 99 for the ID is now enforced by the program.
When making a chain the first and last lines are now off by default. Most of the time this will eliminate two steps from the process.
Create X/Y is now in the Draw menu only. This icon has been replaced with the new Duplicate Convert function. The separate 'lines' and 'text' selection icons are now a single 'T' icon that toggles. The Stabs on Grid function has been copied to the Draw task. The two Align options are now on the base line context menu. The boundary edit functions are no longer repeated in the Edit menu.
The ability to 'loop' this function was introduced in version 1.1.44. It was noted at the time that it was necessary to press Escape to quit the function after returning to the first prompt. However, it seems that practically no-one read the release notes or the updated help pages. In this version the prompt has been changed to reflect the need to press Escape.
You can now press F6 to initialise the screen while digitising. The conflict between the normal mouse and the digitiser cursor make it difficult to use the normal zoom functions.
The web browser Mozilla Firefox version 1.5 now includes the ability to view SVG files without any sort of plugin. A small change to the Engineer SVG out was required and has been included in this version. BUT, while you can now view reports in Firefox 1.5, printing reports is currently not possible due to a bug. A partial fix exists in 1.6alpha2 so a full fix should not be far behind.
In most of the reports using SVG the facility has been added to open an enlarged view of an SVG image. In addition the 'blank' image has been changed to one containing a dashed line in order to better distinguish between a missing image and some other problem.
Size names in the size names list are now highlighted (in magenta) wherever an increment value has been added. A 'reset' button has been added that clears all increment values. It is now possible, though not recommended due to compatibility issues with older programs, to use the same size label twice in a size range.
Deleting notches will now leave associated boundaries intact.
The 'Escape to quit' function change to allow Translate to 'loop' in the previous version, that caused many users to report it as a bug (because no-one read the release notes or help), has been eliminated by adding an extra prompt.
License restrictions notwithstanding it has always been possible to start Engineer more than once. However, in this version a new warning dialogue has been introduced to prevent this happening accidentally.
While creating a stitch path and then connecting your stitch paths into a program sequence you can use 'T' to toggle the direction of the stitch path.
The import and export icons have been change to make them less confusing. Export is now a large green arrow pointing up and out. Import is a large red arrow pointing down and in.
Using the updated dependants conversion process had problems with the order of creation or selection of dependants. It was possible to start the conversion and have the parents of dependants converted first, leaving no basis for the conversion of their dependants. This is now corrected and the hierarchy selected list of lines is sorted before conversion starts.
To better fit the extra two line types introduced by StitchTec the lines display tab has been re-arranged. The opportunity was also taken to move the All and Filter check boxes to the tops of the 'columns'.
The outputs to older versions PE2.1, PE2.2 and Tempus have been dropped from the File menu.
The 'graded radii' icon is now inactive until a starting (model size) value has been selected from the regular value list.
The ability to include grade centres in a part has been restored as it was in PE2.
A method of allowing DXF parts (blocks) to be imported into an existing pattern has been added.
The function key F8 now activates the Show Construction function.
The View function within assign grade has changed. The white GC labels are now only shown when a line has 'variable grade'. Also the highlighted lines 'stick' until explicitly cleared.
SVG output now enabled via option 1.
Minor fix to printing of Increments.
Altered the startup sequence to get splash screen there BEFORE getting licence. Also licensing speeded up.
You MUST install Licence Wizard 1.22.
Static or network licence are now fully supported. Default is static (on local machine).
This release includes various bug fixes to 1.1.42 and 1.1.43. (These can be viewed in Engineer help)
Start-up delays and hesitations when using the program caused by the license checking process have been resolved. But requires the installation of LicenseWizard 1.21 and a Network License .
You MUST install the new LicenseWizard program with Engineer 1.1.44
If notes are off they now turn on, if you pick the text selection mode icon or use the ' n ' shortcut key. Note that notes can also be toggled on or off with the ' t ' key, if no other function is active.
Context menu option. The behaviour of this function has been altered slightly. This function now only deletes dependants that are selected and will not include those that are just dependant on a selected base line.
It is now possible to 'drag select' squares to turn them on and you can print out the layout. A part delete facility has been added. The relevant help section has been updated.
In base line edit the changed base lines are now only updated when the function is ended completely and not as each point is 'released'.
Three radio buttons XY, X and Y have been added to the base line scale function dialogue. Using these will be more intuitive than adding 'x' or 'y' to the end of an entered value, though if you have been using this facility you still can.
The title bar of the advanced file browsing dialogue now shows the current path. In addition the listing created is recorded for repeat use so that the window opens fast the next time.
The ' D ' shortcut (as well as setting line select mode) now displays and pins the slide-out with the lines tab active. The state of the slide-out is also remembered between sessions.
The slave line of 'grade like' is now shown as a thicker line instead of dashed. The dashed highlight was too difficult to see.
Importing data from other file formats now behaves a little like importing lines from other patterns. The option to choose specific parts of the import is provided when data (another pattern) is already loaded.
To facilitate the use of templates a ' Clear Empty Parts ' option has been added to the Edit menu. The idea is that you use a template with pre-defined empty parts and then easily remove the surplus empty 'boxes' later.
While using either of these two functions you can now re-pick the last (blue) rotation (scale) point to rotate about or make a new rotation (scale) point at the intersection of two lines.
Parts that fail to reach the target level will appear in the list and icon browser with the names coloured magenta.
The SVG output from the output dialogue is now written at a 1:1 scale. This does not affect the smaller scale view that is created for DataStore.
At this time we are not aware of any readily available commercial software that will print SVG at 1:1.
The ' Repeat ' function has been added to the bottom of the three context menus. This is really aimed at providing the information that the facility exists rather that the place to use the function. Tapping the Spacebar is much quicker.
The behaviour of the program has been altered slightly when the 'Delete Dependant' context menu option is used. This function now only deletes dependants that are selected and will not include those that are just dependant on a selected base line.
Use of the dependants/parents viewing function now leaves the last viewed lines highlighted for other functions.
You can now 'loop' this function. To achieve this it is now necessary to press Escape to quit the function after returning to the first prompt.
The grade dialogue now has a facility to save selections made in the size/fitting grid for re-use. When updating check that there is a 'grade' sub-directory in your 'config' directory.
The trick with the Numpad keys and margin values introduced with version 1.1.41 has had to be taken away, because of the many detrimental effects caused when using these keys in other functions.
Snapping to the grid is now only possible when the grid is on and will be turned off when the grid is turned off.
The facility to use the 'cross-hair' cursor has been added to the View menu. The word ' Crosshair ' has been added in both menus to make it clearer.
Dotted mirror lines created by the mirror boundary process are ignored when 'initialise' ( F6 ) is used.
You now can get full version information from the Windows right button context menu ( Properties ) on the Engineer executable. Also if you simply 'hover' over the Engineer executable name a 'tool tip' is displayed showing the version.
Some printing parameters are now saved in the registry and a new parameter is included in the registry to allow the point size of the printed line to be increased.
The ability to use Chinese characters in parts names has been added.
You should be aware that most cutters, cutting systems and plotters will probably not support Chinese characters
The option to output a plot as HPGL2 has been added. This should resolve a problem caused by the different origin used in HPGL2 where you typically only got the top right quadrant of the plot.
In the Icon Browser if you use a left click then a shift+left click to pick a range it does not now define a 'box' but picks the parts in the order of the list
A small change to the construction line function now moves the new line directly to the point where the MMB is clicked. Previously you had to move the mouse a little.
Base lines assigned to GC1 are now highlighted with a solid instead of a dashed line for better visibility.
There were problems with the two functions for printing grade increments information with Chinese characters. This is now corrected.
There is now an option under the View menu that stops this dialog being displayed when the mouse hits the right edge of the workspace. However, if this option is used when the dialog is pinned it will work as 'on/off', an alternative to 'bumping' the side.
The need to regain workspace focus after using a dialog line 'Open', including using it for importing data, has been eliminated. This means that you can pick lines, for example, immediately the dialog closes.
To accommodate users who do not make use of the composite part name feature the first of the five fields has been made considerably wider. Also while the separate Edit dialog is still available you can now edit either of the five lists directly in the Part Names dialog. After typing a part name press the 'tab' key, not Enter, to add it to the list.
Until this release whenever the dashed highlight was used on top of another line it could be pretty difficult to see it. In 1.1.41 the highlight changes whenever it superimposes another line to become the background colour. This has the effect of breaking up the line and to make it even clearer, as the related element is being adjusted (e.g. a marker slot) the marks and gaps alternate providing a sort of animated flashing effect. In order to be more easily seen against an already dashed line the highlight is 'dotted'.
To provide more control of the 'automatic snap' function an additional user setting has been added to the General settings tab. The control is in the form of five radio buttons, follow the link for more information.
The thumb wheel can now be use to zoom in and out when focus is on the workspace.
There is now registry entry (per user) that sets how many pixels the mouse must move before the pan or zoom action kicks in. The default is 4.
This action has been copied from the part Icon Browser to the Parts Manager tree. In this position it also does an automatic 'Save Sort', meaning that the parts order is recorded in the saved pattern data. The sort made in the Icon Browser is still temporary and will need 'save Sort' from there to transfer it to the 'tree'.
There is now a readout of distance and angle from the last recorded point as you draw a line.
In common with many Windows programs the Alt+Enter key combination has been used for 'Line Info' and a new function, 'Pattern Status. If a line is highlighted the yellow information box will be displayed showing the properties for that line. If more than one line is selected the properties will be for the line with the lowest number. If no lines are selected the pattern status is displayed, this is also available as 'Properties' in the File menu.
The recurring problem of micro-loops on margins or markers has been improved. However, it will mean that while a margin will look good in Engineer it may still be badly 'drawn' when exporting to older versions. See Margins and Export.
In connection with the above and potential problems with converting chamfers the warning text "Pattern Exported from Engineer 1.1. Please check" is added to any pattern exported to an older version. See Export.
For simplicity and better visualisation when printing the output has been changed to included Windows Bitmap images by default. The original version, using scalable SVG images, has been moved to the Reports option as 'Report6'.
The restrictions on a mirrored boundary have been lifted to match those of PE2. This means that you can now use part of a mirrored boundary to build another boundary or chain, this is because it is primarily a mirror line not a boundary. BUT, you will not be allowed to select this line for Replace or Boundary +/- in the boundary of which it is a mirror.
The construction lines of a notch included in a boundary are now displayed with the 'Show Construction' function.
The restriction on the use (Windows) reserved words; con, prn, lpt1-2 and com1-2 has been lifted within Engineer and now just relies on the operating system to provide the warning.
A highlighted line will now always be 'on top' and not hidden by other lines.
When the margin function is active you can now enter values on the 'numpad' (Numlock on) even when 'mouse focus' is on the screen.
To make using the pan/zoom facility on this dialog easier 'patches' of clear space have been added to move the mouse cursor on.
A dialog, previously suppressed, is now optionally displayed if a boundary fails to reach the assessment target.
An option has been added to the File menu providing facilities to make and use templates.
You can now edit directly the five key paths in the settings dialog.
A new function has been added to the Draw menu that will add a single stab to very intersection on a selected grid of lines.
A new size code shape has been added using Rr (for rounded) that improves the performance with knife-based cutting systems.
When printing a graded part information that may be contained in the part properties is printed as a second line to the 'print box'.
Input a style by tracing an image displayed on the workspace. Uses a calibration step to improve accuracy.
In the Notes dialog there is now a facility to scale all the notes, which increases the default size of the notes on the workspace and can also be used to increase the plotted size of notes.
The addition of the draw+snap facility of version 1.1.40 has prompted requests for a more accurate cursor. For this version the draw cursor is now a single pixel line cross with a single transparent pixel in the centre.
For the commercial release of 1.1.42 (based on the last beta build of 1.1.41) the concept of a network license has been adopted as default. This is to avoid the start-up delay of 15 seconds or more created by the Rainbow Sentinel license checking process. An existing license will still work and a local license is still a second option, but anyone experiencing the long start-up delay can now fix it by requesting a network license. Note that the latest version of LicenseWizard (1.20) automatically installs the necessary support. Use of a network license also provides the possibility of a single PC being the license server to several others allowing a set number of program sessions to be run out of greater number of physical software installations.
I.E 15 installations of Engineer but only 10 of these can be running at anyone time.
However, if this PC is turned off, then none can use Engineer
If Engineer is killed for any reason you may have to wait for up to a minute before re-starting, until the license server recognises the fact that the program is no longer running and releases the licence.
dialog - The slide-out dialog has undergone some remodelling. Principal changes are that it is narrower and to achieve this icons have been used for the line types and the 'tab labels'. The layer visibility tab has been removed and the 3 options are now at the base of the layer panel. See item 2.
When the new narrower dialog is pinned the workspace is now resized. Because, in this state, the dialog no longer hides any lines the need to frequently turn it on and off is removed.
While in the Assessment area both the Layers and Lines Display tabs are now disabled.
An 'Advanced' button has been added to the File Open dialog that provides a display of the directory contents in table form.
The dialog used for these actions now shows the increment file description and allows you to enter one when saving.
When the Part Names dialog is used to rename a part there is now an extra 'drop down' field that allows you to select other parts to rename without closing the dialog.
Using a 'bold' font improves the appearance of notes on the screen.
It was found that the conversion to the old even chamfer of versions less than PE2.4 was sometimes wrong. The way the chamfer is constructed in Engineer is quite different to earlier version but changes have now been made to improve the accuracy of the conversion. However, as a corner angle becomes significantly greater or smaller than 90 degrees some inaccuracy is unavoidable.
The middle mouse button or the delete key can now be used to 'delete' a radius or chamfer.
A button has been added to provide the option of replacing the 15 document field titles in an existing pattern with your own stored entries.
Functions added just to the Draw menu to align selected base lines along the X or Y axis.
The reports option of TechPac has been put into Engineer.
The 'Create Line' (Draw) function has had the facility added to snap to an existing base line or data point while drawing.
Dependants from a single selected line can now be copied to more than one target line.
The inconsistency of using the right mouse click to delete a size code has been replaced by RMB to exit and the Delete key to remove a code.
Pressing 'P' (partial), before finishing edit margin now correctly terminates the edit state.
The shape of the notch is now remembered for the next use of the function. Assuming this is the choice in settings.
If you choose to turn off this cursor type from the context menu '+', it is now also off for base line editing. It remains on for the measure function.
The 5 categories of part names are now sorted correctly.
A new option in the dependant context menu; 'Boundary +' for replacing a range of boundary construction lines by one or more others. The usual boundary creation step will resume for constructing the new boundary, for instance adding radii or chamfers.
A new option in dependant context menu; 'Boundary -' for deleting one or more construction lines from a boundary. The picked lines do not need to be in sequence a new boundary will be created from the remaining lines.
Black colour lines could not be assigned a pen. This is added for completeness.
Using the View option on GC1 in assign grade will now highlight all lines that have not been assigned to other grade centres.
A new keyword 'SNAPRADIUS' has been added to the global.env for defining a snapping circle within which data points will be snapped automatically to the cursor location. The default is 0.5mm which can be changed manually in the file. What this means is that two points within the 'snap radius' will automatically snap together with a single click similar to the function in PE2.
Clicking on the next intersection will apply whatever was used for the previous corner, radius or chamfer.
First line is always part of the boundary so this line can be selected without the ambiguity dialog coming into action.
export from any 'autopart' was suppressed in V1.1.12 for preventing parts without a boundary being output for cutting or costing. However, this was unnecessary for DXF, DGT, IGES and SVG outputs so they are now freed from this restriction.
ESC will now abort the ambiguity dialog.
An unwanted size code can now be removed from a selected part with a right mouse button click from within the size code function.
To aligned with the imminent release of Pattern Engineer 2.4, which contains this functionality, this function has been added to Engineer in the boundary, join and chain functions and separately in the context menu Radius/Chamfer function. NOTE: Versions of Engineer older than 1.1.38 will probably not be able to make a boundary created in 1.1.38.
In connection with the above 'Export as... PE 2.4' has been added to the file menu.
It has been found that some PE2 patterns have had group grade definitions containing sizes that are not included in the size range. On opening the increments dialog this caused the program to crash. A test has been put into place to check for this as the pattern is loaded. If a 'bad' group is detected it is deleted and message to this effect is displayed.
If lines are assigned to a user colour that is turned off they will also now be hidden immediately. This only works if the lines are dropped from the 'picked list'. However, using the new Ctrl+R action will (re)highlight them.
It is now possible to edit any number of selected notches together. But be careful with the 'switch' or 'T' shortcut incase you inadvertently switch one the wrong way.
Base line scale in either X/Y direction. - Similar to Move Base Line, by holding down X/Y key to restrict scaling in that direction. Entering a "x" or "y" character at the end of numeric entry will also restrict to that direction.
Shift+LMB to select a range of sizes for grading.