MPC to library

[Hank]

Is it possible to get an MPC file into designer library?

[Jeff_Birt]

Nope. They are completely different animals. Patterns (what is in the 'Favorites' library) are like clip art. They are individual 3D 'images' that you can use in a project. An MPC file is a container (sort of like Word document) that holds all the information about what patterns, lines, bits etc that you use in a project.

So, as you can see it would make no more sense to save an MPC file to the 'Favorites' pattern library than to save a Word document to a Clip-Art library.

If I misunderstood and you are asking if you can copy a pattern from a MPC file into the Pattern Library, the answer is also no, but just because Designer does not have that capability. I'm working on adding that to CBPE.

[zeke]

Two items covered here. Jeff, if I understand what your saying, if I create a pattern in a designer mpc file there is no way to make that a pattern? Hope I misunderstood this and that there is a way to make this happen.

Being a beginner designer and having created a design that I wanted to repeat on a single piece of wood / mpc file, I first tried to copy and paste the pattern and to my surprise the alignment of lines did not paste as it was copied some did, some didn't (see attached), ultimately it was different. That said, so if I wanted to copy several of the same designs on a single piece of wood / mpc file, it would be very painful to have to then adjust the lines and patterns of the pasted version so they match the original instead of copying and pasting working like it does in all other applications, you get the same result on paste as copy.

OK plan B, what is that, ahha an epiphany, I'll make this a pattern, sweet...., I'll just simply bring the pattern in over and over again. This makes a whole lot more sense than copying and pasting anyway. Can't figure out how to do that. I hope that there is a way to take these designs and make them into patterns and I just can't seem to find it! Just realized, the pattern is so small when looking at the whole board you have to zoom in to see it.

Seems like not being able to effectively copy and paste or create a pattern from a design that is homogeneous to the application with precise dims is a major user limitation for replication.

[Jeff_Birt]

A 'Pattern' is a 2D 8-bit grayscale image that represents a 3D relief. Imagine wrapping a piece of wire mesh over a 3D object. Starting at the top left corner of the object you measure the height of the object at each intersection of the grid wires. If you view a pattern as an image each pixel represents one of these grid intersections and the level of grey represents the height at that point. The 'Favorites' folder is a place to store and organize all your patterns.

An MPC file IS NOT a pattern, although a pattern could be part of an MPC file. Think of it like this, you store tires on a tire rack, tires are part of your car but you would try to put your car on a tire rack would you?

[zeke]

In conclusion, there is no way to create a pattern from any of Carvewright's software and the copy and paste feature in Designer is flawed. Did I interpret your response correctly?

[Jeff_Birt]

No, you most certainly can create a pattern, you just have to understand what a 'pattern' is. The vector paths in your example MPCs have nothing whatsoever to do with patterns.

The trouble you having is copying and pasting vector items within/between MPC files and has nothing to do with patterns. While Copy/Paste most certainly does work in Designer, it does has some limitations. If you have no constraints (attachments) placed on a vector object (line, etc) when you copy/paste between boards, the object 'constrains' itself to the center lines of the board (in other words it acts as though the object were constrained to the center lines). When you paste the object on another board the constraints follow.

Unfortunately, you cannot place constraints on groups of objects and position them as a group (although you can drag them as a group).

[zeke]

Jeff, thank you for your detailed explanation. For the sake of discussion, I'm going to use the term "design-pattern" for a design that anyone of us may create using designer.

I understand the copy and paste and the pattern discussions are totally separate. From my perspective and what I am trying to accomplish is "replication of a design-pattern created in Designer" either on the same mpc or in other mpc's. The only two ways I could think of doing this was either copy and paste what I created in Designer or better yet, somehow save the mpc design-pattern to the pattern library and insert it over and over from the library which is what it is designed for or least appears that way.

I figured out how to get around the copy/paste issue yesterday, but still would like to be able to create a pattern in an mpc file, then be able to store it in the pattern library. I guess I could always use an mpc file and have my own library of mpc's with patterns in them, but seems like Deigner's library would be more convenient.

Do you happen to have an example of an mpc file that only contains vectors and an mpc file that contains only a pattern (without vectors) where the pattern was created using Designer? Thanks for your patience and help with this, I've been in IT for a long time typically understand technical issues fairly quickly but I'm a bit perplexed on the explanation of vectors (sounds like what is created by using the out of the box tools in designer) not being part of a pattern, yet patterns can be created using designer.

[Jeff_Birt]

Rather than invent new terms, let's use the common terms as defined in the Designer help file:



The software package included with CarveWright can be used on a personal computer to create projects ranging from simple plaques and signs to complete pieces of furniture. Very much like a graphics editing program, the software allows you to create new projects, customize them with intuitive editing tools and libraries of carvings, and then save them to a memory card that can be carried from the computer to CarveWright.
Once a board is opened within the software, carvings may be placed upon it. The two general forms of carvings are paths, which use geometric shapes to define a rout or cut on the surface of the board, and patterns, which are three-dimensional artwork carved line by line with a fine detail bit.

Two-dimensional geometry may be defined in the software by means of basic shapes such as lines, free-form curves, rectangles, circles, text, and a selection of predefined special curves. Two-dimensional geometry may be manipulated and combined with other figures, then a router bit or selection of bits may be applied to create a rout or cut on the board. A carving cut is a special class of rout which uses the characteristics of v-groove and ball nose bits to produce carving effects such as vines, leaves, and half-moons.

The software comes with a library of pattern artwork, and new patterns may be purchased. Graphics can be imported from picture files in JPEG, BMP, or PNG formats. Patterns may be placed, sized, rotated, and merged together in various ways.


You seem to have a mental block with the term 'pattern' to the extent that it's preventing you from understanding its meaning in this context. I would suggest trying to use the terminology defined by CarveWright as outlined (to some extent) in the excerpt from the help file above. CW seems to call a single MPC file a 'piece' and there is also a MPJ file that is referred to as a project file, although in the open menu they are both referred to as projects and there seems to be no way to create an MPJ file (what ever it is). The point is a PTN is a pattern file and an MPC is a project file.

I would suggest reading through the first few sections of the help file as it will probably answer most of your questions.

[TIMCOSBY]

create the vectors in another program and save as png file then import and save in pattern library. i think. maybe.

[Durtdawber]

I'm going to jump in here on this topic. I briefly scanned the thread and wanted to add something that I tried last night in the CW software. Do these sets...

- open the carve list
- open the patterns list
- on a new board, draw a circle or square
- Now grab the item you just drew from the carve list and drag it over to the patterns list

You will notice that a red line shows up like if you were trying to move an object in the patterns list. This seems to indicate that you can move an item from the carve list over to the patterns list.

Unfortuanately, when you release the item in the patterns list, the program crashes. Anyone else getting these results?

[woodknack]

Ya I get the same crash. Thats probably why its a red line. Telling you that you can not do that. Would be sweet if we could.
What I have found is say there are a few patterns you like in a mpc file. Copy the pattern then open up a new designer and paste it to your board. Then when you get it the way you want save it as a mpc file. Thats about all you can do..