Monday, March 28, 2005

Monitor Calibration

Calibrating your monitor is important in order for your designs to be displayed in the correct proportions. If this simple step is not taken, when you set your display to actual size (1), the design will not truly be actual size.

To calibrate your monitor, go to;
  • Special
  • Hardware Setup
Change the drop down menu to say;
  • Display monitor
  • Values
Then measure the dimensions of the dialog box and enter the measurements in the blanks provided. Then click;
  • Ok
  • Close
This takes about 30 seconds and does not have to accomplished again until you change the monitor or video card.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Reshape Tool

To efficiently digitize the operator should keep one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard. In this prone position either hand can effectively complete an input. When you combine this posture with the knowledge of the hot keys, many tasks are accomplished with little effort.

To select the Reshape tool, press “H” and notice the Reshape button is now selected without having to move your mouse.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Auto Centering On

If you would like Wilcom to automatically auto-center your designs by default, you can accomplish this by turning on the Auto Start and End feature. Right click on the "Use Auto start and end icon found on the Generate stitches toolbar.





Check on the "Use Auto Start and End" and then click "OK." You may also turn on the "Maintain Automatically" feature if you wish for Wilcom to recalculate the center after each object is created.

Your desired settings maybe saved to the Normal Template file by clicking on the "Save" button in the lower right. This will ensure each new design window will have your desired settings preselected.

Friday, March 18, 2005

Changing input methods

To toggle between the last two input methods used, click the "spacebar". Notice in the toolbar how the previous input method is not selected.

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Welcome

The name Tom Trick came from my partner Rhonda Baker who when I was writing the book "Digitizing 101" began to refer to a few of my digitizing remedies as "Tom Tricks". It has been a term that stuck ever since and many students ask me from time to time if I have any new Tom Tricks.

It seemed appropriate to title this section “Tom Tricks” and to credit Rhonda with coming up with the name more than five years ago. I hope readers learn from these tricks as they are truly techniques we use and find beneficial to our daily work.