December 7, 2023

A vector or raster graphic program for Tatting lace?



TatHelper draft diagram of a Pinterest tatting pic

edited...

Muskaan answered a question in the last post, she used templates, sometimes used Robin's free template, I guess the polar guide with 12 divisions for snowflakes.

That made me go to Robin's blog, tutorial page. 

Robin shared a great tutorial for graphing with Inkscape in 2015. Perhaps, that year or previous one, Gina Sh. gave us an Inkscape curse in the Georgia's Online Tatting Class, applied to tatting. You can use Paint.net and any other graph app, vector or raster too.

In 2014 I released TatHelper, thread module, to Tatting comunity on internet.

7 clicks/keys for an edging design
7 clicks/keys, an edging, but incomplete design

But those attempts didn't seem to success. Why? Maybe, it involves a lot of work just for drawing every shape,  name, save, load, locate, resize, rotate, move, look for another, combine, flip, etc, etc, etc. 

Tatters still use paper and pencil. Don't get me wrong. I prefer paper and pencil for many things. 

Designing already is a try and fail process and if you have to learn, try and fail a graphic program too, there is no doubt, you will give it up on using it. Period.

Did tatters think "another graph program yet" about TatHelper? 

I did. Even more, I asked myself why another program for manipulating parametric curves when there are so many donation supported good applications? Do I want so much work just for drawing a small bunch of rings and chains? Definitely don't. 

I had to rethink and look for another approach  

With 9 clicks/keys, an edging on the fly
9 clicks/keys, an edging in few seconds

What did I use to do as user? If the "solution" eased my life, used it, if it brought new troubles, why would I want it? I wouldn't, that's all.

As a tatter wishing to draw my design or just to see what comes up, if I easily got the shapes/figures and put it on a display, maybe clicking or pressing some keys, it could be an option. 

Another point to take into account is what and how. What shapes/figures, what size, how many combinations, and so on.

Have you ever notice how many stitches for rings and/or chains we mostly tat? As Jane Mc Lellan commented in previous post "it’s really been done long ago".

What's the most popular thread size to tat with? What's the second one? What are the equivalents?

Easy. This is it.

Just only have to consider non standard sizes for shapes. Or not only?

Make it easy for user. Remember that word. Easy.

What if I ...
TatHelper graph module

Would you mind sharing your ideas with us?

PD: I can't imaging why I can't comment/reply in my own blog.





2 comments:

  1. Can't say I understand all these technical/mathematical terms, but I have found my own Inkscape hacks to ease things along. Might not be perfect, but keeps me motivated enough to complete, LOL. BTW, I printed out multiple templates of a motif I've been using/tweaking in order to ink the count - worked beautifully. And I often use these to generate new arrangements. I like the edgings you created.

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  2. Uhm It seems I understood you wrong. If it works for you it's perfect. Maybe I'm lazy for that ;)

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