Support -> Sample College Curriculum -> Marking Lesson 1 Instruction

Marking - This lesson provides a step by step instruction on creating a marker, basic pattern nesting technique, and much much more.

Step 1: Press the New Marker button on the main toolbar to create a new marker. In order to set the working folder, do File->Set Current Folder command.

Step 2: Last used style shows up as the chosen style. In order to change the style, press the open style button.

Step 3: The Select Style File dialog shows up. Select the desired sytle from the list of styles. The window is packed with features. It lists the pattern names for the chosen style. If you click a pattern name, the preview windows shows the pattern display. The Find feature allows you to search for style based on flexible search criteria.

Step 4: Click the Front Image button to see the stored photo. The photo file may be created using the scanner feature built into StyleCAD program or can be created using other method. The file name for the front image needs to match the style name followed by the letter 'F' (for front) or 'B' (for back).

Step 5: Click the All button to show all patterns in the style.

Step 6: Enter the marker ID. The physical marker file name is the style name + '_' (underscore) + the marker ID + '_" + marker group name + ".mrk".

Step 7: In order to prevent errors, the program give a warning message for each pattern that has not been graded. Press the Yes to All if you want to skip warnings for all other patterns.

Step 8: Enter the marker width for each marker group. The marker group list is created in the style file. A marker group typically represents a different fabric required for the style.

Step 9: Enter the bundle count for each size. If the Copy Order Qty button is checked, the bundle count is copied automatically to all other marker groups. There are various lay methods such as One Way where all bundles are laid down in same direction or Per Bundle where every other bundle is laid down in opposite direction. For pairs, the Facing Pair option flips the opposite side and Only 1 side of Pair option removes the opposite side. The Tubular and Folded Fabric are for fabric that comes in tubular or folded form. The Bundle Shading option creates each bundle with the same size in slight different color shade for each bundle recognition.

Step 10: Click the Undo button D go back and reenter points. Each click of D removes the last point. There is not limit to how much you can go back. Click the End Mode button (default: C) to automatically close the outline and finish outline input.

Step 11: You can change the marker width at any time.

Step 12: You can change the bundle count at any time using the Order Reentry command. The order reentry tries to maintain the current nesting whenever possible.

Step 13: Use the Insert Pattern command to add pieces from the same style or other style.

Step 14: Use the Replace Pattern command to update the marker with modified patterns. The system tries to maintain the pattern placement whenever possible. If the replacement causes any pieces to overlap, the pattern is turned hollow meaning it is not placed (nested).

Step 15: Right click inside the upper rack and do Lower All Patterns. This lowers all pieces to the marking view.

Step 16: The Hang All button moves all unplaced piece to the upper rack Placed pieces are not affected.

Step 17: Drag a selection box around pieces to lower to the marking view. A single click over a piece lowers that piece only. Try different arrange methods for the upper rack using the View menu commands.

Step 18 : The slide tool (hand icon) is the default tool. Left click on a piece to pick it up. The piece follows the cursor around. Another single left click places the piece at the clicked location.

Step 19 : Drag a directional line to slide the piece in the pulled direction.

Step 20 : Right click on a piece to rotate it 180 deg.

Step 21 : Select the pattern info tool. Left click a piece to show detailed information. The Pattern Info window allows modifying pretty much all pattern data including name, bundle code, size, description etc. Minor pattern shape changes such as notch types and point type can be perform in the pattern view of the dialog. Try the right mouse click on a point.

Step 22 : Select the Flip tool. Drag a selection box around one or more pieces to flip them. A single left click on a piece flips that pattern alone.

Step 23 : Flipped pieces are shown in hatched fill. First flip flips the piece up down. The next flip is left to right. 2 flip operations are same as rotating a pattern 180 deg. 4 flip operations return the pattern to the original orientation.

Step 24 : The Anchor tool is similar to the Slide tool but it places the piece as soon as it makes contact with either other pattern or the border line.

Step 25 : You can get the program to pre-arrange the unplaced pieces in the marking view. All unplaced pieces arranged by the chosen method right above the marker border area. Right click outside the marker border to perform the Arrange By Style & Size command.

Step 26 : After the pre-arrangement.

Step 27 : You can define the behavior or the main marking tools. Select the Slide/Anchor/Pushpin Tool Options command.

Step 28 : Set the Auto Pattern Gap. The gap amount is applied between pieces when the Auto Pattern Gap mode is on.

Step 29 : Turn the Auto Pattern Gap mode on.

Step 30 : This is after sliding a few pieces with the auto gap on. Notice the gap between the placed pieces.

Step 31 : Select the Pushpin tool. Pick up a piece and place it overlapping a placed piece. You will be asked for a confirmation and if you OK it, the piece is allowed to overlap other piece. Sometimes, such operation can be used in tight space to save fabric assuming the overlapping area is small and does not compromise the quality of the cut.

Step 32 : Select the Show Pattern Overlap Areas command.

Step 33 : The overlapping area is depicted in red color. Make sure to check before saving the marker to avoid accidents.

Step 34 : Sometimes two or more pieces needs to be grouped so that they move as one. Select multiple pieces by dragging a selection box with the Shift key down. Without the shift key the pieces are simply picked up for sliding. Once selected, Shift Right click to bring up a popup menu and select the Group Selected Patterns.

Step 35 : The grouped pieces are shown in checker fill. Pick up any one of the 4 pieces and all 4 are picked up. Slide it and the entire group of pieces is moved in unison. The automarker can nest grouped pieces as if the group is a single pattern.

Step 36 : Select the Buffer tool (right click inside the marker border area for the command). The quickStep method is LMB + B. The buffer tool is used to add buffering around one or more pieces.

Step 37 : After entering the buffer amount each piece is surrounded by buffering. Buffering can be used to ensure very high quality cut.

Step 38 : Right click inside the marke border to select the Fusible Block tool. The quickStep method is LMB+F. Fusible block can be added to one more pieces.

Step 39 : The Hull type creates a enclosing shape around the selected pieces where the enclosing shape does not contain any concave corner. The Rectangle type creates a smallest rectangular shape that encloses the pieces. The Buffering type add fusible block that provides buffering around each piece.

Step 40 : Select the Rotate tool (LMB+R). Drag any part of a piece to rotate freely. Other rotation tools available are Rotate 180 deg tool and Rotate 90 deg tool. As mentioned earlier, the right click is a quickStep for rotate 180 deg.

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