This app will allow you to upload a small text file that contains your pattern represented as a sequence of rows with X's for punched holes and any other character except space for unpunched holes. The program will generate an SVG file that can be imported into the software you use to cut material with your die cutter.
IMPORTANT!!! This app is currently considered Beta. As such, there may be bugs. If you see something that doesn't look right, please report the issue using the instructions at the bottom of this page.
Both upper and lower case X's are supported. The total width in stitches is determined by the number of characters in the first row. For example, the following text file has 4 rows and 12 stitches:
x-----x----- -x-----x---- --x-----x--- ---x-----x--
The generator will determine the number of horizontal repeats based on the number of characters in your first row and the type of machine. I.e., if row 1 contains 4 characters and you select a 12-stitch machine, the generator will automatically do 3 horizontal repeats: 4 * 3 = 12.
By default, the generator will do 1 vertical repeat. I.e., if your file contains 36 rows, the generated file will produce a 36 row card. You can increase the length by adjusting the vertical repeat before clicking the Upload button.
What this means is that you can design a simple 4x4 card and use repeats to make the card as wide or as long as it needs to be in order to work properly. For example, the following text file will generate a 24 row x 48 stitch card if you select a 24-stitch machine and specify 12 for the vertical repeat:
x-x- -x-x x-x- -x-x
If Generate blank card is checked, the generator will ignore the file upload and produce a blank card that can be manually punched. The width and length of the card will be determined by the type of machine and number of repeats. For example, if you select a 12-stitch machine with a repeat of 40, the blank card will have 12 stitches and 40 unpunched rows.
If Use solid fill is checked, the generator will draw the punched "holes" with a solid red fill. This will make it easier to "see" the holes if you're using the image as a template to manually draw or punch a card.
The resulting SVG file can be imported into any application that understands SVG. You can also display the SVG in some browsers. Neither the text file nor resulting SVG will be saved on this site. Be sure to keep them in a safe location so they don't get lost.
Silhouette users have reported issues importing SVG files or having to resize the SVG in Inkscape before importing. If you have trouble with the SVG file, try checking the Convert to PNG checkbox to see if that gives you a better result.
Depending on the software you use to view or cut the image, what you see on your screen may or may not be sized properly. If you'd like to calibrate your viewing or cutting software, check the Calibrate only checkbox and click Upload. That will generate a 100x100mm image with a 80x80mm red square. Determine the steps necessary to make your software display or print the square so it's exactly 80x80mm. Then use those same steps to calibrate your software for the generated punchcards. For example, my version of SCAL requires me to set the zoom to 114% in order to display the image at exactly the same size used to cut the card.
If both Convert to PNG image and Calibrate only are checked, the downloaded calibration image will be converted to a PNG image.
This program has only been tested using Sure Cuts A Lot on a Pazzles Creative Mighty. YMMV!
If you have questions or feedback, please contact beebell on Ravelry via private message, send me an email via my blog or log at issue on GitHub. You can collaborate with other PCGenerator users in the Computer Controlled Die Cutter Q&A thread on Ravelry.