Hello Mac App Store
And no worries for existing customers: In the past all StitchBuddy updates were provided for free, and this is not going to change: Install StitchBuddy's free version from the Mac App Store, and it will recognize your existing license code and unlock the Pro version with no additional charge. Please be aware that unfortunately I had to remove the function to delete hidden system files from USB sticks as it did not comply with store guidelines, and StitchBuddy requires OS X 10.9 or higher, now.
Please leave a rating / review in Apple’s Mac App Store to support StitchBuddy's development!
StitchBuddy 2.5.3 released
New releases of the iOS apps were sent for Apple's review in parallel, incorporating Facebook / Twitter integration and minor bug fixes.
New versions ahead
The bug fix still needs some thorough testing, but I expect minor updates of all (!) StitchBuddy products in the next weeks. The new version will also include a fix to support OS X 10.9 "Maverick", and Facebook / Twitter support for iOS ... and the mentioned limitation to iOS 6.0 (and above).
Surfing the first wave
The WWDC keynote made me curious enough to download and install very first versions of both operating systems, previews only available to registered developers: Although I was able to identify minor issues with StitchBuddy's Quick Look plugin and the stitch simulator on OS X 10.9, these might be caused by the very early state of Apple's preview. I will check again at a later more stable state, and I am confident to resolve any possible problem. iOS 7 is currently only available for the iPhone, so I checked StitchBuddy View, and found it working, yet with an unfamiliar appearance.
This was only a very first glance, both OS are still subjects to change in the next months, but it was fun surfing the first wave and finding my apps working well…
Update (2013/07/12): Apple has fixed the mentioned Quick Look issue with Mavericks 3rd Developer Preview (I filed a bug report), and I figured out how to fix the Stitch Simulator. I'll incorporate this minor change in the next update, and everything will be fine for the next OS X version.
Gaps and Jumps
This bug existed since the early days, but now it is corrected, and I just released StitchBuddy v2.5.1. While Mac users can immediately download from the web site, the iOS versions of StitchBuddy View and -HD will take some more days until they are approved by Apple.
Update (2013/03/06): StitchBuddy HD 2.5.1 was approved today.
Mac OS X 10.5.x crash corrected
Fortunately a fix was easy to apply, and StitchBuddy 2.4.6 is ready for download.
JPX / WonderFil support added
Unfortunately the support for JPX files is not as smooth as I wanted it to be: As a matter of fact the file extension ".jpx" is already reserved by another file type: JPEG 2000, a graphic file, so Janome made a bad decision using the same extension for their embroidery designs. Implications for StitchBuddy can be found on the related support pages (Mac, iOS).
Feel free to download the new version for your Mac here, or use the App Store update function on your iPad.
How to use Janome JPX Files
More Thread Charts
Update StitchBuddy for free on both, your Mac and your iPad... either in the App Store or from the download page.
Watch the Mountain Lion!
I just uploaded a very, very, very minor release of the OS X app and its plugins: StitchBuddy v2.4.3 is now completely code-signed to comply with Gatekeeper of OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion". In addition I tested all functions of StitchBuddy and the Quick Look / Spotlight plugins with the upcoming operating system, and everything is working flawless.
Some 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.
Simulator, Full-Screen, Resume
- Full-Screen allows you to edit embroideries without any disturbance from the dock or the menu bar, fully integrated with Mission Control
- Resume (aka "Windows Restoration"), prevents the status of open windows incl. zoom level, scroll position, selections / selection mode even if you close and relaunch StitchBuddy
An additional new feature for all users is the Stitch Simulator: This "Virtual Embroidery Machine" gives you a perfect impression how a design will stitch out in reality: The stitching process is drawn step by step, showing underlays, jumps, the color sequence, and all details. You can abort or pause a stitch out, adjust its speed, and jump to any position. StitchBuddy stays completely operational, so you can change zoom levels, view options, even select stitches during the animation. This function is extremely helpful to examine designs before stitching, and just for the fun of it I've added an appropriate sound effect (actually it's my wife's Janome MC350E).
StitchBuddy v2.3 is a free update for all registered users. New users are encouraged to download and test the full-featured trial version before purchasing a permanent license for USD 49.95 / EUR 39.95.
Coexistence with others
It turned out these customers were using other Mac embroidery software in parallel, and this software assigned file types to embroidery designs, StitchBuddy didn't know. For some reason this issue wasn't effecting all users of such a software combination, but only a minority; I wasn't able to reproduce it myself.
Fortunately this behaviour could be fixed by a small configuration change in StitchBuddy. Therefore a minor release v2.2.3 is available for download, and is still compatible with the PowerPC architecture (despite my former posting). But this version is expected to be the last one…
Bye bye, PowerPC...
After long considerations I decided to move forward, and StitchBuddy v.2.2.2 is the last "Universal" application, supporting both, the Intel and PPC architecture: Future versions with additional features will require an Intel processor, but StitchBuddy v2.2.2 will remain available for download.
So you might have noticed: StitchBuddy's summer break has ended, and I'm eager to implement some cool new things, finally with Lion and a new development environment ("Xcode 4").
Roar!
There's one small issue when viewing embroidery files with the Quick Look plugin: As Lion uses a white background, the white text (thread names, etc.) is unreadable. I will fix this problem with a minor release the next days.
Another problem unrelated to Lion was reported by a user, and will be fixed as well: StitchBuddy crashes after entering too small or too large zoom factors manually. Thanks, Gregor!
StitchBuddy 2.2 writes PES files
- write support of Brother / Baby Lock / Bernina PES v1.0 designs
- read and write support of Brother PEC designs
- three new thread charts: Ackermann Isacord, Floriani Polyester, Fufu Rayon
- some minor bug fixes and enhancements (look at the versions history for more details)
StitchBuddy v2.2 is a free update for all registered users. New users are encouraged to download and test the full-featured trial version before purchasing a permanent license for USD 49.95 / EUR 39.95.
3D View enhanced, bugs fixed
Together with this bug fix StitchBuddy v2.1.2 includes some minor enhancements, my favorite is the improved 3D view I mentioned earlier:
- 3D effects improved (using gradients): Much better visualization at higher zoom levels
- Jump stitches are ignored when marking the first stitch; until now it was always at (0, 0)
- JEF export corrected: Files were corrupted if a color change happened to be a jump stitch (rare situation with Janome Digitizer 3.0N)
- Alignment of PES files corrected: Offsets to the design's origin were ignored
- Export function supports devices with a smaller capacity (max. 16 MB), formatted with MS-DOS (FAT12)
As you might have guessed StitchBuddy v2.1.2 is a free update for all registered users, and can be purchased for USD 49.95 / EUR 39.95.
StitchBuddy 2.1 released
Feel free to download version 2.1 of the application and both plugins including the following new features:
- 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)
Starting today StitchBuddy and both plugins will share the same version number: As all modules are based on the same core functions, any modification will lead to new releases anyway. The same version number will avoid unnecessary confusions.
StitchBuddy v2.1 is a free update for all registered users and can be purchased for USD 49.95 / EUR 39.95.
Support of more PES formats
StitchBuddy v2.0.2 is a free update for registered users and as always StitchBuddy-QL / -MD v1.4.2 can be downloaded for free.
StitchBuddy reviewed by Jim Stutsman
These days Jim wrote a review in his blog "Online Sewing" and I'm really proud about his conclusion: "If you only work with purchased designs, then StitchBuddy is all you need for the Mac. It's the single best tool I've ever found for working with Janome embroidery designs, and that includes all of the ones available for the PC". Thank you, Jim!
More hoops and "any color"
- Now owners of Janome's MB-4 can select the standard hoop M1 (I just missed it for some reason) and the new AcuFil Square Quilting Hoop (ASQ) was added.
- JEF designs with the "any color" thread code (like some of Janome's quilting designs) are supported.
- Some minor adjustments were made to improve the usability when switching between color modifications and selection modes.
StitchBuddy 2.0
After four months of serious coding and one year after its first release, a major update of StitchBuddy is released. I won’t summarize all changes in this blog entry (some more details can be found in the version history), but now StitchBuddy has become a full-featured embroidery editor: You can select parts of a design and move, resize, rotate, flip and delete them. All modifications can be undone, real-size templates can be printed and a lot more functions were added. Just look at the feature page for more information. StitchBuddy-QL and StitchBuddy-MD were updated to support new thread charts and hoops.
To reflect these major changes this web site was completely redesigned, featuring a blog, some YouTube videos and a detailed FAQ section to answer all product-related questions.
StitchBuddy v2.0 is a free update for all registered users and can be purchased for USD 49.95 / EUR 39.95.
More Pfaff formats
Thread charts and VP3
Both plugins are updated as well to support the new thread colors and VP3 embroideries.
SEW, DST and EXP supported
Both plugins (StitchBuddy-QL and StitchBuddy-MD) are updated to read this formats.
StitchBuddy-QL / -MD released
I registered the domain stitchbuddy.de and created a small product website based on Apple’s iWeb, featuring some descriptions, FAQs, and screenshots. Both plugins can be downloaded from this site and used for free.
The developments of JEFview and PESviewQL are discontinued.