Version History

This is an overview of all changes of StitchBuddy including its Quick Look and Spotlight plugins.

2025/03/21 (StitchBuddy 3.4.5)

• Text shapes support "right-to-left" languages

2025/02/11 (StitchBuddy 3.4.4)

• Internal App Store improvements
• Legacy Quick Look plugin removed
• Requires macOS 12.0 or higher

2024/11/15 (StitchBuddy 3.4.3)

• Dragging shape control points identical to anchors fixed

2024/11/04 (StitchBuddy 3.4.2)

• Stitch optimization is considering trim commands
• Better visibility of stitches on dark backgrounds

2024/08/25 (StitchBuddy 3.4.0)

• Background images
• Improved 3D view

2024/07/31 (StitchBuddy 3.3.6)

• StitchBuddy Creator: price info corrected

2024/07/30 (StitchBuddy 3.3.5)

• System requirements updated to macOS 10.14

2024/07/27 (StitchBuddy 3.3.4)

• Preview / Thumbnail extensions for macOS 12 and higher
• SVG import corrected (quadratic Bézier curves)
• This version crashes on macOS 10.13 and was withdrawn from the App Store

2024/05/23 (StitchBuddy 3.3.2)

• Rulers are indicating dragged mouse positions
• Context menu item to close all open subpaths
• Open subpaths are handled when filling shapes
• SVG paths with identical start / end points are closed
• Feedback if no SVG path was imported
• Quick Look plugin is reflecting thread numbers

2024/04/11 (StitchBuddy 3.2.6)

• Detail printouts are reflecting thread numbers

2024/01/01 (StitchBuddy 3.2.4)

• Janome RE36b hoop orientation corrected
• Additional help menu item (User Forum)

2023/12/17 (StitchBuddy 3.2.3)

• Reading VP3 designs fixed

2023/10/28 (StitchBuddy 3.2.2)

• Gunold Poly thread chart added
• Unintentional color changes fixed
• Minor improvements and corrections

2023/05/08 (StitchBuddy 3.2)

• Inserting lock stitches in shapes or selected stitches
• Reverse stitch order of selected stitches
• Rotate selected stitches by mouse
• Minor improvements and corrections

2023/02/07 (StitchBuddy 3.1.2)

• Filling order of shapes improved by considering connected areas, reducing jump stitches (video)
• Purchase options more consistent: "StitchBuddy Pro" required to purchase "StitchBuddy Creator"

2023/01/13 (StitchBuddy 3.1.1)

• JEF files were corrupted under rare conditions (12h time setting in a region with 24h default) - fixed

2022/12/09 (StitchBuddy 3.1)

• Create shapes from typed text with all fonts and by importing SVG files (requires In-App purchase "StitchBuddy Creator")
• Path operations lockable to horizontal / vertical / diagonal movements by holding the <Shift> key
• Supporting Janome Continental M17 (hoops RE20d, RE46d, SQ10d, SQ28d, ASQ27d / export option)
• Minor bug fixes
• Requires macOS 10.13 or higher

2022/07/01 (StitchBuddy 3.0)

• Adding stitches as outlines or fills of vector shapes
• Basting requires a loaded design (bugfix)

2022/06/12 (StitchBuddy 2.19.4)

• In-App purchase further fixed and more robust

2022/06/08 (StitchBuddy 2.19.3)

• In-App purchase fixed (re-purchase after a refund)

2022/05/15 (StitchBuddy 2.19.1)

• Sulky Rayon threads added / corrected
• News can be displayed from app menu
• Support web page added to Help menu
• macOS 10.12 or higher required

2022/02/11 (StitchBuddy 2.19)

• Durak Poly-Soft thread chart added
• News are shown at app launch (optional)

2021/04/14 (StitchBuddy 2.18.1)

• Complete Madeira Polyneon thread chart

2021/01/05 (StitchBuddy 2.18)

• Native support of Apple silicon (M1 processor)
• Title bar / tool bar appearance updated to macOS 11 „Big Sur“
• Flexible width of thread list
• Thread information incorporated in design files (no „.threads“ files)
• Automator Actions save operations in user folders fixed
• macOS 10.11 or higher required

2020/08/05 (StitchBuddy 2.17.4)

• Error handling when reading corrupted files fixed

2020/04/18 (StitchBuddy 2.17.2)

• Janome hoop RE36b added

2019/09/21 (StitchBuddy 2.16.1)

• Designs could not be saved under rare conditions, fixed

2019/02/17 (StitchBuddy 2.16)

• Dark mode support for macOS 10.14 „Mojave“
• „New“ menu item to create an empty design for merging
• Designs can be merged by drag & drop files from the Finder
• Touchpad support for zooming
• Zoom behavior changed to a fix scale
• Export procedure simplified
• Brildor PB40 thread chart added
• Minor improvements and corrections
• macOS 10.10 or higher required

2017/11/30 (StitchBuddy 2.14)

• Automator actions to convert design formats, change thread palette, and create PDFs
• New mode to select all stitches of one thread
• Template printouts with a second page for design details / thread colors
• Madeira Rayon colors added (#1422, #1469)
• Janome hoop ASQ18b added

2017/05/20 (StitchBuddy 2.13)

• iCloud support
• Only supported hoops listed in menu
• Hoops added for PES 1.0 (only for alignment)
• PES 1.0 supports 30,000 / 50,000 stitches (hoop M / L)
• Import of PES v10.0 files
• Fixed PES / PEC export with Umlaute in file names
• Janome hoop RE18 support

2016/11/09 (StitchBuddy 2.12.1)

• Bugfix: Quick Look preview corrected (was displaying always thumbnails)

2016/11/05 (StitchBuddy 2.12)

• Enhanced installation and update experience through exclusive distribution via Apple's Mac App Store
• Free trial version only limited by saving 1,000 stitches; unlocked version available via In-App purchase
• Option to delete hidden system files after USB export removed to comply with store guidelines
• OS X 10.9 ("Mavericks") or higher required
• New startup behavior: "Welcome" design is shown if no file was opened / restored
• Janome MC500e export option added

2016/06/17 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.11)

• Support for Janome MC500e hoops (RE10b, RE20b, RE28b, SQ14b, SQ20b)
• Flat-style toolbar
• Full Retina / high resolution support
• Hoop menu improved (hoop dimensions shown in gray)
• Update check fixed (did not receive any information)
• OS X 10.7 ("Lion") or higher required

2015/12/14 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.10.4)

• "Save as…" preselects the current file type (was broken since 2.9.3)
• Identification of writable file types improved

2015/07/03 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.10.3)

• Background colors can be printed (optional)
• Stitch optimization improved
• VP3 import fixed (for old files with thread offsets)
• Context menus work with <Ctrl> + left mouse click
• Purchase button is disabled after a valid license was entered

2015/01/09 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.9.3)

• Basting uses overlaps instead of locking stitches
• Import of VP3 designs corrected

2014/10/10 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.9.1)

• Template (real-size) printing fixed
• Minor internal bugfixes

2014/09/19 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.9)

• The thread list includes color indicators for easier identification
• Compatibility with TruEmbroidery installed in parallel
• DST export with national characters ("Umlaute") fixed
• Memory consumption improved
• Graceful handling of corrupted JEF designs (with too many color changes)
• Canvas size not smaller than 300 x 300 mm, improving the manipulation of combined designs

2014/06/20 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.8)

• The color list includes previews for each thread's usage
• The stitch-order of threads can be changed
• Threads can be split or combined, especially useful for monograms
• The canvas size is fixed, so the display remains constant while resizing / moving stitches
• Selections can be converted between regular and jump stitches
• The scroll performance was enhanced
• App and document icons updated
• Stitch optimization improved
• Open "Documents" folder by default

2014/03/15 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.7)

• X-ray view shows underlays when selecting stitches
• Madeira Rayon thread colors added
• Support of JEF+ file format (read-only)
• Support of Janome MC 9900 (new hoops)
• 64-bit only (32-bit support is dropped)

2013/08/30 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.5.3)

• Compatibility update for OS X 10.9 "Mavericks" (stitch simulator)
• Bugfix: Some rare PES designs were corrupted during their import

2013/03/01 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.5.1)

• Bugfix: Identification of jump stitches improved (PES import)

2013/01/20 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.4.6)

• Bugfix: StitchBuddy crashed under Mac OS X 10.5.8 ("Symbol not found: NSConcreteGlobalBlock")

2012/11/19 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.4.5)

• Read support for Janome JPX files
• Support of WonderFil Splendor thread charts.
• Menu item "Start Dictation" removed in OS X 10.8 "Snow Leopard"
• Minor enhancements

2012/07/31 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.4.4)

• Support of Coats Rayon and Trilobal thread charts.

2012/07/07 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.4.3)

• Application and plugins code signed to comply with Gatekeeper of OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion"

2012/05/31 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.4.1)

• Leading / trailing jump stitches are not included into selections.
• Enhanced PES support (additional color codes).

2012/05/11 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.4)

• Stitches can easier be identified in non-3D mode.
• Minor internal improvements.

2011/12/22 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.3.1)

• Bugfixes
  • StitchBuddy crashed on Mac OS X 10.5.x when opening any design. This was caused by using an internal function available since Mac OS X 10.6 (aka "Snow Leopard"), only.
  • By eliminating the title bar of the delay screen, it was impossible to enter a license code.
  • When the "Stitch Simulator" was closed after forwarding, but without running the simulation, the display showed an unfinished design.

2011/12/11 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.3)

• Stitch simulator to virtually embroider designs
• Full-Screen mode (requires OS X 10.7 "Lion" or above)
• Resume of open windows (requires OS X 10.7 "Lion" or above)
• Some minor Bugfixes

2011/11/19 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.2.3)

• Enhanced compatibility with other installed embroidery software

2011/09/16 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.2.2)

• Support for Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000:
  • Additional hoops: FA10 (100 x 40 mm), SQ14 (140 x 140 mm), SQ23 (230 x 230 mm), GR (230 x 300 mm), ASQ22 (220 x 220 mm)
  • USB export like the Memory Craft 11000
• Some minor Bugfixes

2011/07/23 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.2.1)

• The (obsolete) menu item "Special characters..." was removed
• Bugfixes:
  • The update check did not identify minor release changes, e. g. from 2.2 to 2.2.1
  • The text color of StitchBuddy-QL was changed to black for OS X 10.7 (aka "Lion"): Apple changed the background color of Quick Loop plugins to white
  • In OS X 10.7 (aka "Lion") the enabled / disabled state of toolbar items was not evaluated correctly after a printing operation was canceled
  • The application crashed if zoom factors were manually entered below or above their valid range
  • The version number was not correctly displayed after a design of a higher PES version had been saved as PES 1.0

2011/06/02 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.2)

• Write support for Brother / Baby Lock / Bernina PES 1.0 files
• Read support for Brother PES v9.0
• Read / write support for Brother PEC files
• Additional thread charts: Ackermann Isacord, Floriani Polyester, Fufu Rayon
• Basting settings are persistent (stitch length, distance)
• Bastings are started with locking stitches
• 3D effects are disabled while dragging (performance enhancement)
• Stitches are moved by the keyboard in 0.1 mm steps for more precise alignments
• Tool tips for all toolbar items
• Bugfixes:
  • Dragging a design to the Finder did not create a JPEG file if the file name contained special characters
  • Selected stitches could not be unselected using the <Shift> key
  • Jump stitches were not optimized when pasting stitches
  • Too long stitches were not split properly if located after jump stitches

2011/02/10 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.1.2)

• 3D effects improved (using gradients)
• Jump stitches are ignored when marking the first stitch
• JEF export: Handle color changes in combination with a jump stitch, which resulted in invalid files
• Proper alignment of PES files
• Export function supports MS-DOS (FAT12)

2011/01/27 (StitchBuddy / -QL / -MD 2.1.1)

• Bug fixed reading PES files: some regular stitches were considered as jumps
• Bug fixed displaying the toolbar: Sometimes the "Selection" control was sized too small
• Bug fixed changing the zoom level manually to some specific values, e. g. 60%
• Improved memory management when handling corrupted embroidery files

2010/12/21 (StitchBuddy 2.1, StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 2.1)

• Support for different measurement units (millimeters, inches with decimals, inches with fractions)
• Auto conversion of thread charts
• Selected stitches can be moved by Drag'n'Drop
• New function "Measure" to measure a distance in a design
• Designs can be copied as images or text by Drag'n'Drop, even to Mac OS X Finder (creating JPEG files)
• "Open" dialog reflects the application name to avoid confusions
• Several internal improvements

2010/11/07 (StitchBuddy 2.0, StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 1.4.2)

• Read support of PES files v5.5, v5.6, v7.1, v8.0

2010/04/16 (StitchBuddy 2.0.1, StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 1.4.1)

• Janome's MB-4 standard hoop M1 added
• Janome's new AcuFil Square Quilting Hoop (ASQ) added
• Janome's "any color" thread code is supported
• Some minor adjustments to improve the usability when switching between color modifications and selection modes

2010/02/12 (StitchBuddy 2.0, StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 1.4)

• Copy & paste, move, delete, flip, resize and rotate selected stitches
• Baste the outline of a design
• Undo / Redo of all modifications
• 1:1 template printout
• Enhanced color selector (highlights the selected color)
• Additional color palettes (Marathon Rayon, Poly-X40 Polyester)
• Selectable hoops
• Enhanced display and print options (hoop, rulers, first / last stitch, design center, structure view, individual background color)
• USB export for Janome embroidery machines
• New toolbar style
• Thread list scrollable
• Minor GUI changes according to Apple Human Interface Guidelines
• 64-bit enabled
• Window size / position memorized

2009/09/01 (StitchBuddy 1.2.1)

• Bug fixing of hidden scrollbars under Mac OS X 10.6 („Snow Leopard“).

2009/08/09 (StitchBuddy 1.2, StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 1.3)

• Support of KSM, PCS, PCQ, PCD files.

2009/05/01 (StitchBuddy 1.1, StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 1.2)

• Support of VP3 files
• Variable rotations
• Mac OS X color picker to select colors
• Support of color palettes (Brother, Brother Country, Janome, Madeira PolyNeon, Madeira Rayon, Robison-Anton Poly, Sulky Rayon)

2009/01/31 (StitchBuddy 1.0, StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 1.1.1)

• Color changes
• Flipping, rotating, center design.

2008/12/26 (StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 1.1)

• Support of SEW, DST and EXP files.

2008/09/27 (StitchBuddy-QL / -MD 1.0)

• Support of JEF and PES files.

2008/03/31

• First release of PESviewQL, a Quick Look plugin to view Brother PES embroideries (discontinued)

2008/01/04

• First release of JEFview, a Quick Look plugin to view Janome JEF embroideries (discontinued).