How to extend "editable" area in pattern Editor?

[ronboley]

Table Skirt Full.mpcTable Skirt Prog4.ptnI'm trying to extend a pattern I scanned in to form rope edges on a longer length of table skirt...but I don't see any documentation on how to extend the editable area....any suggestions ?

[DickB]

Sorry, I looked at your project, but it's not clear to me just what you are trying to do.

[ronboley]

In the Pattern Editor, when you select "View", "Highlight Edit Area", a pink area around the pattern appears. This is apparently the "edit area" of your pattern. No where in the documentation have I found a way to change this editable area in order to add to the pattern. Since the pattern editor does not "copy" or "paste", the only way to add to the pattern is to "paint" in the added area....limited by the "edit area".

In my project I need to take the scan of a table skirt carving and extend it to add the remainder of the edge skirting to the carving. Since the designer software does not have the tools to carve this appropriately, I'm faced with adding it to the pattern before it comes into designer.

I've discovered a work-around. By "painting" an area at the edge of the "edit area" where I want to extend it, saving the (.mpw) file, then calling back into the pattern editor, the software has added another area beyond the painted area as editable. Doing this several times extends the edit area in the direction I need. Apparently the software automatically adds to the edit area when the file is loaded. Why no controls on this are included in the program is baffling.

The more I use it, the more I'm finding the pattern editor software (and designer as well) to be extremely limited...with NO cut and paste, no copy and poor controls on the graphic environment. You would think something as basic as this graphic manipulation would be inculded in even a simple program!

[fwharris]

I think that is the only way to expand the working area in Pattern Editor. Another possible option is when you are setting up your object to be scanned is to have it scan a much larger area around the object.

I also agree more tools (HEY JEFF ARE YOU LISTENING? ) features would be nice to have. The copy and paste has been on the long list for a long time now.

Other options would be to us another modeling software to create your design and then import it into the software..

[gregsolano]

One thing that might work is to export to a png or save to a png. I think you can do it in pattern editor but I don't have it so I am not sure. If you can then you can expand the area and manipulate it in a graphic editor software. I use paint.net and its free. then you can import it back into designer. Someone who has pattern editor can jump in but I believe I read somewhere you can export to a png.

[bergerud]

Could you not do that in Designer? Place the pattern on a board and add the extra area around it. A rectangle for example. Group and save as a new pattern. Now you can edit the new pattern with the extra area in the Pattern Editor.

[ronboley]

Seems like it should work but....I tried to do this thru designer. It will only "save as" a .mpc file and the pattern editor uses ,mpw or .ptn files.....How do you save as a .ptn in designer?

[bergerud]

Page 112 in the software manual:

http://www.carvewright.com/assets/se...are_Manual.pdf

[Jeff_Birt]

The original Pattern Editor would only let you work within the size of the image or scan you imported. So if your scan had an area on one edge that you needed to touch up you were out of luck. To combat this I added a feature that adds around 200 pixels to each edge of the pattern when it is loaded, this gives you extra working area. So if you loaded a scan from the memory card, save the project, and then reopen it and you will have more working area. One downside to automatically having this extra working area was that if you saved the pattern with the 'blank border' you will wind up with a rectangular recess around the pattern in Designer. So, when you save a pattern in pattern editor it automatically crops the pattern to the edges so you don't have that extra blank border.

[ronboley]

Found It! That seems to work too...thanks!