This feature allows you to select an element and change it to another element. Besides being able to replace one element type with another element type, you can also add an element type to another element type. This feature can be used on all element types except Manual Stitch. For the different types of element changes that you can make, click here.
A walk stitch used to outline a design just doesn't seem to be wide enough to stand out on a "plush" type of fabric (i.e. thick fleece) that the design is being sewn on. In this case, you can select the walk stitch outline, click on the "Change Element Type" toolbar button, select singleline column, click "Replace". This will be a lot thicker and show up better on the fabric.
After creating a complex fill, it is a lot faster to use the "Change Element Type" to add a border to the fill instead of digitizing around it. To do this, simply create a complex fill, click on the "Change Element Type" toolbar button, select walk stitch or column stitch, click "Add". This is also very useful for changing fills to walk or singleline column for applique purposes.
When using the "Change Element Type" function, some minor editing may need to be performed after. This is especially true around corners of elements and first and last points of columns. You can edit your new element just as you would any other digitized element.
There are three different methods for changing element type. They are through the view window, the project view, or through the Edit Menu. You can convert one or more expanded elements.
Changing Element Type Through the View Window or Project View:
Select the element
Right click
Select "Change Element Type" from the pop-up menu.
Changing Element Type Through the Edit Menu:
Select the element
Click on the "Edit Menu"
Select "Change Element Type".
You can always edit an element that you have added or replaced.
When you have a complex fill selected that has a hole in it, you will get one element for the complex fill and another element for the hole.
You can also select multiple elements to change as long as there are of the same element type (i.e. all complex fills).
When you add new items, they will be inserted (in the project view "stitch list") directly after the element that they were created from except for the following cases:
When you create a walk, click on "Change Element Type", select complex fill, click "Add". The complex fill will be inserted before the walk because there is an assumption that the walk is supposed to be the border.
When you have created an element (i.e. fill or column) and choose to "Add" a "Singleline With Input Line". The Singleline column will always be inserted before the original element because there is an assumption that the singleline is to be the border.
If you use "Set Insert Here" in the project view, then the new items will be inserted at that location. This is especially useful when wanting all of your borders to be at the end.
To use "Set Insert Here", go to the desired location in the project view, right click, select "Set Insert Here". Whatever you create next will be added in the desired location.
Below are pictures of the dialogues for "Change Element Type":
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From Walk Normal Stitch to Singleline or Complex Fill. |
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From Complex Fill to Walk Normal Stitch, Walk Bean Stitch, or Singleline. |
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From Singleline to Walk Normal Stitch, Walk Bean Stitch, or Complex Fill. In the case of the Singleline Column, you also have the option to use the edge of the column or the input line. When using the "Edge" complex fill is no longer an option but singleline is added to the list. Using the "Edge" is used when wanting to put a border around a singleline column. |