BIG HOOPS
I finally loaded my Big Hoop program today. I've had it since I got my EU. I guess I was chicken. Anyway I tried the lettering practice and boy am I confused. I got the pro all lined up and right I was elated. Then to the center for the tof and followed the directions, well there are no stitches to go to, because you have already deleted them or at least I did when I was working with the pro. Are the designs used for this Big Hoop always so confusing and with so many steps to follow?
You have to do 2 things after positioning your letters, in this case
" PROTOFAB ".
First you should turn off the large hoop display (go to " Display / Large
Hoop " and click to remove the check-mark) and then do the Alt-F10 thing.
Make sure you see disk activity (the red hard-disk light on your
computer) to confirm the save. Turn on the large hoop display. If
you're using Windows you can Alt-Tab switch to Explorer or File Manager
and rename the EU?.pcx file to Protofab.pcx (for the lesson)
Next save the FULL design to disk, in this case maybe as Protofab.csd.
It doesn't matter which of these you do first, but you MUST DO THEM BOTH.
Load the .pcx file you've saved and position the hoop. Open the FULL
design and position it on top of the .pcx file (" Modify / Select All "
then " Move " " Modify / Deselect All ". Repeat as necessary till it's
right. This determines the quality of your finished piece!)
Delete the necessary stitches and save the file. Open the FULL design and position it on top of the .pcx file. Delete the necessary stitches and save the file. Repeat again for the final frame.
After the first few attempts, the hardest parts will be remembering to save BOTH the .pcx and the full design and picking the best places to split the design. The ideal split will be someplace where slight mis-registration won't show. I use the Brush and Script fonts almost exclusively (one team-mate prefers Block) and alignment is no problem.
Willy Pichler
Willy's explanation was great, just like PROTOFAB'S. You have a mural too large to get through the door so you take a picture of it to use as a template, then you go cut the mural into 2 or 3 sections of COPIES (the mural should remain intact since it was probably valuable -- and it is the only way to make more copies if you goof) and you bring them through the door one at a time, line them up on template, and reassemble them as a whole again. There is a slightly different approach than " deleting " two sections from the whole to keep one section to bring in ... try SELECTING out the one section you want, and CUT. DESELECT ALL, SAVE for the Original Then NEW FILE name " nameR " " L " or " C " . PASTE, MOVE the outlined box over the template image. (SELECT ALL and ZOOM and MOVE all you want to get it exact) then DESELECT when happy it's in place. SAVE. SEW remembering the correct magnet placement. If the prompt ever comes up to ask if you want to save changes to the original
before opening NEW file, by all means say no. SAVE it the way it started.
Mary
Hoop D Hoop
I am not sure if I can simplify the instructions, but I
will try to give you some basics as " I " understand the process. Please note that these will leave out the basic instructions for using the POEM software for digitizing. I have only focused on the principles of using the hoop d hoop technique as " I " interpret it. You do need to know the editing features of the EU software to be able to complete this process.
1) Bring the entire image onto the screen that you want to use. You will be digitizing the entire area first then later divide it into 3 different files.
2) Load the lasso.csd to the far left of the design by using " paste
from " command. Put in a color change after the lasso is loaded. Now begin digitizing the portion that is in that section of the lasso, keeping in mind the overlap areas of the designs.
3) Bring in the second lasso.csd by " paste from " and line it up where it overlaps with the first one. The important part is that they overlay perfectly.
Now, another color change and continue digitizing the second portion of the design.
4) Repeat this again for a third lasso, if needed.
The next part is trickier, so I always work from a " save as " design, so I have a backup, in case I screw up. This is part that you separate the designs into 3 files and eventually get rid of the lasso stitches.
1) You want to " select " all of the stitches outside of the first lasso which will be copied onto the clipboard by using the EDIT: cut. This will leave you with the first .csd of your design. You must then move this entire lasso design to the hoop area (as the design is outside of the stitching area now) and use the grid.pcx to line up the lasso with the grid. Here again it must line up perfectly. Now go back and delete the lasso stitches from this design and clean up any stray stitches that you do not want. You have the first section of your design to be stitched on the far left portion of the hoop.
2) Basically repeat #1 by using the PASTE command, bringing up the clipboard with the remainder of your design. " Select " all of the stitches outside of what now will become the middle portion of your design and EDIT:cut, putting the third lasso on the clipboard. Line what is left up with the hoop area again.
Delete the lasso stitches and you now have the second section of your design to be stitched in the middle area.
3) Repeat #2 for the last area.
I know that this is still " wordy " , but hopefully a little clearer. I hope that this helps.
Judy
I have both the Big Hoop and the Hoop d Hoop. I think that, in my opinion, there are plus and minus's to both systems. And the key to using either one, is to be familiar with the editing capabilities of the POEM/EU software. The Big Hoop works with a large hoop; has what is called a merger program that enlarges the .pcx image into a larger .pcx to be used with the grid system. I think that the capabilities of this program are probably good, but the directions that come with it are very " skimpy " in content. As " I " understand it, you digitize the entire design, using the larger .pcx image and grid; save it as a screen capture (ALT/F10), then use this picture to break the design down into 3 separate designs.
The Hoop d Hoop uses a " hoopless " hoop and sticky paper. It uses a " lasso " system that you incorporate into the design. These " lasso's " are later used to realign the different portions of the design when separating into the three designs. This system also has you digitize the entire design first. The directions that come with this system probably go to the other extreme. They are very " step by step " . I like this system better for doing continuous designs, because you just keep re-sticking the item back to the hoop and you can line it up with the " holes " left from the previous designs.
I have not yet tried to stitch out a design done with one system using the other hoop. I really think incorporating the concepts from both (ie: the merger with the lasso ) might be the ticket.
I am still learning and would love input from others. I may be " way " off the mark in my interpretation of the instructions. I sometimes do things the *hard* way.
Judy
I have the Big Hoop and the Hoop d Hoop, we can digitize for both (One
design) and then use the Big Hoop Merger program to break apart our
designs, or the Hoop d Hoop lasso for the H d H. The design area is
basically the same, we'll all need to digitize the same size .pcx.
Sheree, paste the 3 Hoop d Hoop designs together, then use the Big Hoop
program and break them apart.
Deanna M.
Hoop D Hoop II
When using HdHII, you can take an already digitized design and break it up to fit. This is what the program is designed to do by using the " lasso's " . Each section needs to fit within each of the lasso's and then you sew them out accordingly. This is a *simplification* of the process. If you received the Video 3, there is a good demonstration of how to digitize and then how to separate the parts. The Video does talk about using a file called HDHII-8; which was not included with anything. I made one for myself by copy and paste method. If you would like it I will send it to you. Let me know.
Judy Darden
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