Using the Outline Shapes Digitizing Tool with Context Menu

The Outline Shapes tool is a primary digitizing function in DRAWings PRO XII, allowing you to manually create embroidery objects by plotting points. This guide explains how to use the tool in “Context Menu” mode to create curves, corners, and multi-section shapes.

1. Locating the Tool

You can find the Outline Shapes tool within the Digitize section of the Tools bar.

• If the icon is not immediately visible, hover your mouse cursor over the Digitize section to expand it.
• Select the Outline tool from the dropdown.

2. Drawing Basic Shapes

Once the tool is active, you can begin digitizing:

1. Left-click on the workspace to draw points.
2. By default, the software connects these points with a curve. The curve is automatically calculated to look natural based on the points you define.
3. Click and drag while drawing to manually adjust the curvature of the segment immediately.

3. Creating Corner Points (Straight Lines)

To combine curved segments with straight lines, you need to create “Corner Points.”

1. Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard.
2. Click to place your next point.
3. Release Shift to return to curve mode.

Visual Guide:

• Round Nodes: Indicate a curve point.
• Square Nodes: Indicate a corner point.

4. Managing Sections and Objects

A single embroidery object can consist of multiple separate “sections” (parts that are embroidered together with connecting stitches).

Using the Right-Click Context Menu

To control how your shape ends or continues, right-click to open the Action Menu:

• Finish Section: Finalizes the current part (section) but keeps the tool active within the same object. Use this to create a separate shape that belongs to the same embroidery object (connected by a jump stitch).
• Close Section: Automatically connects your last point to your starting point to create a closed shape.
• End Shape: Finalizes the entire object. Any new points drawn after this will start a completely new, separate object.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

You can also finalize shapes using the keyboard:

• Press Enter or Esc (Once): Acts as “Finish Section.”
• Press Enter or Esc (Twice): Acts as “End Shape” (Finalizes the whole object).
• To Release the Tool: Click the “Rectangle Selection” tool or press Esc again after the shape is finalized.

5. Editing and Corrections

You can make adjustments while you are still in the digitizing process:

• Delete a Mistake: Press the Backspace key to delete the last inserted point.
• Extend an Open Section: If you have an open section, hover your mouse over the start or end point until the cursor changes. Click and draw to add new points to that specific line.

6. Advanced Features

Grid Snapping

If you have the Grid View enabled, the cursor will naturally snap to the grid lines.

• Toggle Snapping: Hold the Alt key to temporarily reverse the snapping behavior.
  • If Snapping is On: Holding Alt turns it Off.
  • If Snapping is Off: Holding Alt turns it On.

Creating Holes

To create a hole inside an object (e.g., a donut shape):

1. Draw the outer shape.
2. Before finalizing the object (“End Shape”), draw a closed shape inside the boundaries of the first shape.
3. The software automatically interprets the interior shape as a hole.

Summary of Useful Shortcuts