At Autometrix we understand that manufacturing is a complicated process, and that optimizing or automating any part of that process can save time – and money. We just announced two new ways to do just that – we call them Workflow and Templates. But we want to remind you that Workflow and Templates are only available with PatternSmith 9.
Get PatternSmith 9 to Use the New and Updated Tools
This new version of PatternSmith has all of the features that you loved in PatternSmith 7, like compatibility with Eastman and Gerber cutting machines, and better support for plaid and patterned materials including auto-nesting. We also listened to you, our customers, and made the pattern editing tools easier to use, based on your input. We think you’ll like it.
Here is a full list of features that were added to PatternSmith 9:
- Convert circles to points: this feature is used when a punch is desired instead of cutting a small circle.
- Pattern Colors: improved the user interface and added the ability to use a slanted stripe pattern.
- Circle Creation: Circles can be specified by radius or diameter.
- Thin Tool: Improved thining routines for better point spacing and smoother curves.
- Perimeter Detection: Improved perimeter detection to more reliably find the correct perimeter and make it easier to find breaks in a perimeter.
- Modify Text Elements: Allows the user to change attributes of all text entities in a project at one time.
- Modify Notches: Allows the user to change attributes of all notch entities in a project at one time.
- Anchor Tool: This tool allow the user to get evenly spaced points, lines, or circles on any entity.
- Templates: an improved version of our TailorMade program. Parametrically control patterns to resize them. This is an add-on feature to PatternSmith.
- WorkFlow: PatternSmith is now compatible with WorkFlow. WorkFlow is a standalone product to improve production efficiency by reading in a list of orders and creating PatternSmith files that contain patterns grouped by materials.
Plotting:
- Added the ability to have a user-specified gap between the last pattern and the cutoff tool.
- Improved Common Line Removal
- Display conveyor “bites” in the plotting window. A dashed line representing the next convey line moves down the plotting view as the job progresses.
- Conveyor Advance: Cutting head moves to the start point of the next pattern during conveyor advance.
- Framing: This feature allows the user to cut patterns longer than the table.
- Job Finish Position: added an option to “park” the gantry at a user-specified distance past the end of the nest.
Import/Export:
- Improved spline output in DXF.
- Apply DXF import options to all files when multiple files are selected.
- Export a Gerber cut file. (.gbr, .nc , .cut, .iso)
- Export/Import an Eastman cut file. (.cmd)
Nesting:
- Manual nesting on horizontal an vertical strips, and plaid/patterned materials.
- Automatic nesting with Scapos on horizontal strips and plaid/patterns.
- Implement Alternating Stripes.
- Improved handling of “zero” copy spacing.
- Added a preference to control the default amount of time to AutoNest.
- Mark order options:
○ Mark entire table, then go home and pause.
○ Mark entire table, then continue without pausing.
○ Mark first on a Pattern by Pattern basis.
- When nesting a group of patterns that are pre-arranged in a nest already, they will automatically snap to the lower left corner of the nest view.
- Placement Groups: Added the ability to put patterns into placement groups and, with the Scapos AutoNester, nest the patterns by groups and keep them together on the table.
- Initial Copy Rotation: Allows a pattern to be nested using its current rotation in the project view or a user-specified rotation as it’s initial rotation when dragged to the Nesting View.
- Duplicate – Copy/Array: make copies or arrays of patterns in the Nesting View.
- Rotate a copy a user-specified amount.
- Identify Flipped Patterns: Patterns flipped in the nesting view have an icon in the project view showing horizontal, vertical or both flipped.
Bonus!
- Pattern Properties have been moved to the right hand toolbar
- Nest/Table Properties have been moved to the right hand toolbar.
- Printing: Print patterns and nests.
- Added a Spanish version of the help manual.
- New Pattern: The New Pattern tool is used to extract a single pattern from a pattern that contains multiple patterns. It can now maintain the patterns original location in the project view.
- Show Pattern Labels: Shows pattern names in the Project View all the time.
- Pattern Area: PatternSmith will subtract internal cutouts from area calculations.
- Material Library Filtering: See only the groups you want to see the Material Library.
- Added Vertical Stripe and Plaid/Pattern materials to the Material Library.
And finally, here is a quick review of Templates and Workflow in case you missed our previous blogs.
Templates Automatically Generates Patterns in Other Sizes
Here’s a scenario that many of you are familiar with. You create a new pattern for a size 10 women’s shirt. But then you need patterns for that same shirt in a wide range of sizes. It used to take a bunch of math to figure out the measurements for those new sizes. Now, the Templates PatternSmith add-on can do all of that for you – in seconds. Just open your pattern in PatternSmith and tell the Templates plug-in which sizes you need – the software will generate perfect patterns for all of the sizes you need. No math required.
Workflow Consolidates Project into a Perfectly Optimized Process
Our new Workflow software helps out a little later in the process, and it doesn’t just save time – it saves money in the form of reducing fabric waste. Many manufacturers figure out which patterns to cut on a given day by sorting the projects by material. Cut all the blue pieces first, then move on to the yellow pieces. The problem with that is you end up with a bunch of blue fabric with a few pieces cut out of it. Workflow looks at the whole order and sorts all of the pattern requests by fabric – it organizes the whole order by color and size and spits out a consolidated project that includes the optimal progression for all of the patterns at once. Then PatternSmith nests and cuts the entire order for you. Done.
Want to try out PatternSmith 9? Download a free 30-day trial now. No credit card required.