Q.

I get the message "Failed to create empty document" and SymblCro fails to open when I try to open it.

A.

This error message you, and others, are getting may be the result of a failure to create the application window and has nothing to do with a document at all.

This problem is all too common in Windows 95-98-ME.  I did some research  and have not yet found a working solution.  I am working on the problem, because I want you to be able to use SymblCro.

 

Q.

When SymblCro opens up, it only shows an empty screen.

A.

SymblCro opens without a pattern.  You must either create one or open one.

 

Q.

How do I open SymblCro Help without opening SymblCro?

A.

Double click on the icon for SymblCro Help on your desktop.  If the icon isn't there, Open Windows Explorer and find SymblCro.chm in the folder where you installed SymblCro, then double click on it.

Q.           

 I get the message "The Page cannot be displayed"  or "Action Cancelled" when I try to access SymblCro Help.

A.

This problem may occur when the .chm file is on a network server instead of a local machine, as part of Microsoft's attempt to protect you from dangerous help files.

 

You may also have this problem if the full path to SymblCro.chm has non alphanumeric characters or two numeric strings separated by a space.  Others have solved this problem with other help files by turning off the ReadOnly attribute on the file.  One solution might be to copy SymblCro.chm to a directory with a short, simple path, like /Test, then open it by clicking on it in Explorer.  This won't help with opening it from inside SymblCro but at least you might be able to read and print the help file. 

Q.           

When will SymblCro run on the MAC?

A.

 I have no plans to port SymblCro to the MAC.

Q.           

What files do I need to run SymblCro?

A.

 With XP, all you should need are SymblCro.exe and SymblCro.chm.

Q.           

What are all those files in the SymblCro directory?

A.

SymblCro.exe (the actual program), SymblCro.chm (the help file), and any .dll files are part of the install package and necessary to the application.  SymblCro.ini is the configuration file for SymblCro, created the first time you ran the application.  SymblCro can run without it, but you will lose your customizations. Edit it very carefully.  SymblCro.log is the file where SymblCro tracks your activity and reports operating problems.  You can annotate it also.  SymblCro does not need it to run; as a matter of fact, you should clean it up on occasion.  If you want to report a problem to us, you should send the log file along with the report.

 

For each pattern, there is a pattern.pat and pattern.rtf file.  ("pattern" is the file name you chose when you created the pattern.)  The .rtf file has the text you entered in the text pane.  You can import it into a word processing program or delete it.  The .pat file has the information to draw the pattern in the diagram pane.  Without it, SymblCro cannot work with your pattern.  Errors in it can produce strange drawings indeed.  Edit it with extreme caution.

 

   Using SymblCro

Q.           

How do I do anything at all in SymblCro?

A.

The Help file has a walk through, "Example of Editing a Pattern".  It is a mini tutorial on starting and editing a pattern.  (If you can't open the help file, see the Q on Help file problems in the previous section.)

Q.           

How do I get to the Context Menu?

A.

The Context Menu comes up when you right click in the diagram pane, on the left side of the SymblCro window.  Right click where you want to place a stitch, and the Context Menu should just come up.

Q.           

After I have worked a bit on a pattern I want to create a few variations but I don't want to start all over or lose the version I am working on.  How do I create copies of a pattern that I can then edit separately?

A.

So far SymblCro has no "Save Version" feature, but if you want to create variants of a pattern, you can close a pattern at a "Save" point, then copy the .pat and .rtf files into another name.  Then you can open either of the versions and continue working.  If you do this, I suggest you open the Pattern/Settings to edit the pattern name and put something in the comment section before you forget what you've done.  You can also write some details into the text pane.

Q.           

Why is it so much work to position a single stitch?

A.

After my first attempts at writing this program, I realized I had to choose between allowing the user flexibility or simplicity.  And I chose flexibility.  So, you can place, change, or delete any stitch anywhere, but you have to place every stitch.  At least if you decide to replace popcorns with clusters you don't have to frog all the way back to the first popcorn.

Q.           

How can I place stitches evenly?

A.

Turn on the grid by typing CTRL+G and adjust the section count in the top of the pane to change the grid lines.

 

There are several ways to place your stitches so they are upright and\or  even.  The AddEven features will place stitches evenly within the specified bounds on the current row, pointing away from the center.

If you want to add the stitches all the way around, choose AddRowEven from the action menu and specify the type and number of stitches in the dialog.

To space them between two points on the row, set the stitch and count at the top of the pane, right click on the start point, choose AddEvenTo, then left click on the end point, remembering SymblCro will place the stitches counter clockwise between the points.

If you want to add a number of stitches spreading out at the top, you can create a Shell in the CustomStitch/Multiple editor (Tools).  That will allows you to place the tops as well as the feet of the first and last stitches, once again, counter clockwise.

You can change the section count to get more spokes in the grid, and enlarge the Zoom factor. These appear at the top of the pane. 

Adding the shaping stitches evenly before putting in the joins helped quite a bit.

Q.           

How do I erase a particular stitch?

A.

To erase a particular stitch, right click on it with the mouse.  A menu should popup near where you clicked. This has several selections on it.  One of them is RemoveStitch (with the h underlined).  You can click on it with the mouse or type h.  The stitch you right clicked on will be deleted.  SymblCro requires a certain amount of precision for the right click to be sure the wrong stitch wasn't deleted, so sometimes you have to move the mouse a tiny bit and click again.  

 Q.           

How do I create more stitches?

A.

SymblCro has a Stitch Editor which allows you to "decorate" and combine the basic stitches.  Open the StitchEditor from the Tools menu, or from the CustomStitch List which you open from the View Menu (click the Add button).

In the stitch editor select either Single, Multiple, Picot or Bullion/Clones.  When you create your custom stitch, you also enter a name and abbreviation. Click either Save or Add to Pattern to Save your stitch.

 Q.           

 How do I use Custom Stitches in my pattern?

A.

SymblCro  keeps a catalogue of all your custom stitches, but you must specifically add to the pattern those stitches you want to use in that pattern.  This is to keep your stitch choice lists from getting too long.   To see your entire catalogue, open the Custom Stitch List from the View menu.  Add an existing custom stitch to the pattern you are working on by selecting the the stitch and clicking the AddToPattern button.  If you create a new stitch in the Stitch Editor, you may add it immediately by clicking the AddToPattern button, which also saves the stitch to your catalogue.

 

After you add a stitch to your pattern, the stitch will appear in all stitch choice lists where it is valid, including the Context Menu.

Q.           

Can I create knots or anchored (Donna Kooler's linked or locked) stitches?

A.

Currently, SymblCro doesn't have symbols these stitches.

Q.           

Where is the Copy/Paste feature?

A.

You can select a portion of your pattern and copy or delete it. SymblCro also has a motif" feature that allows the user to create mini patterns. These copies and motifs can be inserted multiple times into the pattern.  The Help files describe how to use these features.

Q.           

How do I do rectangular patterns?

A.

You can't do it with SymblCro yet.  SymblCro was conceived to fill the need to create symbolic patterns in the round.  The shape options in the

   SymblCro of the Future

Q.           

Will any patterns I enter in the Demo version still work with a retail version?

A.

Any patterns you enter with this version of SymblCro will work with future versions of SymblCro, so you won't be wasting time and effort if you work it hard.  I will add features to make it possible for users to exchange patterns and motifs as well.

Q.           

What will be available in the retail version?

A.

Anything I say in answer is only a plan, not a promise.  SymblCro should have more user customizations, user selectable background (like an image of a doily), printing the pattern description along with the text, additional stitch modifiers such as long and make-stitch-in-this-chain, row numbering, row coloring and boldfacing....  (Feel free to add your own dreams in the Forum.)

 

I think about releasing two versions of SymblCro.

 

  a less expensive one which allows hardcopy as the only output

  a more expensive one which would allow the chart to be saved as a jpg or bmp to be inserted into a "document",  printing construction instructions for the more elaborate custom stitches.

   Philosophy

Q.           

Will I live long enough to finish all my WIPs?

A.

Fortunately, no.