Projects/Liberty/Introduction: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 00:41, 29 April 2013

The Liberty Embroidery Project

Authors	David Boddie
	Robert Forsyth (purple-bobby)
	Anne Wilson (annew)

Abstract:

The 'Liberty' embroidery application, still has to deal with the closed world of embroidery file formats. The goal is to make an application suite which initially allows the user to organize and interchange embroidery files and projects, and later to create and edit projects.

The goal of any application is to be as simple as possible, but no simpler, provide intuitive interaction on a variety of platforms. Yet it has to be entertaining and fulfilling to use, so it is not so much showing – in-yer-face – how clever the programmer is, but showing how clever the user can be: given the right tools.

User Objectives

What is the main objective of the user of an embroidery application? What would an application provide? From Anne's emails:

Buy and Stitch users buy a pattern, save it to their computer, and load it on their machine to stitch it out. A preview of the pattern and a display of some meta-data (threads used, date bought and hoop size) and tags in the file browser would help them find a particular file.

Thread Substitution users change the colours or brand of threads used in a pattern, substituting one thread for another at a thread change stop during stitching. A list of threads used by a pattern, perhaps with length used and time to stitch, would aid correct substitution.

Broad stroke Amendments users mash-up existing patterns, removing parts of a pattern or placing several together as a new design. A variety of ways to accurately select stitch runs, components of a pattern or whole patterns in the design; and then to modify their colour, position, scale, rotation or just delete them, would help in this.

Embroidery Design users know the full gamut of aids available to make an embroidery design from scratch. A range of templates get the designer started and libraries of thread colours, stitch styles, patterns and previous designs based on the user's stock, help with completion.

Buy and Stitch and Thread Substitution users could make use of the same set of tools: plug-ins to extract preview and meta-data from alien pattern files, combined with a program or service to print the pattern full size with hoop alignment marks and a thread change list.

Broad stroke Amendments and Embroidery Design users could similarly use the same application, the tool boxes loaded into the docking areas, to the sides of the main work area, control what can be done to the design.

Stage 1 - the Design Gallery

Terminology

Pattern:	a file which can be sent to and be understood by an embroidery machine.
Design:	a combination of patterns and library elements, such as lettering, converted to pattern for stitching.

The Gallery

I think this would be preview and meta-data plug-ins to Dolphin/Konqueror or an Embroidery Gallery application which allows you to:

Send to a machine
Print a life-size template/guide and thread list
Filter by tags
Edit tags
Copy, Move, Delete and other file operations
Open Design to edit stitches/composition
Use Dolphin's Information panel to display metadata such as size, thread data

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 |}
-==Objectives of the Embroidery Application==
+==User Objectives==
-What is the main objective of the user of an embroidery application? From Anne's emails:
+What is the main objective of the user of an embroidery application? What would an application provide? From Anne's emails:
-'''Buy and Stitch''' - these users buy a pattern, (maybe) save it on their computer, and load it on their machine to stitch it out. They need preview and meta-data (tags) in the file browser to help them find a particular file.
+'''Buy and Stitch''' users buy a pattern, save it to their computer, and load it on their machine to stitch it out. A preview of the pattern and a display of some meta-data (threads used, date bought and hoop size) and tags in the file browser would help them find a particular file.
-'''Thread Substitution''' - these users change the colours or brand of threads used in a pattern. They need a list of threads used by a pattern, so that they can manually substitute a thread for another during thread changes during stitching. I think it would be useful to indicate the quantity of each thread, and show the effect of changing it on the pattern in a tool.
+'''Thread Substitution''' users change the colours or brand of threads used in a pattern, substituting one thread for another at a thread change stop during stitching. A list of threads used by a pattern, perhaps with length used and time to stitch, would aid correct substitution.
-'''Broad stroke Amendments''' - these users remove sections of pattern or add (library) components to the pattern. The tool here allows selection of an area – rectangle and circle/oval being the first need, then, if possible, a point-to-point selection that, when closed, will recognise the enclosed shape boundaries and jump to them.  Areas selected can be moved, duplicated, removed and combined.
+'''Broad stroke Amendments''' users ''mash-up'' existing patterns, removing parts of a pattern or placing several together as a new design. A variety of ways to accurately select stitch runs, components of a pattern or whole patterns in the design; and then to modify their colour, position, scale, rotation or just delete them, would help in this.
-'''Embroidery Design''' -  these users know the full gamut of aids available to make an embroidery design from scratch. A range of templates get the designer started – templates can be based on existing embroidery designs/patterns, (bitmap or vector) images, or blank canvas. The colours used can be optimised to reduce the number of thread changes. The workflow sees the design go from template to areas of colour, but with stitch direction hinting (from image analysis or user defined). The application will try to find the areas automatically, but with help from the user to prioritize. Double clicking an area gives access to an user defined sorted thread bank tool, giving selection of the available colours. The user can guide the stitch direction and length using a short drag gesture. A pattern resource library can be built, patterns selected and added/copied/cut from the design.
+'''Embroidery Design''' users know the full gamut of aids available to make an embroidery design from scratch. A range of templates get the designer started and libraries of thread colours, stitch styles, patterns and previous designs based on the user's stock, help with completion.
+'''Buy and Stitch''' and '''Thread Substitution''' users could make use of the same set of tools: plug-ins to extract preview and meta-data from alien pattern files, combined with a program or service to print the pattern full size with hoop alignment marks and a thread change list.
+'''Broad stroke Amendments''' and '''Embroidery Design''' users could similarly use the same application, the tool boxes loaded into the docking areas, to the sides of the main work area, control what can be done to the design.
 ==Stage 1 - the Design Gallery ==
@@ Line 36: / Line 40: @@
 {|class = "tablecenter"
 !Pattern:
-|a file which can be sent to a machine, to a USB stick or CF card, or used in combination with others in a design.
+|a file which can be sent to and be understood by an embroidery machine.
 |-
 !Design:
-|a combination of patterns and library elements (such as letters)
+|a combination of patterns and library elements, such as lettering, converted to pattern for stitching.
 |}
@@ Line 49: / Line 53: @@
 * Filter by tags
 * Edit tags
-* (Save) Delete and other file operations
+* Copy, Move, Delete and other file operations
 * Open Design to edit stitches/composition
 * Use Dolphin's Information panel to display metadata such as size, thread data