Smart Sizer Gold

Welcome to the Smart Sizer program. This software allows you to open various

embroidery files and change them in the way you, or your customer would like them. Designs can be rotated, mirrored, and combined with others, and laid out for use with

your machine!

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The Main Screen! Here's where everything happens! Across the top of the main screen lies the title bar. This will display the file name of the design you have open. If your are working in a new file, and have not yet saved it, it will display "untitled" as the filename. Immediately below the title bar is the menu bar. This contains all the commands that Smart Sizer provides. For instance, if you wished to save a design that you had open on your screen, you would click on File, then Save. Below the menu bar is the tool bar. This contains icons for the tasks most often performed. They are shortcuts, so you don't have to go through the menus just to print.

Toolbar

Menubar

FileName

StatusBar

Design

DesignHandles

ThreadColorsUsed

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In the middle of the screen lies the design grid. This is where all the designs you open are displayed. The size of the grid shows the "usable" area for a specific hoop size. Your design must fit within this grid. How to change the size of the design will be covered later in this manual (Options - Hoop Size). At the very bottom of the screen is the status bar. This relays important information to you, from what the icons in the tool bar do to how many color threads there are.

The Menu Bar

This contains all the commands available in this program. Everything is placed in its own category. Would you like to save a file or open a new one? You'll find it under File. Want to zoom in a little to get a closer look? Select Zoom In under View. Each category can be opened either by clicking on the word with your mouse, or by pressing ALT plus the underlined letter. For example, to open the File menu you could press alt+f. When you choose a command name that is followed by an ellipsis (), Smart Sizer Gold displays a dialog box so you can enter more information or select options before carrying out the command.

Under the File menu are several options: New - Click on New to open a blank work grid. A blank work grid will give you a place to paste a copied design or merge a design. Smart Sizer Gold may open multiple designs without having to close already open designs. To switch between open designs, go to Window and click on the design you would like to work with. (see Window for more details). Open - Click on this to open up an existing design. If the design was one of the last four designs used, you can also open it by choosing the design name from the bottom of the file menu. To open an existing document: 1. Click the Open File tool (on the tool bar - see

page 7), or choose open from the File menu. Smart Sizer lists the designs that are in the current directory or folder.

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2. Select the design you want to open. In the dialog box, you can also select a different drive and directory or folder. In Smart Sizer you can list all designs of one type by selecting the design type in the Files Of Type box. You can also type the complete path and filename in the File Name box.

3. Press Open. You saw that cute giraffe design, but you don't know what the filename is? Well, there's a special button on the bottom of the Open screen called Browse. When you click on the button, a window will appear where a drive and directory may be chosen. All the embroidery designs will be displayed as icons. Merely choose the design you want by clicking on it, and hit the OK. You can sort by the name of the file or by it's extension (.csd).

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Multiple file formats may be selected from when opening a file: GN Scalable (*.gnc) DOS expanded (*.exp) Tajima (*.dst) Babylock/Berina/Brother (*.pes, *.pec) Pfaff (*.pcs) Pfaff Macintosh (*.pcm) Viking (*.hus) Janome (*.sew) Poem/Singer EU (*.csd) Merge - This adds a design to an already open file. In this way two or more designs may be combined. Close - This command closes the active window. If changes have been made to the design you are closing and it has not been saved, you will be asked to do so. Save - Use the Save command to save changes to an existing file. The Save command saves your document under the same name with which it was last saved, replacing the previous version. When you finish a session with Smart Sizer, save your work before you close it. You should also save periodically while you work so that you don't lose your work in the event of a power interruption or hardware failure. Save As - Use the Save As command to save your file for the first time and give it a name. This may also be used to give the file a different name than the one it already possesses. Print - Printing transfers what you have on the screen (your design) to a piece of paper. Not only will the design print out, but it will also show the filename of the design, the size, number of stitches, and how many colors. Print Preview - This displays what the printed page should look like. You are given the ability to zoom in and out, or view different pages (if any are available). Print Setup - Here is where you can choose what printer you wish to print to, or the paper size and orientation you would like to use. Here's how to choose a printer: 1) From the File menu, choose Print Setup.

A dialog box displays a list of the printers that are installed for your system. 2) Select the printer you want to use. You can also choose the Properties button if you

prefer to change the settings for your printer. 3) Choose the OK button. Your printer selection remains in effect from session to session, until you choose a different one.

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Exit - This closes the program. If you have not saved your work, you will be asked to do so.

Welcome to the Edit menu! Here we have several commands that will help you modify your design. Undo - You can choose the Undo command from the edit menu or toolbar to reverse your last command or other action. Note though, that some commands cannot be undone. Redo - If you want to reverse the Undo command itself, choose the Redo command. Cut - Use this command to remove the selected design from the grid and place it on the Clipboard, replacing the Clipboard's contents. The Clipboard is a storage space in Windows. It can only hold one image at a time. Cutting or copying places an image to the Clipboard, and pasting copies from it.

Copy - Use this command to make a copy of the selected design and place it on the Clipboard, replacing the Clipboard's contents. Paste - With this command you can place the contents of the clipboard on your design grid. Select All - Selects the design or designs on your workspace. Select Next - If there is more than one design on your workspace (through copy/paste or merge) this command will cycle through them. Delete - Removes the design from your workspace. It does not go to the clipboard. If you think you may want to insert the design again, you may wish to use Cut instead. Mirror - This command has two options: 1) Horizontal - Flips the image on its vertical axis. 2) Vertical - Turns the image upside down. Center - This command has three options: 1) Both Axis - This centers the selected design on the work grid. 2) Horizontal Axis - This centers the selected design from left to right on the work grid. 3) Vertical Axis - This centers the selected design from top to bottom on the work grid.

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Rotate - A dialog box will pop up requesting the amount you would like to pivot the design. Degrees from 1 to 360 may be entered.

Welcome to the View menu! Zoom is our first choice, and it has two options: Zoom In, or Zoom Out. Zoom in magnifies the view of the design while Zoom Out reduces it. These are just view settings though, and have no effect on the way the design prints. Clicking on one of the Toolbar options will remove it from the screen. Clicking on it again will redisplay it. The same is true for the status bar. A checkmark will be present if a Toolbar or

Status Bar are turned on.

Here's the Options menu. Hoop Size - This command brings up a dialog box where you can choose the machine and size that the design is to be used for. As an example, you could choose Pfaff - large or Pfaff -

small. The workspace grid will shrink or grow to show the workable area available for that particular machine and size. Density Settings - Use this command to adjust the density of the embroidery pattern.

You may get better results on terry cloth by changing the density to 110%. You may get better results on knits by changing the density to 90%. Note that GNC formats are the only scalable formats. Preferences - Here is where the default "Save As" format is chosen. If you are someone who always saves their designs for a Viking, rather than having to change the file type every time you save it may be set here. For Viking/Husqavarna machines, there is an option here to Split at 12 color changes.

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You may also choose to make Pfaff PCS files 100% compatible.

The Window menu is for managing more than one open file. New Window - This command opens the same design in a separate window. On the window's title bar it will list the design's filename followed by a version number. For instance, if you had the design 61094.pcm open and clicked on New Window, another window with the same design would open. The title bar on the new window would state "61094.pcm:2" and the original window's title bar would display "61094.pcm:1" (because it was the original, or "1st").

Cascade - This stacks all the open designs in Smart Sizer Gold. The title bars of each design will show. Tile - The Tile command places each open window next to each other, shrinking the size of the window (but not the size of the design) so that they will fit next to each other. Arrange Icons - List of Open Files - Below the divider line you will find the list of open files. This can range from one file to as many as you decide to open. They will be numbered in the order they have been opened with a check mark next to the active file. The active file is the one you are currently working on.

The Help menu! About Smart Sizer - This displays the version information of the program.

Using The Keys Menus and their options may be chosen by keystroke rather than using the mouse. Lets say you wanted to check the version of Smart Sizer Gold. This information is contained in the Help/About section. Now, on the menu bar, the H in Help is underlined. This means that you may choose the help menu by pressing ALT+H. The ALT key is pressed because this is a main menu selection. A drop-down selection will

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be displayed just as if you had clicked on Help with the mouse. About SS Gold has the A underlined, since this is a choice on the drop-down menu, just press the underlined letter. In this case, it was the A. Keystokes can be used for more than just selecting menus and their items. The arrow keys on your keyboard will nudge a chosen design in the direction you desire. Its very helpful when you just want to move a design a little bit. If you have multiple designs merged, pressing CTRL+TAB will cycle through the separate pictures.

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Using the Toolbars Smart Sizer includes a toolbar designed to help you perform frequent tasks more quickly and to work more efficiently. The toolbar contains tools that you select to carry out commands or other actions. Just like menu commands, some tools carry out immediate action, while other require additional action, such as set size. M Note: You must have a mouse to use a toolbar. The toolbar may be moved by left-mouse-clicking on it and dragging it to a desired location (top, bottom, sides, or floating). It may be turned on and off from the View menu. Each button corresponds with the menu command of the same name. Choosing Print from the toolbar and choosing Print from the File menu does the same thing. The exception here is Batch, which is a mass file converter.

Batch is a command used to convert one or more files from

one format to another. Select a source drive and directory, then a destination drive and directory. These can be the same drives and directories. The batch converter will take all the embroidery files in the source directory and save them in the destination directory with the "Save As" format. "Include subdirectories" will allow the batch converter to access all the directories below the one chosen as a source directory. The Zoom commands increase and decrease the magnification at which your work is displayed. Each option has several levels that may be chosen.

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Select Design - This is your main pointer. This wil select the entire design, even if the colors have been seperated. Select Color - When you use this pointer and click on a color in the design, everything but that thred will be selected. This allows you to move or remove the rest of the design and leave the chosen thread in place. Rotate - Unlike the Rotate command in the Edit menu, this command is activated by dragging rather than by entering a value. When this command is chosen, a handle will appear in the upper right hand corner of the design. Merely click on the handle and rotate the design to where you would like it. The design will pivot on its center. Insert Color Change - Allows you to select a thread and add a change of color. Delete Color Change - Removes a thread color change. The thread color switches to the color immediately to the left of it on the color bar. The first color (the color on the far left of the color bar) cannot be removed. Set Size - If a design or portion of a design needs to be resized exactly, first select what you wish to resize, then choose Set Size. You will be asked what you wish to set the new size to. The first number is for the width and the second number is for the height. Note that the numbers entered are 1/10th of a mm. Set Position - This command will allow you to specify

the design's position numerically. The first number is the horizontal position, the second number is the vertical. If you just wish to center your design, use the Center tool below. Mirror Horizontally - Flips the image on its vertical axis. Mirror Vertically - Turns the image upside down. Center - This centers the selected design on the work grid. Center Horizontally - This centers the selected design from left to right on the work grid.

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Center Vertically - This centers the selected design from top to bottom on the work grid. Hoop Size - This command brings up a dialog box where you can choose the machine and size that the design is to be used for. The workspace grid will shrink or grow to show the workable area available for that particular machine and size. Override Density - Use this command to adjust the density of the embroidery pattern. You may get better results on terry cloth by changing the density to 110%. You may get better results on knits by changing the density to 90%. Next Color - This displays a single thread color. Clicking on this repeatedly cycles through the thread colors in use. After all threads are displayed individually, the full design will be shown. Previous Color - The same as Next Color, except that it cycles in the reverse order.

The Color Bar

The color bar is used for changing the colors of a given thread. Every thread in a design has a color, and each color is represented in the color bar (it's right above the status bar). If you would like to change the color of a thread, simply click on the color it currently has and a color picker will appear. Choose the new color and hit OK. The thread color will change on the color bar and in the design.

The workspace grid will vary in size depending on the machine and hoop size you are currently set up for. Both of these may be set in the Preferences menu.

The heavy dashed lines show the center of the grid. The small dotted lines are spaced 10mm apart, creating boxes 10mm square. Finally, at the very bottom of the screen is the Status Bar. If you do not see the status bar, got to the View menu and place a check mark next to Status Bar.

The left area of the status bar describes actions of menu items as you use the arrow keys to navigate through menus. This area similarly shows messages that describe the

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actions of toolbar buttons as you depress them, before releasing them. If after viewing the description of the toolbar button command you wish not to execute the command, then release the mouse button while the pointer is off the toolbar button. The right areas of the status bar indicates: Indicator Description Size The size of the selected embroidery elements. The first number is width,

the second is height. Pos The position of the select embroidery elements. This is relative to the

center of the grid and the center of the design. The first number is for horizontal position and the second number is for vertical. If the center of the design is to the right of the center of the grid the first number will be a positive number, if it's to the left it will be a negative number. If the center of the design is higher than the center of the grid the first number will be a positive number, if it's lower it will be a negative number.

St The number of stitches in the design(s). Clrs The number of colors in the design(s).

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Ring of Butterflies Here's a quick example of using some of the features of Smart Sizer. First, we'll start with a basic butterfly design.

By selecting the lower right hand design handle with the mouse, we can click and drag it up to the left, reducing the size of our design.

This design is a little too large for what we want to do. We'll have to reduce the butterfly design to fit the other three (to make our "circle" of butterflies).

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Great! Now it's the right size. Go to edit, then copy. Next click on paste. Now we have our second butterfly!

The butterfly is facing the wrong direction though. Easily solved! Click on the Mirror Vertically button and presto!

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Another click on the paste button will give us our third butterfly. We'll just move it off to the side we need it on.

Here's where Rotate comes in. With our new butterfly selected we'll use Rotate from the Edit menu and enter "90" as the value. Hit the OK.

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Much better! Now we'll copy the butterfly and paste it where we need it.

A simple click on the Mirror Horizontally button sets our butterfly in the right direction. It's a little plain still, so let's add a center piece.

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We'll do this by going to File from the menu and choosing merge. Now we'll choose the design that will make our centerpiece.

Well we have our picture, but it's too large to fit in the middle. We'll resize it using the Set Size, since we know exactly what size we want it.

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Almost done! Now just press on the Set Size icon and enter 200 for width and height (that will make it 20mm square).

That's it! Now we can save it or print it!