One of my new sewing buddies is also a computer programmer for IBM and
gave a visual I think might be of interest to all of you:

When a house is built, all the electrical wires begin at a breaker box.
One breaker box feeds wires to the various rooms in the house. If, when
you send a wire to a bedroom you notice that the breakfast room is on the
same path as the bedroom wire, you can splice into that bedroom wire and
create a plug in the breadfast room for the toaster. When the wire
eventually gets to the bedroom, you also might want to splice another plug
for the light in the closet, another splice for the computer in the
bedroom, and another splice for a light box on the ceiling fan. In
essence, you have probably overloaded the original wire with a bunch of
splices. The problem is noticed when you turn on your stereo in the
bedroom while someone is toasting bread in the breakfast room and the
lights dim in the breakfast room and the bedroom. Multiply this by four
bedrooms, three bathrooms, a dining room, a living room, a den, a utility
room, the kitchen, the garage, and whatever else rooms you have. Put a
few splices on each of the wires coming out of the breaker box, and you
have overload that causes lights to dim and fuses to blow.

From Annette's original "wires", many others have been added to the
"breaker box" and many splices have been made on the original "wires".
All these have been made in good faith, but if the math within the codes
is off, the fuses blow. Going back to trace where the splice took place
is like trying to find the one light bulb on your Christmas tree lights
that is causing the whole string to not work.

My DH is an architect and the author of an AutoCad textbook. In his
desire to help us, he has illustrated the vectors, the xyz points in
space, etc. It ain't easy folks, but it can be done. If it couldn't be
done, buildings would be falling down with regularity.

Does that help? Kelly

There is a little problem with your description.
Bob Clardy built brand new code starting with DS4 that isnt the old DS" code at all.

New garments start with exisiting or NEW blocks.

The old code did not have princess lines ,and many many of the necklines, sleeve types, flare,pant styles or any of the fit levels other than a very relaxed fitted, and an unfitted with the underarm dart and a single oversized blouse.

ALL these were developed NEW. not based on the "old" code and spliced in.

The jacket discussion recently going on is an example.

Some one wants a princess jacket to fit like a blouse.
But the jacket is not a blouse pattern its a garment to be worn as outerwear.

IF a blouse is desired ...start with a blouse FIT, not with a jacket block which by definition is different.

A jacket has greater shoulder extension, greater ease, deeper arm holes.

If you want a close fitting blouse that looks jacketey but is not a jacket.start with a blouse at std fit,and build the options from there.

or go to jacket and no design ease in it and reduce shoulder extension, arm hole depth, ease values. Then build your ease back in as desired.

Much simpler to start with a blouse fit.

Kaaren

Kaaren, I have since used the blouse pattern as a blouse and as a jacket. The fitting changes required on the blouse aren't as many and saves me time. The breaker box description was meant for those of us who don't have a clue about how an entire program such as this is generated. As I said, very elementary. Question - if none of the new things are related to the old designs, why don't the old designs still fit?

quote:

Kaaren, I have since used the blouse pattern as a blouse and as a jacket. The fitting changes required on the blouse aren't as many and saves me time. The breaker box description was meant for those of us who don't have a clue about how an entire program such as this is generated. As I said, very elementary. Question - if none of the new things are related to the old designs, why don't the old designs still fit?

Hello Kelly,

Your question includes several assumptions that are not completely correct. "...if none of the new things are related to the old designs, why don't the old designs still fit?"

Which new things are you asking about here? New features that are added to Dress Shop during updates? Examples of new features that were added recently include the 11 new necklines that were added as part of the products released this year. Those necklines must be incorporated into every pattern that can include a neckline.

Patterns are not drafted by stand-alone programs that are independent of all other patterns. Each is built from parts that must be assembled to work together. There are 46 neckline types that must be attached to a dozen or so foundation types. Onto many of those neck types, you can add some of the 56 collar types that Dress Shop can produce. You might then add one of the 20 different types of sleeves, plus the variations in cuffs, darts, waistbands, pockets, ease, and length adjustments.

Sleeve type is one setting in the Dress Shop saved pattern file. Neck type is a second setting. Sleeve length is a third. Overall, there are 396 settings that are saved as part of a Dress Shop pattern file. In each pattern, perhaps a hundred of these are used. Each setting effects one small part of the overall pattern. Collar width does not usually effect anything but the collar. But, neckline width or depth can effect all aspects of the pattern development, including collar shape and size, yoke placement, closure, facings, shoulder line, dart placement, and many others.

So, providing a simple change of just one setting (how neckline width interacts with shoulder strap width, for instance) can effect every pattern that can have a neck.

Not too long ago, we added additional controls for shoulder straps, to give users greater control over their swimsuit patterns and other activewear patterns. Sounds like it should not have had anything to do with dresses, right? But, there are many formal dresses that have straps, too. And, any wide neckline can conflict with strap handling. Is the length of the shoulder line controlled by the neck width or by the strap width? It could be either or both. They interact.

Basically, many things in one pattern can affect other patterns. That has always been the case with every version of Dress Shop and always will be.

The last question you have to ask then is - "Do you want only the features of Dress Shop 2.5 and no more?" Those of you that used DS2.5 can comment on the number of patterns and necklines and sleeves available. If that was enough, then you should stick with it as it provides all you want and need.

But, if you like the idea of cowl necks and dolman sleeves and princess jackets and stretch knit tops and more choices in your warddrobe, then you may prefer some of the new features and options. If anyone wants features like these, then updates must include them. And, the new features can sometimes impact other patterns. There are literally billions of combinations of patterns and options now. No test group of any size can ever view them all much less sew up test versions. So, unintended interactions will occur in a very few patterns or combinations. When they do, we usually hear about it and we can then correct those cases, quickly and at no additional cost to anyone. Instead of 10 billion pattern combinations, that month we may only have 9,999,999,900 combinations that work. The numbers are made up, but the scale is about right. The bugs that get introduced and fixed with updates affect a very small fraction of the patterns, options, and value in Dress Shop.

The other assumption in the original question was that old patterns no longer fit. This thread began with a complaint about the princess jacket having too much ease. But, there have been zero problem reports on this topic. Not one. Not for any princess line pattern or combination in Dress Shop.

I understand that Kelly was not satisfied with the fit she got in the jacket she was making. But, Kelly has not told us what settings she was using, what measurements were used, and in just what area the fit was not what she was expecting. Bust? Bicep? Back? Hips? If the ease amounts applied in any of those areas are not right, we could do something about it. But, not knowing which ease amounts are of concern, we really cannot change anything.

Jackets recently got a little more bicep ease. Was that the problem? Wear-over settings add ease for all outerwear. Which choice was selected and what were the expectations for that choice? I cannot tell if there is a problem without more information than was provided.

But, I have heard from others, testers and users alike, that are happy with the fit of their princess jacket patterns. So, I do not believe we have any generic problem with the fit of these older patterns.

If anyone disagrees, they really should send in a problem report. You cannot get anything changed by just talking about it. You have to provide the information that the company needs to duplicate what you are seeing and determine whether a change is required or just a better explanation about how some program setting is used.

if none of the new things are related to the old designs, why don't the old designs still fit?

Now thats a walloping statement.

We have improved many designs. The code changes dont necessartily change fit level but soemtimes they intentionaly IMPROVE them.

I sew something every week......for myself, members of my family and users and your broad statement just plain doesnt hold true.

One set of measurements that are proven works repeatedly!

.especially when we know how the default performs for a single person and make the sameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee changes each time.

I know what fitted means to me..I know default is a starting point not an end point and I make slight adjustments for sleeve cap height or bicep or hip based on what I WANT and make those same minor adjusments using the tools for each fitted garment and I havent tossed a garment in years! ( unless it was a prototype never meant to be worn.)

Default is NOT end for many, just as it is ideal for some.default ease is START.

We had many old designs that have been cleaned up in the last year. ADDING options and user defined specifics.

Want to know whats changed.its in all those release notes.


YOU need to know what YOU want and what you start with and decide what if anything needs adjusting.

Example: Changing the waist offset this last time grants more abd ease for many users.

IF a user had adjusted their measurements to get that needed ease at abd.they no longer need that false number in the chart but the real number.

The draft is cleaner, improved and yes changed.

IF you have a specific item you feel is now broken send in a problem report with the chart thats "broke".

and the garment thats broke
and descrtibe whats broke!

GENERAL STATEMENTS that x is broke or all jackets are broke is not going to get ANYTHING fixed.

Be specific show us whats happening.we will work on it.

Kaaren