{"id":3101,"date":"2025-08-01T17:20:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T17:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/?post_type=knowledge-base&#038;p=3101"},"modified":"2025-12-02T15:14:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T15:14:57","slug":"how-to-use-the-freehand-shapes-tool-in-experience-8","status":"publish","type":"knowledge-base","link":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/knowledge-base\/how-to-use-the-freehand-shapes-tool-in-experience-8\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use the Freehand Shapes Tool in eXPerience 8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This guide will walk you through the functionality of the <strong>Freehand shapes<\/strong> tool, a powerful feature for creating fluid, hand-drawn embroidery objects. You will learn how to draw basic shapes, create complex objects with multiple sections, and use advanced features for precision and control.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_12383\"  width=\"1290\" height=\"725\"  data-origwidth=\"1290\" data-origheight=\"725\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kAz_Nf1JOGQ?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"YouTube player\"  src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/kAz_Nf1JOGQ\/maxresdefault.jpg\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Locating the Freehand Shapes Tool<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to the <strong>Tools bar<\/strong> and find the <strong>Digitize<\/strong> section.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Freehand shapes<\/strong> tool icon should be visible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you don&#8217;t see the icon, hover your mouse over the <strong>Digitize<\/strong> section to expand it and reveal all available tools. Select the <strong>Freehand shapes<\/strong> tool from the expanded list.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>(<em>Note: You can replace this with an actual screenshot from your software.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Creating Your First Freehand Object<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The core principle of the Freehand tool is that you can draw multiple, distinct sections that all belong to a single object until you finalize it. This ensures they have connecting stitches and are embroidered as one piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 1: Select a Stitch Type<\/strong> Before you begin drawing, go to the <strong>Properties bar<\/strong> and select the stitch type you want to apply to your object (e.g., Satin, Step, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2: Drawing Freehand Sections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>With the tool active, left-click and hold the mouse button down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Move your mouse to draw your desired shape, just like using a pen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When you release the mouse button, the section you just drew will be completed, but the tool remains active.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can immediately start drawing another section. This new section will automatically be part of the same object as the first one.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 3: Finalizing the Object<\/strong> When you have finished drawing all the sections for your object, <strong>right-click once<\/strong> anywhere on the design area. This finalizes the object. You will now see that all the sections are connected and treated as a single embroidery object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Advanced Techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Creating Straight Lines<\/strong> Instead of clicking and dragging, you can create straight lines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click once to set the starting point of the line.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Move your mouse to the desired endpoint.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click once more to create a straight line between the two points.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Continuing or Modifying an Existing Shape<\/strong> You can add to a shape you&#8217;ve already started drawing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Move your mouse cursor over the starting or ending node of an existing line or section.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Useful Tip:<\/strong> You&#8217;ll know you&#8217;re in the right spot when the mouse cursor changes its appearance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>From here, you can either:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Click once<\/strong> to continue with a new straight line.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Click and drag<\/strong> to continue with a new freehand curve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Creating Closed Shapes and Holes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>To create a closed shape<\/strong>, simply draw a line or curve and make sure its endpoint meets the starting node of the shape. The software will automatically create a closed, filled object.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>To create a hole<\/strong>, first create a closed shape. Then, while the same object is active, draw a smaller, fully enclosed shape on top of it. The inner shape will become a hole.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Separating an Object into Parts<\/strong> If you decide you want the sections you drew to be separate, individual objects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select the finalized object.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Right-click on it to bring up the context menu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose the <strong>Break apart<\/strong> option. The connecting stitches will be removed, and each section will become its own object.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tips for Precision and Control<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tip 1: Using Snap to Grid<\/strong> For more precise, geometric drawings, you can snap your points to the design grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Permanent Snapping:<\/strong> Go to the <strong>View<\/strong> menu and enable <strong>Snap to Grid<\/strong>. The cursor will now snap to the grid for all digitizing actions until you disable it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Temporary Snapping:<\/strong> Hold down the <code>Alt<\/code> key while drawing. The cursor will snap to the grid only for as long as you hold the key down. This is useful for quick, precise adjustments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tip 2: Adjusting Smoothness<\/strong> You can control the smoothness of the curves you draw with the Freehand tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Smoothness Level (0-10):<\/strong> In the <strong>Properties bar<\/strong>, you will find a smoothness setting. A value closer to <strong>10<\/strong> will produce a very smooth curve with fewer nodes. A value closer to <strong>0<\/strong> will follow your mouse movements precisely, resulting in more nodes and a less smooth curve.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>On-the-Fly Smoothing:<\/strong> For an easy way to create smoother curves, hold down the <code>Shift<\/code> key while you are drawing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guide will walk you through the functionality of the Freehand shapes tool, a powerful feature for creating fluid, hand-drawn embroidery objects. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3103,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":""},"categories-kb":[333,337,336,334],"class_list":["post-3101","knowledge-base","type-knowledge-base","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories-kb-how-to-training","categories-kb-how-to-training-advanced","categories-kb-how-to-training-operator","categories-kb-how-to-training-pilot"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"categories-kb":[{"value":333,"label":"How to Training"},{"value":337,"label":"How to Training - Advanced"},{"value":336,"label":"How to Training - Operator"},{"value":334,"label":"How to Training - Pilot"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/maxresdefault1-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"eXPerience embroidery software","author_link":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/author\/experience-embroidery-software\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge-base\/3101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge-base"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/knowledge-base"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"categories-kb","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories-kb?post=3101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}