It has been a long time since I've played with my DRess Shop program, although I bought an update after update. Tonight, I went to the shaper thingy I used to be able to do on the MIA and ....nothing! I can't create necklines and hems anymore....what happened?
Can I go back to version 7...I liked that one.
How do I make the clothes I want to with drapes done the front of cardigans/?
How do I make asymetrical hems on skirts. I don't like this new program.

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It has been a long time since I've played with my DRess Shop program, although I bought an update after update. Tonight, I went to the shaper thingy I used to be able to do on the MIA and ....nothing! I can't create necklines and hems anymore....what happened?
Can I go back to version 7...I liked that one.

Over the years, Dress Shop has had a wide variety of tools, settings, and adjustments that can be used to customize clothing patterns. Some were useful. Some were cute and fun, but ultimately not as precise as was required by some customers. And, some were difficult to use and caused more service and support queries instead of reports of successful projects. You may note that we have very few photos of customers wearing asymmetric hemlines or necklines, for instance.

As the program got more complicated, it has become necessary to prune the features that have frustrated people as other tools were added. If you like the older tools, they are still there in Dress Shop 7. You may use DS7 at the same time you use DS9, using what you like from each.

Moving forward, though, there are other considerations. Windows keeps changing, computer hardware also changes and Internet Explorer changes. When the foundations that are sitting underneath Dress Shop change, some things stop working and we have to change Dress Shop to restore compatibility and functionality on the new systems. Those changes are done to our current product version, not to discontinued versions such as Dress Shop 7.

As an example, the next update to Dress Shop (coming in the next few weeks) includes changes to where Dress Shop saves patterns and charts on your hard drive to keep compatible with Windows 7 requirements. Changes like that are needed for some customers to use Dress Shop at all. And, while you may not need that change today, you will need it if you ever get a new computer again some day.

System compatibility changes are not made to discontinued versions of Dress Shop. For that reason, support for all versions of Dress Shop prior to version 8 will be ending next month, shortly after the next update is released. While you are welcome to continue using Dress Shop 7 and it may work just fine for you indefinitely, Livingsoft will not be providing support for it or any of the earlier versions.

Kaaren, thanks for this. Now how do I go about drafting my asymetrical hemlines and necklines please?

Don't thank me- that was Bob that answered.

But you will find some asymmetric shoulders in the heading bare shoulders- alone with a large variety of standard, casual, wraps, shawl and wings,cowls, Greican and turtlenecks under the Neckline menu in Options all of which allow user definition for neck width and depth openings.

As for asymmetric hems you will find a variety of hanky types, curved and flat hemlines under shaping and finish - again in the options menu.

As you work thru the program and design elements I always suggest you open Every single "options" menu so you don't miss a place you Can control.

Not every option is available with every other combination of user defined options-for example an extra wide neckline won't work with a shoulder princess because it tends to break the neck or interfere with the princess center to side panel line.

Have fun exploring the many options you have.

Kaaren

If you like the older tools, they are still there in Dress Shop 7. You may use DS7 at the same time you use DS9, using what you like from each.

I miss those old tools too, so I tried reinstalling DS7Pro and it was fun playing with them again. However it replaced DSPro 9 in the process. How do I keep two versions of DSPro available for use? DSPro 9 is still in the list of Add or Remove Programs.

I'm using XP Pro Ver 5.1.

Thank you.

Anya

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I miss those old tools too, so I tried reinstalling DS7Pro and it was fun playing with them again. However it replaced DSPro 9 in the process. How do I keep two versions of DSPro available for use? DSPro 9 is still in the list of Add or Remove Programs.

I'm not certain as I install and uninstall so often that what happens with different sequences is not quite clear to me. I believe that the older one must be installed first, then the later one. So, after you have installed DS7, you should reinstall the most recent update to DS9. Since Windows knows it is already installed, you should get a dialog with options to uninstall, modify or repair. Choose "Repair" and it will just check that each file is really there, then re-register the program. After that is done, it should run again.

When in doubt, you can always reinstall either version. No charts, settings, or saved patterns ever go away when you do that.

thank you ladies. I'll go looking into my folders and see if i can get DS 7 back and I'll play with neclines in the mean time. I wanted to make a cardigan with the lovely draping so common today.