Tools: Stroke

Autoroute Running Stitch

This tool will replace your set of running stitches with a new set of running stitches in logical stitching order avoiding as many jumps as possible . Under-pathing will be added as necessary . The resulting running stitches will retain all of the parameters you had set on the original stitches including stitch length, number of repeats, bean stitch number of repeats, etc. Underpaths will only retain the stitch length, but will be set to only one repeat and no bean stitch number of repeats.

Usage

Select all the running stitches (prepared with parameters)that you wish to organize
Run Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Tools : Stroke > Auto-Route Running stitch...
Enable desired options and click apply

Tip: By default, it will choose the left-most extreme node as the starting point and the right-most extreme node as the ending point (even if these are not terminal nodes). You can override this by attaching the “Auto-route running stitch starting/ending position” commands.

Options

Enable Add nodes at intersections will normally yield a better routing as under-paths will preferably start/end at intersections and terminal nodes. You should only disable this option if you have manually added nodes where you want the paths to be split.
Enable Trim jump stitches to use trims instead of jump stitches. Trim commands are added to the SVG, so you can modify/delete as you see fit.
Enable Preserve order of running stitches if you prefer to keep your former order.

Convert Satin to Stroke

Satin to stroke will convert a satin column to it’s centerline. This can be useful, when you decide later in the designing process to turn a satin column into a running stitch. You can also use it to alter the thickness of your satin column, when pull compensation isn’t satisfying. In that case use this function to convert your satin column into a running stitch, set stroke width in the fill and stroke panel and run the “Convert line to to satin” function.

This works best on evenly spaced satin columns.

Satin to Stroke example

Usage

Select the satin column(s) you want to convert into a running stitch
Run Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Tools: Stroke > Convert satin to stroke...
Choose wether you want to keep selected satin column(s) or if you want to replace them
Click apply

Fill to Stroke

Fill outlines never look nice when embroidered - but it is a lot of work to convert a fill outline to a satin column or a running stitch. This tool helps you with this operation.

It is comparable to the Inkscape functionality of Path > Trace bitmap > Centerline tracing (- and has similar issues.) But instead of converting raster graphics, it will find the centerline of vector based objects with a fill.

You can improve the result by defining cut lines.

Fill to Stroke

Usage

(Optional) Draw cut lines at the intersections/joints. They are simple stroke objects. This is especially useful, when you aim for satin columns. Please note, that each stroke element has to cut the fill element in which that each side of the fill is entirely disconnected.
Select one or more fill objects which you want to convert to a centerline along with the cut lines if you have defined them ealier.</label>
Run Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Tools: Stroke > Fill to Stroke
Set options and apply
Use the node tool to perform corrections if necessary

Options

Keep original: enable this option, if you want to keep the original object(s). Otherwise it will be removed.
Threshold for dead ends (px): This will remove small lines. In most cases the best value is the approximate line width of the original shape in pixels.
Dashed line: Set to true if you aim for a running stitch outline.
Line width (px): If you want to convert this directly into a satin column, set this to the satin column width. In most cases you would want to keep this value low, so it will be easier to check and correct the outlines before the conversion.
Cut lines: close gaps: Cut lines create gaps which can be closed by enabling this option. This option will only be useful, when no satin column conversion is planed.

Jump to Stroke

This will create a running stitch from the end position of the first element to the start position of the second element. Place this running stitch under following top stitches and avoid jump stitches.

Usage

Select two or more objects
Run Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Tools: Stroke > Jump Stitch to Stroke

Options

This feature will be part of an upcoming Ink/Stitch release. It is not yet integrated in Ink/Stitch.

Convert jumps no shorter than
Convert jumps no longer than
Connect only within groups or layers
Do not connect after trim, stop or forced lock stitches

Output settings options

Merge new strokes with previous/next stroke if same type
Merge subpaths

and for unmerged connections only

Minimum length of running stitch
Tolerance

Redwork

This feature will be part of an upcoming Ink/Stitch release. It is not yet integrated in Ink/Stitch.

Redwork is an old handembroidery method where the embroiderers made sure to stitch every line exactly twice.

This tool will replace your set of running stitches with a new set of running stitches in logical stitching order. The main difference to Autoroute Running Stitch is that it ensures that paths are traversed exactly twice.

Usage

Select the running stitches you wish to route
Run Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Tools : Stroke > Redwork...
Set desired options and click apply

Options

Connect lines below this distance (mm)

The redwork extension is able to render disconnected groups of running stitches in one go. On the other hand some of your lines may not be snaped onto each other which leaves small gaps. With this option you can define up to which distance those gaps shall be removed. Lines with a greater distance than this value will be considered unconnected. Unconnected groups have jump stitches in between.
Minimum path length (mm)

Remove shorter paths than this value from the result. Short paths can be a result of the routing operation (for example lines that are not snaped, but have a minimal overlap). Paths smaller than the defined minimum jump stitch length can usually be removed. But if there are consecutive short paths it will be better to lower the value.
Redwork stitch length (mm)

Sets the stitch length for all resulting paths
Redwork bean stitch number of repeats

Sets the bean stitch number of repeats for the top layer stitches (not on underpaths).