Extracting & adjusting pattern pieces

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Sterrie
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Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2023 7:18 pm

Extracting & adjusting pattern pieces

Post by Sterrie »

Hi,

I am working right now on shorting out some basic patterns from top to toe and I am struggling with some things. Not sure if I just sum it up or do topic by topic. So, I will just start with a combined item that is trouble me. Other than that I think it is great and easy to make patterns :-)

First of all when I extract a pattern it comes in the list of pieces. I started with a basic front top, basic back top and a basic sleeve. From that point I make more different versions and parts. To start a new version of top I past the basic pattern. However, when I past it, it isn't selected. Since the software remembers where the placing was it comes on top and now I have double lines. Is it possible when you past a 'pattern piece' or 'only element' that it is selected? (Then I can move it aside).

The other thing that I notice is that sometimes when I am trying to remove the double lines with delete and I deleted one too much (cannot see how much lines are over each other) very often I cannot undo deleting of a line. Therefore, I need to draw a new line for the straight it is easier fixed then with a bezier line. So, it seems that the undo/ redo button doesn't work on certain items. Is this correct? Can this get sorted? Or are there certain items that cannot be brought back after it is deleted?

Then the third thing that doesn't work great yet. Sometimes I change my mind because I didn't like a line of a pattern. But I found it hard to correct a pattern that is already extracted. When I do it within the 'pattern piece' it becomes a element and the pattern piece isn't corrected. If I don't select the right item (different page/ location) then the pattern piece isn't correctly aligned and lines shoot out or stand at the wrong place. I hope there is a quicker way for adjusting a pattern piece then deleting it and again extracting, renaming and moving it to the right number/order in the pattern list. Please let me know if there is a solution for this.

Thanks in advance for your help with these questions/ items!
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TiesOli
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Posts: 209
Joined: Mon May 13, 2019 3:13 pm

Re: Extracting & adjusting pattern pieces

Post by TiesOli »

Fantastic, Sterrie! Thank you for starting a great topic like this! :tu:

We're still shaking our heads over ourselves for not having made one proper "Getting Started" tutorial, because it would clear things up so easily. The little mini tutorials under Help are really no substitution for that. It will come! :oops: :geek:

The best practices:

Basic Construction Process
Create your "framework", your basic construction
Extract your patternpieces
Drop the patternpieces into New Sheet. This will leave your framework sheet untouched and you will never lose your fundamental construction.

Editing Patternpieces
Patternpieces can be modifies in many ways, but you may never delete any element of them, because this would dissolve their "polygons".
Move Point is the easiest approach for merely adjusting the shape of things, like changing the curvature of a bezier curve or adjusting lengths, if need be. There is even a symmetry mode that allows symmetrical adjustments, if one was working with unfolded patterns. However, with good care you may delete individual points with Move Point even on a patternpiece. But this should rather be a clean-up procedure than an editing, such as removing superfluous subdivisions on a line.
Move, Scale and Rotate while those can be used, they will only alter the entire patternpiece, but especially Move and Rotate are very important not only for layout purposes, but for Truing seams with other patternpieces. But there will soon be an even more convenient feature for that in the next update! 8-)
All Pattern Tab Features from Cut over Dart Transfer to various Slash and Spreads, these features are all designed to modify patternpieces while maintaining their integrity.

If you wish to do more radical editing, either alter your framework or Drop Elements Only into an Empty or New Sheet and do your changes. Then extract a new patternpiece.

All these concepts are designed to help you embrace and experience a lossless workflow with the most amount of control and clarity. But, again, we should truly make sure you get properly introduced to this approach. Once you know it, we're completely certain you will very much appreciate it and the power it gives to you. Because beyond that, there's virtually no limit to how you may choose to go at your way of drafting.

Undo and Redo include also the selection changes, which may look a little scary sometimes, but it takes away even more worries once you're aware of that. However, undoing radical changes to a patternpiece is sometimes not possible, but that's why we ordinarily won't destroy a patternpiece to which you have made such changes, but simply switch appearance in the sheet, taking away the actual patternpiece from the sheet and replacing it automatically with only its elements. Once you're aware of that, you will find yourself using that trait to your advantage, too. Your original patternpiece remains untouched in your patternpiece list and you can continue to work with it as well.

There are in White Rabbit a whole slur of invitations to go "rogue", with how you approach things without having to worry that anything would get lost. But all our recommended procedures should help you through almost anything you wish or need to do in your creation process.

We are always thrilled to hear suggestions or wishes, be that to offer explanations or to actually develop new features to make your wishes come true! :bl:

And now it's truly time for us to make those proper "Getting Started" videos. :bounce:

Again, Sterrie, that's a perfect post with great questions and observations. It helps us a great deal to see these challenges and address them. Excellent use of the forum! :beer: :hug:
MelanieH
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:06 am

Re: Extracting & adjusting pattern pieces

Post by MelanieH »

I’m still having extraction problems with just basic shapes…
M
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TiesOli
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Joined: Mon May 13, 2019 3:13 pm

Re: Extracting & adjusting pattern pieces

Post by TiesOli »

If you don't work with the mouse, but with the trackpad on a laptop, you may miss to use "snap", which automatically works when using the right mouse button. But there's the option to activate "snap" via the interface, which then always snaps and should make it easy to avoid any miniature gaps between lines. We still very much recommend using a mouse, though. It's so pleasant to work that way. It may seem like a brand new software to you!

Again, in the meantime, check in the menu bar for View -> Show Snap Button. It will bring up the little magnet symbol on the bottom left. Activate it and your mouse pointer will always snap!
MelanieH
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:06 am

Re: Extracting & adjusting pattern pieces

Post by MelanieH »

Thanks!
Will try that.
M
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