I notice if I select "export patterns" it says it will convert my dress shop patterns to be compatible with My Pattern Designer...do I want to do that?

quote:

I notice if I select "export patterns" it says it will convert my dress shop patterns to be compatible with My Pattern Designer...do I want to do that?

No. It never got working properly on the MPD side. Sorry...

thank you...I'll just ignore that then!

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I notice if I select "export patterns" it says it will convert my dress shop patterns to be compatible with My Pattern Designer...do I want to do that?


No. It never got working properly on the MPD side. Sorry...

Will this feature ever be fixed? I think many people only bought MPD because we were told that we could transfer our patterns from DS to MPD. I, for one, have been very disappointed about this.

I notice that there has not been a response to this. I went back through the archives and found this from Oct. 2006

Posted 21 October 2006 11:22 AM Hide Post
quote:
I purchased MPD awhile back but am disappointed and haven't used it because I can't justify purchasing the very same patterns I already own with DS Pro6. Is this going to be addressed for DS6 users?


We have been working on this for some time. The Dress Shop pattern options are determined on a pattern by pattern approach, which requires an immense amount of code specific to each pattern. Dress Shop has that huge code burden (which makes it run slower) while MPD uses a different method to determine pattern options, based on the menu choices made to get the MPD pattern.

Getting reasonable MPD option menu options (blouses do not get pants yokes, for instance)requires a converter utility that takes all of those unique Dress Shop patterns and fits them into the very different MPD menu and option structure. We have been working on it for months now and it is close, but just not there yet.

We hope to have it soon. When it works, the Dress Shop pattern export will be free to anyone that wants it...

DressShopBob
(Bob Clardy)

I cannot afford to repurchase patterns that I already own. It doesn't seem that it would be that hard to give us pattern credits in MPD for those patterns that we already own in DS.

How long will Dress Shop continue to be supported?

Thanks,
Renee

quote:

I cannot afford to repurchase patterns that I already own. It doesn't seem that it would be that hard to give us pattern credits in MPD for those patterns that we already own in DS.

Before there was Dress Shop, sewers often got their patterns from McCalls, Simplicity, and Butterick. Most of them did not write to Simplicity and ask that Simplicity give them duplicates of their Butterick patterns because they could not afford to buy them again. Rather they simply used their Simplicity patterns when they wanted those clothes and their Butterick patterns at other times. At least, until the paper wore out.

With both Dress Shop and MPD, the patterns do not wear out. You can vary them and reprint them forever. And, there is no reason that you cannot run Dress Shop whenever you want a Dress Shop garment. Since Dress Shop patterns are going to last as long as compatible computers are available, we have decided that our development resources would be better spent working on the patterns that are not yet in either system. There are still many of those, of course.

quote:

How long will Dress Shop continue to be supported?

That's like asking how long David Letterman will be on TV. As long as he lives? As long as he enjoys doing late night comedy? As long as his network believes that his brand is more profitable than alternatives? Nobody can offer any guarantees about any of those questions.

Dress Shop will continue to be supported as long as it sells well enough to cover development, publication and support costs. For now, that is indefinitely.

The current version of Dress Shop is 6 years old now and considered a "mature" product. It includes support for a large number of programs, collections, and pattern packets that have been released over the years. There are 9 different versions of Dress Shop itself at this time (Dress Shop 5, 6, and 7 include versions variously named Basic, Standard, Deluxe, and Pro) plus 21 major collections, 20 Sew-By-Design products, and 61 pattern sets. With the most recent additions to Dress Shop, it has become increasingly difficult to support and maintain those older products while adding new features that do patterns differently.

For that reason, Dress Shop 5 and Dress Shop 6 will no longer get future updates. The current versions of each of those products will be maintained, but not added to further. New features and releases will be for Dress Shop 7 only. And, the latest Dress Shop 7 update has been in test for some time now and will be released this week.

Similar to the recent MPD Winter Collection, the new Dress Shop product adds a yoked skirt, a 4-gore skirt, improved raglan sleeves, improved pockets and new hoods to go with the hoodie patterns. There are shorter jackets and longer vests and other new pattern variations that have proven popular this season. There are also new sewing instructional articles and 26 new patterns.

Will Dress Shop be supported with new patterns in the future? Yes. As will MPD and they will not be identical and you can use either or both as you wish. Buying MPD does not take anything away from the Dress Shop you have. They are just different and can offer different possibilities and options, design tools and adjustments. MPD will continue to be the research and development product because it is much more flexible and powerful. Dress Shop will continue to reap the benefits of that as the more popular features or patterns are migrated into it. But, they will never be quite the same as there are some underlying design differences in the way armholes, crotch curves, side seams, and other key pattern design elements are handled. As similar as Butterick and Simplicity, but also as different.

Thanks for your answers to DS and MPD.
I still did not see the answer to my original question.
Whatever happened to the feature when MPD first came out that inspired me to buy it in the first place? This feature was that we could export patterns from DS to MPD, with little or no problem? Is this a workable feature? For instance, I purchased a pants collection in DS which included all the pants patterns available at that time. Are these all transferable to MPD?
I have not tried doing this for a while, but I did when MPD first came out. It was not easy and I don't recall having any success. My question is, is this feature something that, if it does not work easily, will be maintained or improved upon? Or, has this feature gone by the wayside?

I would also like an answer to your question but I do not beleive that you will receive one.

In addition to the post in Oct. 2006 (see earleir post in this thread), I found this one from Feb. 2007. .......We have been working for some time now on revising the MPD options so they work with both MPD patterns and with Dress Shop patterns. We are close to having that work now, but not quite. I believe that with the next update, we will have that properly supported and you can bulk import all of your Dress Shop patterns into MPD and get reasonable options for all of them.

Until we have that fully working, though, getting Dress Shop patterns into MPD is hardly worth the effort. Just MHO, though....


Have Fun! ......

There are several issues here.

1. Both posts tell us that we will be able to use our DS patterns in MPD. One of them specifically says it will be free.

2. Purchasing decisions were made based on the promised ability to be able to use our DS patterns in MPD. In other words, MPD was purchased with the expectation that we could use our DS patterns and there would be no additional cost.

3. This functionality has not been delivered as promised. In order to use DS patterns in MPD we have to repurchase them as MPD patterns.

As a consumer, I feel promises were made that persuaded me to purchase a product but those promises were never fulfilled.

Thoughts????

I don't want to get into a debate about "he said, she said." My recall/expectations of DS/MPD are different but that's ok. I have a different perspective and you asked FWIW.
Technology is a wonderful thing. It's amazing how far we've come and how fast things have changed. The downside is that any thing computer related eventually gets outdated and maybe obsolete without upgrades. My $5000.00 embroidery machine I bought in 01 uses floppies. If I don't upgrade it (for a price) the embroidery part eventually will be useless. Same w/ my software being compatible w/ my OS, etc. Do I like having to upgrade...no, but I do for things I use/like/enjoy. Hopefully, you bought MPD when it was released at a big discount since it's not what you thought/expected. I like both, they're similar but different in what they offer. Luz

If you are saying that these posts are just my recollection, you are wrong. You can confirm the posts that I copied into the replies by searching the chats for yourself. The comment from Bob Clardy was copied directly from a post in this list. This discussion has nothing to do with software being obsolete or paying for upgrades. I paid to upgrade to MPD. But, when I am told I can use my existing DS patterns in MPD, then I purchase based on that, then that functionality is never delivered, that is something completely different.

Warning - long post.

Along this line you will find that if you go into DS and save the pattern in MY patterns with the lengths, flare, necks etc that you wish to use...You CAN open that saved pattern in MPD and print from there. The only advantage being a slightly faster print out. I have even opened a saved cape in MPD and printed it there when there are no capes in the MPD catalog.

I would like to take a moment to further explain some of the differences in the way design elemenents are selected to create a pattern between the two programs.

Many of you speak more than one language. The programs speak different languages. Many of us speak English but idiomatic differences abound between American English and Canadian, UK/ British or Australian English. The difference in language is far greater than these regional variances.

Dress Shop has named patterns that are built with pre selected defaults and options. Many of those options may be user defined. Such as select a standard neck and adjust from jewel to vee to scoop etc and user define both the widths and front and back neck depths. If you want a casual fit blouse you go to womens>blouses>casual fit and select the named pattern. If you own every single ever released DS pattern/collection you have about 700 choices.

MPD Builds patterns very differently. With approx 120,000 choices before you count the optional choices!

You still select by class such as blouses(11) or skirt then the side seam/dart type, ie. darted or undarted,(which greatly effects how the side seam drafts) this sets the next set of numbers blouses =11 darted/side seam=2 neckline choices standard =1 sleeve type adds another menu selection # set it to set in sleeves =2 then finally the hem type finish another 1.

Each number selects the blouse pattern design elements so 112121 is a pattern that has a default fit of standard but under the option menus can be form fitting, stretch, woven standard, semi, relaxed or even unfitted.

In other words the menus from one do not translate to the menu types of the other program. MPD can not "read or translate the term " 'casual shell' which has no pattern number selections telling the program what choices are made. Even though it usually can load it as a saved pattern but only as saved pattern. Which means it can not give you all the options that the DS casual shell pattern Can have in DS. It is locked to what selections you made when you saved it.

It's key to recall that NO one is taking your DS patterns away from you. You can reprint any or all of them any time you wish to in any chart,or any modification of charts.

60 free patterns come with MPD PRO and 30 free patterns come with MPD Standard.(see File>load patterns). All were popular 'standards' derived from the Dress Shop product line which you still own! Many early upgraders also got a number of bonus free pattern credits to spend when and where they wished.

When you desire something you can not do in DS you will most likely find that capability all ready in MPD. If you want just one specific pattern and not an entire collection you can purchase patterns with credits in MPD one at a time.

The cami is a good example: I love to wear cami's under a blouse, or even stand alone at home in the summer- or on the beach, but I want one that I can adjust the length on to a point I like between abd and hip. The DS cami is limited to a specific length adjustment- it drafts to waist. The only way I can lengthen it and accommodate a hip curve is with a pencil.

The MPD cami has more length choices such as at waist, abd, abd +2, hip and all plus or minus 5 inches. We also have multiple design options. not just what we call a lingerie neck, but 15 different selections including halters, and to save verbage bare shoulder garments which we call cami scoop and cami vees. These are NEW patterns and don't exist in DS.

If you want a waist length cami with or without darts and a lingerie neck print the owned DS version. If you desire something new or different open MPD.

Finally one more point- Pants! DS does not draft paints the way MPD can. The crotch formula is new and in my opinion a very enhanced draft in MPD.

There is a major difference in using a preset user defined body depth value on the chart, and a refined and enhanaced percent of front and or back hip that MPD uses that establishes crotch curve breaks and extensions.

The thigh value is used in MPD pants drafts and is not used in any of the standard DS drafts except for the slim fit pant.This allows for an improved leg fit.

Kaaren

Whew! Kaaren, that was a lot of information! I often wondered what the difference between the two programs was, until I recently printed a pattern scale of a pants and shirt from each program. MPD drafts a closer fit with curves, and DS drafts a boxier fit. I like that I can draft a boxier fit if I want to make a garment for art wear: Less curves to throw off an applied design. When I want to make something for someone to follow a more fashionable silhouette, I pick MPD. I admit that I use MPD more often because of the slopers. When I am sewing for someone, I can get a quicker fitting sloper without multiple trials. Makes the customer happy. (makes ME happy).

Background: In my career as a software developer, I have worked on software that sells for millions of dollars. We were always creating new functionality that would result in either upgrades or new products if the changes were substantial. If customers bought the new product, they were always provided with a way to move what they currently owned to the new product. They never “lost product” because they opted to buy the newer functionality. If we made promises to customers and they bought based on those promises, you better believe we delivered. The legal department would see to that.

My expectations: The Export option was supposed to allow DS users to export their patterns into MPD. What does that mean? To me, it means that if I own a pattern in DS I should be able to export the ownership of that pattern into MPD and use it in MPD. What does that mean? If I owned a camisole in DS I would also own a camisole in MPD. A camisole in MPD contains more design variations in MPD than it does in DS but it is still a camisole. Because I paid for the new software with new functionality, I would expect that the exported DS pattern would have all of the new functionality I purchased when I bought MPD.

The Measurement Import works exactly as I expected the pattern Export would. . There is nothing that says these measurements came from DS so they cannot work the same as new measurements created in MPD. They were imported and converted to work with the new MPD functionality.

When MPD was first introduced, we were told that MPD drafts better and provides more functionality. I was reluctant to purchase because of the investment I already had in patterns for DS. When I found that I would be able to Export my DS patterns into MPD, I decided to purchase MPD.

Yes, I can still use DS, but that is not what was originally promised. I have no desire to keep running 2 sets of software and maintaining 2 sets of measurements. I want it all consolidated into MPD.

I understand that there are technical difficulties involved in delivering what was promised. If you cannot fulfill your promise in the way originally intended, then you need to provide remediation in another form. One solution would be to provide ownership in MPD for each DS pattern. Then you would avoid having to figure out how to do an Export.

I would like to conclude this discussion with one final question. It requires a simple Yes or No answer.

Are you going to provide either the Export functionality promised or some other solution that provides the same end result? YES or NO.

quote:

I would like to conclude this discussion with one final question. It requires a simple Yes or No answer.

Are you going to provide either the Export functionality promised or some other solution that provides the same end result? YES or NO.

I had thought that this forum could be a useful tool to communicate between customers, developers, and publishers. Customers would share wishes, needs, and preferences. Developers could discuss what they are working on (or thinking about working on) and get customer feedback on how it should work. The publisher would announce what is actually being provided.

The difference between a conversation and a commitment is in the actual product advertisements, be they in a magazine, mailer, or on the web site. Buy this product and get these features. That is generally considered binding, even though such claims do not always work out in the software world. Such is software.

If some readers of this forum are going to interpret a discussion about features in work as a binding commitment of some sort, then clearly those discussions should no longer occur. It is a shame when a benefit enjoyed by many (the creative effect that conversation with customers can have on future product development) must be curtailed because of the demands of a few.

You own Dress Shop. You have lost no patterns because of your purchase of MPD. So, you have no losses. You purchased MPD because of a feature that had not been advertised and perhaps that was a mistake on your part. I, too, have purchased software that did not do what I imagined it might. The question you should ask yourself, is what value is there in MPD for you? If there is none, then don't use it.

I too think that enough has been said on this topic, but I will add one brief anecdote regarding the relative value of MPD patterns. When it came time to test the Dress Shop version of the Winter Collection, not one of our beta testers was using Dress Shop anymore. Not one of them wanted to actually make the patterns using Dress Shop because MPD is faster, more powerful, and more convenient. It took us far longer to get the patterns working well in Dress Shop as the MPD versions were much better on the early attempts. We got there with Dress Shop, but it was trickier to do new fit and feature variations and so the adjustments needed to make something new took longer than with MPD. And, finally, when we were done with it, I got notes from several of the testers stating that they were hurrying back to MPD for their real sewing work because they just preferred it over Dress Shop when they had the choice.

Perhaps you should try using MPD with some pattern that you do not already have in Dress Shop and you might find the value there that others have been enjoying.

Please send me an email address where we can discuss this further. I take issue with many things stated in your latest reply including what is binding and what isn't. This is especially true when the function was actually in some of the releases of software but never worked.

I happen to know you can't just say software will do things when it won't. That is called fraud.

You have my email address on file.