Embroidery software is no different so, if you want a sequin function, then you will have no choice but to buy the level that includes that and just accept the fact that you will also get a lot of stuff that you neither need nor want. This has two main implications:

1. You may be paying more than you need to, and
2. The software may not be as user friendly because you may have to fight your way through other plug-ins and functions to get the one you really want.

What would be ideal would be if someone came up with a system where you could buy and install just the features you want, making the software more compact and, maybe, not so memory hungry. Well Wings has done just that and has called it, surprise surprise, Modular.

Wings is well known in embroidery software circles. Its software has been around for years both in its own right and in badged formats for other vendors. The software is good because Wings concentrated firstly on two of the most important areas of embroidery: text and stitch quality.

Once these were up to scratch then the rest could follow. Unfortunately some program developers seem to think that bells and whistles are more important and so start at that end instead. Wings has always worked on the principal of "get the basics right and the rest will follow". As with other software houses, it went the route of levels and the mainstream software works on that principal.

The latest version of Wings XP for instance, as supplied by Your Embroidery Services (YES) is available in six levels and if you are not going too far up the ladder then this is fine. It is those times when you need a feature that is in one of the higher levels and find that it is going to cost you quite few pounds to get it.

This is where Wings Modular comes in because you can buy just the feature you need. There are of course rules that have to be followed because some features are software dependant on other parts of the program. For instance, to include sequins in a pattern it has to be digitised so you have to have a digitising module before you can use the sequin plug in. Wings though has even made this easy by producing a flow chart that shows what depends on which and how you can put it all together and, if you still cannot work it out, you ca always contact YES, who will be only too pleased to help you sort it out.

Without a doubt Wings Modular is something different on the embroidery software front and this alone should be applauded. It is easy to follow the norm but Wings has decided to break rank and develop something different, giving consumers the choice between their standard software packages or Modular. It won't suit everyone but at least now you have the choice.

Auto-digitising software

Auto digitising software has been around for a number of years now but, until recently, there were serious questions asked about its viability. For the early versions of this sort of software to work properly everything had to be just right. The artwork needed to be of the sort rarely seen by embroiderers and, unless the pattern was easy, a more than decent amount of editing was required before the design could be stitched. Then a little program called DRAWings appeared on the scene, which changed everyone's perception of this style of software. In a very short time the bar was raised again with the introduction of the latest version, DRAWings 4. With the arrival of this package, autodigitising really has come of age.

The original program was a combination of embroidery software from Wings and graphics software from a well known manufacturer. Although the two plugged together seamlessly the fact of the matter was that you were still using two pieces of software. From a development point of view this had advantages, as each of the software houses monitored their own expertise resulting in quality from both angles. The aim though was to eventually combine these into one single program. This way there would be a single source code linking the two areas resulting in more stability and compatibility. Wings finally came up with the answer in DRAWings 4.

This version, which first appeared earlier this year, maintains the high quality stitch engine that Wings has become well known for, but combines it with a built-in designer module. This has its own tools, allowing the user to convert ideas into 3D embroidery in real time with the software automatically regenerating the embroidery parameters. Cleverly though, the user can still use their favourite graphics software if they want to, even though standard tools such as shapes, node editing, copy/paste etc. are all included within the program.

As mentioned previously, early versions of this software needed, at least, very good art work. Many embroiderers were, and still are, given an embroidered garment to work from and those of you that have already experienced this will know that it does not scan well and the resulting art work is poor. Even programs as good as DRAWings4 won't be able to do much with this as, before it can convert it to stitches, it needs to convert it to a vector image which it does by way of a "tracing engine". The old saying of "rubbish in, rubbish out" is just as true with embroidery and the worse the scanned artwork is, the worse the vector image will be and poor embroidery will be the result.

DRAWings4 gets around this in quite a neat way by allowing you to input the actual embroidery pattern (in any standard machine format) and then convert it to a vector image from which the new pattern can be generated. To give it even more flexibility you can convert just some of the pattern to a vector, if that's all you need, and make your edits. New tools even allow you to add text or combine it with another design.

So, the pattern is ready but you may want to be sure that it will fit on your machine or you may want to know what size hoop or frame to use. Well, DRAWings4 helps here as well because it not only has all of the standard size hoops already embedded in the program but it also allows you to generate your own frame sizes.

On a more technical front this new version is also compatible with the latest multi-core processors and Windows operating systems and includes output to a greater number of machine formats including all of the well known industrial ones.

Without a doubt auto-digitising has changed beyond recognition over the past few years but the introduction of DRAWings4 has taken it to a new level. This type of software is now definitely viable and should be given serious consideration by embroiderers and even, dare I say it, by studios as well. If you're into very arty and intricate embroidery then it may come up short but, as much of the dayto- day work of the embroiderer is based on simple patterns, DRAWings4 is a program that will fit easily into a standard embroidery arena without any problem.

For more information about DRAWings® 4 or Wings Modular go to the Software/Embroidery section at http://www.yesltd.co.uk/

Tel: 01623 863343

Email: sales@yesltd.co.uk