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Create and print a design

Guide — at the end, a fully patterned design is stored in the design library and is available as a printout

Prerequisites:

  • You have permission to create and save designs.
  • Optional: your own colors in the Color database — but the Designer also comes with a color palette without any preparation.
flowchart LR
  A["Open Designer"] --> B["Braid type & parameters"]
  B --> C["Color & twist"]
  C --> D["Check setup & animation"]
  D --> E["3D view"]
  E --> F["Save"]
  F --> G["Print"]

Step 1: Open the Designer and create a new design

  1. Open the navigation item Designer (reference: Designer).
  2. In the toolbar, click New (Ctrl+N). An empty design with default values is created.

To open an existing design instead, use Load (Ctrl+O) or double-click it in the "Last edited" list. You can open two design windows side by side to compare variants directly.

Guided tour

On your first visit, the Designer offers a guided tour that takes you step by step through creating a design.

Step 2: Define braid type and parameters

In the left panel, set the basic data of the design: Design name, Braid type (round braid, flat braid, square braid, spiral braid, packing braid or soutache braid), Braid binding, Number of carriers, Braiding angle and Ply count. Every change rebuilds the braid pattern immediately.

All parameters and their permitted values are explained on the reference page Braid type & parameters.

Step 3: Color and set the twist

  1. Activate the Color tool.
  2. Select a color via Color palette (or a color from a library in the Color database).
  3. In the braid pattern or in the carrier table, click the positions that should receive this color. Using the side filter, you can color only the left run or only the right run.
  4. Optionally, give carriers a twist: click Twist, choose S, Z or Untwisted and, if needed, the TPM, and then click the carriers. A color from the palette switches back to coloring.

Undo mistakes with Back (Ctrl+Z). All controls of the painting mode and the twist are described on the reference page Color & twist.

Step 4: Check setup and track animation

The setup overview shows the horngears of the machine from above with the colors assigned to each carrier:

  1. Check whether the colors sit on the carriers as you planned. You can keep recoloring in the braid pattern or in the carrier table; the overview follows immediately.
  2. Start the Track animation with the play button: the carriers move across the horngears and the braid pattern builds up in sync, layer by layer. Control the speed with the speed buttons; ⏮ resets machine and build-up to the start.

Details on all buttons: reference page Setup & track animation.

Step 5: Check the 3D view

Switch on the 3D view in the toolbar with the 3D view switch (available for all braid types except mixed designs). It shows how the pattern continues around the finished braid strand. You choose material and form of the model via the Display button — reference: Views and 3D view.

Step 6: Save the design in the library

  1. In the header of the design window, click Save.
  2. In the dialog, select the target folder of the design library (or create a new subfolder directly) and enter the design name.

To create a copy under a new name, use Save under new name. Details: Save & print. You will then find the saved design in the design library under Master data > Designs.

Step 7: Print the design

  1. In the header of the design window, click Print.
  2. If several print templates are available, select the desired template; a default template matching the number of carriers (Default Design or Default Design (high carrier count)) is already pre-selected.
  3. Check the print preview and start printing.

Details: Save & print; you can design your own templates in the Print editor.

Result

If something does not work