Embrilliance Stitch Artist Level 1

In August 2020, I purchased Stitch Artist Level 1 from Embrilliance,
to create custom designs for my granddaughter's memory quilt.
The primary use of Stitch Artist is to trace an image, adding edge stitches and fills,
to create a custom stitch design.
I love it!
I've compiled this page for my notes and links on using this incredible software.

Stitch Artist Level 1 Controls—Part 1 (17:40)
This introduces you to the essential skills/tools in Stitch Artist Level 1.

• Create button (0:10)
  Bring up the Stitch Artist Tool Pane.
  When the Create button is not depressed, you're in the normal Essentials/Enthusiast Selection mode.
  If you're trying to do something that you do in Essentials/Enthusiast, and it doesn't seem to be working/available, switch to Selection mode!
• Add an image (0:28)
  You will trace the image to create your design.
• Move objects (0:50 and 2:38)
  Use the middle green handle (‘hand’ tooltip) to move objects in Stitch Artist mode.
  This is different than moving objects in Selection mode!
  Note: Switch to Selection mode to (say) center the image in the hoop.
• Automatic image lock when stitches are added (1:40)
  This prevents inadvertent image movement as it is being traced.
• TrueType fonts (2:17)
  Use the fonts on your system to create lettering!
  Note: To ‘drag across’ in the Objects tree for multi-object selection, put your cursor in the blank space to the left/right of desired objects—if you click on the objects, you'll instead move them in the tree.
  To apply stitches to all lettering at once (as opposed to individual letters): select the letter design in the Objects tree; apply desired stitch type.
• View options (4:58)
  Toggles: image on/off; stitches on/off
• Create an outline (5:12)
  Select Draw with points:
  • Curved point type: click
  • Line point type: cntl-click (the segment before the point is a line segment)
  • Cusp point type: shift-click (allows you to enter/leave the point going in different directions)
  • Remove individual points during creation: use ‘Delete’ or ‘Backspace’.
    Note: If you use Cntl-z during point creation, it gets rid of your entire curve!
  • End draw mode: right-click; this also selects the object for editing.
  • End draw mode and close curve: cntl-right-click
  • Edit a point type:
    • Select an object (gives move/resize handles)
    • Click on a node/point to select it (move/resize handles disappear)
    • Right-click for point-type menu
  
  
• ‘Draw with points’ versus Freehand (6:08)
• Open versus closed shapes (6:52)
• Add a hole to a closed shape (7:54)
• Edit an outline (8:55)
  Drag nodes, or a section between nodes.
  Bezier handles: adjust the tangent line(s) to the curve.
  Toggle Bezier/spline.
  Add a point: double-click.
  Delete a point: highlight and press delete, or double-click.
• Magic Wand (10:03)
  Click on a color (like a white interior of line art), and it will outline the boundaries of that color.
  For crisp art with well-defined colors, this can automatically produce an outline.
  Even when it doesn't do a perfect job, it can give you a quick-start to image outlining, which you can then adjust.
  You can set sensitivity to color changes.
  Right-click to end the Magic Wand tool.
• Create menu: Outline (10:51)
  Green handle starts a shape; red handle ends.
  Open a closed outline at a selected node: the node turns red, then you can drag it away.
  Reverse points (11:30): switch points from one side of a curve to the other (perhaps you want a motif on the opposite side of a curve).
  Connect outlines (12:07): you might accidentally right-click to finish a curve, before you're done.
  Turn two separate shapes into a hole within an outline (12:54): use ‘Combine holes’.
  Separate a hole from a containing shape (13:30): use ‘Separate holes’.
• Designs versus Objects (13:56)
  A design is a collection of objects.
  Move an object between designs: it gets placed after the drop position.
  Put a new object in a desired place in the object tree: select the object that lies before the desired position of your new object; then, create the new object.
  Create-Design-Begin New Design
  Create-Design-Set current Design
  Create-Design-Combine Designs
• Entry and Exit (15:46)
  Only stitches (not ‘Artwork with no stitches’) have an entry (green bowtie) and exit (red bowtie).
  Drag the bowtie part to adjust the entry/exit; this may cause some areas to be stitched more than once.
  Thoughtful use of entry/exit positions can prevent jump stitches.
  Auto entry/exit (16:16): automatically eliminate jump stitches.
• Auto sequence by color (16:57)
  Reduce the number of times you have to change the thread.
  However, this may introduce jump stitches that will need to be trimmed.

Digitizing a Snowman Using the Magic Wand (6:38)
Practice the essential skills learned above, in a complete project.
Only new features are noted below:

• Zoom to Selected object (0:40)
  Keyboard shortcut ‘s’.
  Other zoom shortcuts:
  • ‘a’: All
  • ‘0’: zoom to hoop
    (Note: ‘h’ toggles show/hide the hoop)
• Pay attention to order of object creation (0:56)
  Group together same-color objects to cut down on thread changes.
  Every Magic Wand ‘click’ creates a new object.
• Prevent overlapping stitches (2:00)
  Create a hole in the body, to prevent white stitches beneath the black mouth.
  Cntl-c can be used to copy.
  Paste Over puts the copied object after the selection in the object tree (so it stitches over the preceding object).
  Paste Under puts the copied object before the selection in the object tree (so it stitches under the following object).
• Apply a fill; adjust inclination (angle of fill); adjust underlay (3:00)
• Apply stitches to multiple items at once (3:30)
  Cntl-click selects/deselects objects.
• Use the Stitch Simulator (4:08)
• Adjust entry/exits to prevent jump stitches (4:28)
• Use the Zoom slider (4:48)
  ‘1’ thru ‘9’ are real-scale zooms.
  For example, ‘1’ gives actual size, and ‘3’ is three times as big.
• Adjust problem areas (5:00)
  You can set your Preferences to use the scroll wheel to zoom (Edit-Preferences-Mouse Wheel).
• Fix registration error; fix a gap by resizing (5:20)
  By definition, correct registration is achieved when all stitches and design elements line up correctly.
  Magic Wand is never as good as drawing an outline yourself!
• Red dotted lines show jumps (6:20)

Removing Hidden Stitches in Original Creations:

• The Essentials ‘remove hidden stitch’ feature only works when the stitch objects are divided into separate designs (as opposed to individual objects within the same design).
• So, if you're creating pieces that will overlap, put each piece into a new design: Create-Design-Begin New Design.