Turbo Cross 2004 
£69.95 / $126.00 US / €105.00
(credit cards are charged in sterling)
 
The software is supplied with a pdf version of the manual which can be printed if required

System Requirements

Design Features

Design Colours - The palette can have up to 255 colours at one time, which can be chosen from over 30 thread chart approximations.

Design Size - The size of a design is unlimited, there is the grid reference that locates the position of the mouse on the grid. Please note that when working on a large design, the speed of the program may be affected by the amount of memory available.

Stitch Types - A wide range of stitch types is offered which consists of full, three quarter, half & quarter stitches; single or double backstitch, French knots and Satin stitch.

Status Bar - Current palette colour along with its description is given on the status bar, also given is information about the colour under the mouse and instructions for the current option.

Units of Measurements - The units of measurement used within the program can be set to either imperial or metric.

Colour Descriptions - Colour names and descriptions are given for all the colour charts, these can be altered as required.

Strands - Change the number of strands used for stitches, the Thread Usage will use this when calculating usage.

Design Display - The design grid can be turned off or on to improve the view. The Zoom and Pan facilities give the optimum view required and allow movement around the design whilst editing. Also you can switch between several active designs, and tiling and cascading the designs is possible.

Used Colours - The number of colours used within a design are shown by a white box on the colour in the palette, which makes them easily identifiable. Also a count of the number of colours used is given on the status bar.

Rulers - Rulers are given at the top and to the left of the design area, which will help when placing areas. The rulers can be displayed in terms of stitches, centimetres or inches, to suit your preference. The position of the mouse is also marked on the ruler as a light grey line.

Ruler Guide - Guides can be added to the design to make it easier when aligning areas in the design.

Design Centre - The centre of the design is shown on the rulers.

Configurable Toolbars - Ability to decide which options appear on the toolbar, have easy access to your most commonly used options.

OLE Compatible - Turbo Cross designs can be embedded into other programs, so the word processing tools can be used to add instructions.

Template - Give common card dimensions along with the aperture ready to design on, the template used will be given in Show.

Palettes - Palettes can be set to contain your own preferences in colours and fabric colour, which can then be saved and used as required. Also the default palette can be set to your choice. Unused or unwanted colours can be removed from the palettes.

Palette - Palettes can have up to 255 colours chosen from the thread charts, they can be saved for later use or make the most popular ones as the default.

Sorting - Palettes can be sorted by number, name, manufacturer chart, frequency of use or by dragging the colours around for your own order.

Fabric/Grid Display - The fabric and grid colour can be altered, also the on-screen backstitch thickness can be changed.

Stitch Display - The design and palette can be displayed in various modes including colour blocks, crosses and black & white symbols.

Design Preview - A preview on screen shows a complete view of the design.

Spray - By changing the width of the spray it is possible to fill areas more quickly.

Options - Pressing the Enter key will repeat the last option used.

Thread Usage - The Show option gives information about the design including stitch count and design area for definable stitch sizes, along with an approximate thread usage, length given in yards or metres.

Browse - Browse through your stored designs, this will help to make selection easier.

Browse Style - Browse has an explorer style folder list on the same dialog to make changing folders easier.

Open - Browse allows more than one file to be opened at once and a warning will be given if there is a design which is already open.

New - Size a new design in either stitches, inches or centimetres.

Thread Charts - Choose colours from the 17 available machine charts from Robison-Anton, FuFu, Janome, Madeira, DMC, Sulky and Crownminster or from the 39 hand charts including Metallics, Tapestry yarn and Kreinik blending filaments.

Expandable Charts - The thread and fabric charts are user expandable, so you can add any new colours that are released.

Personal Thread Charts - If you have more than 255 colours in your thread box, you can set up your own colour chart which can contain colours from more than one manufacturer.

Fabric Charts - Aida fabric colours can be chosen from Zweigart, Fabric Flair and Frank Stone Aida range.

Blend Colours - Add blended colours made from 3 strands i.e. 2 stranded threads with a metallic, the threads can be taken from thread charts.

Blend Colours/ Display - In the stitched view the blends are shown as different threads not an average.

Colour Schemes - A design can be seen in several colour schemes i.e. pink for a girl, blue for a boy within one design. The ability to see the design in the other manufacturer conversions to check that the colours look sensible.

Colour Conversion - The conversion tables used when converting colours to other manufacturer threads can be altered to your preference and there is a preview of the colours.

Show/Hide Colours - Allows colours or stitch types to be faded or made invisible which makes other stitches stand out.

Symbols - There are several hundred available symbols, the cross stitch and backstitch symbols are automatically assigned according to the darkness of the colour.

Thread Chart - Specific symbols can be assigned to a colour in the thread chart, so the colour will always use the same symbol in every design.

Symbols - Symbol editor allows symbols to be changed or added and can use true type fonts as symbols.

Symbol Files - The program supports multiple symbol files which can be swapped over as required.

Zoom Levels - Flexible zoom levels include full view and ability to pan around design.

Full Screen - Full Screen removes the palette, menus and toolbars but still allows editing to be carried out.

Flexible Grid Settings - Turn grid on and off; set the spacing between the darker grid lines and colour of the grid lines.

Stitched View - Designs can be displayed and printed to give the appearance of the final stitched design, with variegated threads shown as variegated.

Framing - Select a frame from the library to get a completed view of a design, extra frames can be added to the library.

Mounts - View your design in a coloured mount.

Annotations - Add text, arrows and lines onto the design.

Quick Key - A Quick Key is a shortened key which can be placed anywhere on the grid.

Annotations/Copy & Move Settings - Copy/Move Settings can be set to copy or move Annotations with or without cross stitch and backstitch.

Backstitch - Remove any duplicated backstitch, this can reduce the memory usage.

Automatic Backup - Saves a backup of your work in case your machine crashes and an optional reminder to save your work.

Files - Use the built-in backup program to keep copies of your work.

Undo - Undo facility gives the ability to undo up to 100 of the last options used,.

Redo - After using the Undo option, Redo will repeat the option which has been undone. This helps to go back after changes have been made.

Active Designs - Switch between several active designs which can be tiled, cascaded or view all of them.

Help - On-line help gives information on the features.

Extras - 429 motifs, 29 designs, 14 Fonts, 100 Blackwork fill styles and 27 cross stitch fill styles.

Image Conversion Facilities

Convert Images - Converts images such as clipart into cross stitch designs, 72 file formats are supported including TIFF, BMP, JPEG & Kodak CD.

Scanning - Direct scanning allows photographs to be converted into cross stitch designs matching to a specific thread chart giving colour numbers and symbols.

Adjust Images - View the image before conversion and make any adjustments such as brightness, contrast, sharpen and de-speckle.

Convert Images/Sizing - Set the size of the cross stitch design in squares, inches or centimetres.

Converting Images/Matching - As well as matching to a thread chart, it is possible to match to multiple charts and palettes.

Convert Images/Colours - Set the number of colours or let the program choose a sensible number and set colours which are important.

Blend Colours - Use blended threads to give a better choice when converting.

Convert Images/Flood Fill - Flood Fill which fills shades between selected colours, ability to reduce number of colours and removal of lone stitches all help when editing a converted image.

Convert Images/preview - There is a preview of the final design making it simpler to see how changing settings affects the final result.

Convert Images/options - Randomise, Clone, Flood Fill which fills shades between selected colours, ability to reduce number of colours and removal of lone stitches help when editing a converted image.

Wizard - Wizard guide you through the process of converting an image.

Convert Area - Ability to select an area of the image to convert, useful if the background of the photo isn’t wanted.

Backdrop - When converting an image it can be used as a backdrop, so designing can be carried out on top of it or have the image as a backdrop as well.

Spray Backdrop - When there is an image in the backdrop, spray backdrop stitches with a colour from the palette or by adding an appropriate one from the thread chart.

Merge Conversions - Take two converted designs and merge bits from one to the other.

Reconvert - Go back and change the conversion settings through the Reconvert option, this will save time especially if the image was taken directly from the scanner.

Backdrop/Alignment - There is the ability for automatic alignment of scanned charts.

Editing Facilities

Standard Editing Features - Copy, move, cut, paste, flip, mirror, rotate, centre in area, scale up and scale down areas.

Windows™ Clipboard - There is access to the Windows™ Clipboard.

Irregular Shape - Irregular shape allows intricate areas to be copied, moved or when using Edit Area.

Select Stitch Types to Copy - Ability to copy/move backstitch or cross stitch only. For example a useful way of removing all the backstitch from a design by using the Cut option. The current settings are shown on the screen.

Pick Stitch Type - Pick a stitch type, or stitch type and colour, from the design. This can speed up the selection of required stitches when editing.

Colours - Change or delete a colour of cross stitch, backstitch or both within a design.

Backstitch - Change or delete sections of backstitch, adjust a backstitch line after placing and delete/select backstitch lines using any point along the line.

Transform - Rotate areas to any angle without distorting them or change the size whilst rotating, it is possible to see the areas whilst rotating.

Modify Colours - Change the colours of an area before placing.

Smooth Stitches - Adds three quarter stitches to help remove step effects.

Auto Repeat - Auto Repeat option which will repeat edits reflected across, down or rotated.

Stitch Type - Change one stitch type to another within a designated area.

Backstitch Outline - Automatically generate backstitch outlines between or around colours, it is possible to outline around all colour changes in a specified area.

Edit Area - The edit area option will allow changes to occur only in a desired area. So a colour can be changed in one area but will remain untouched in the rest of the design.

Shapes - Numerous shapes can be added to the design using cross stitch, backstitch, half stitch and Satin stitch which can be filled as well.

Own Shapes - Create and use your own shapes for the draw & draw filled shape options along with Motif Border.

Automatic Shading - Use this option to add some depth to the design, choose one of the effects or move the light source to give the required effect.

Flood Fill - Flood fill enables areas to be filled quickly, it recognises cross stitch and backstitch.

Fill Styles - There is the ability to set the fill style to solid colour, use motifs or one of the 100 Blackwork fill styles.

Fill Styles Library - Build up a library of your Fill Styles and there is a preview which allows the styles to be viewed when selecting.

Blackwork - Create Blackwork designs easily, just draw the outline in backstitch, select a Blackwork Fill Style and use Flood Fill to Backstitch to fill inside the boundary.

Smooth Stitches - Adds three quarter stitches to help remove step effects.

Designs - Existing designs or picture files can be easily inserted into the current design.

Motifs - Motifs can be saved then used as required or use the ones supplied with the program, they can be used to make Motif Borders.

Motif Pad - Motif Pad to the right of the design can store motifs being currently used or ones selected from the browser, along with the ability to remove individual motifs.

Library - Motifs are stored in a library which can be browsed for the required motif.

Motif Thumbnails - Print Motif Thumbnails which can be used to create a catalogue.

Motif Border Settings - Alter the spacing between motifs when drawing a Motif Border.

Text - There is a preview on the text dialog which shows how the text will look, also there is a hot key that will allow changes to be made.

Cross Stitch Font - Cross Stitch fonts will allow all stitch types and multiple colours to be used when designing a font, use the supplied ones or create your own.

True Type Fonts -True Type fonts can be used to add text to a design, the text can have three quarter stitches to smooth the edges, have a backstitch outline or transform it into various shapes.

Text - Ability to apply different styles, i.e. stripes, shading or use a fill style when adding cross stitch and true type text to a design.

Generate Borders - Use the Repeats to easily create square, rectangle, circle and ellipse borders.

Borders/Sizing - The size of a border can be set to a specified number of repeats or can be scaled as required, the program will fit the repeats to stop large gaps.

Borders/flexibility - Added features lead to extra flexibility when creating borders such as being able to flip repeats independently.

Borders and Repeats - Save borders that you have generated for later use, along with the ability to save repeats.

Objects - Objects allow re-positioning of areas once they have been placed, areas can be fixed as stitches once finished to save memory or all objects can be turned off as required.

Objects/Text - Objects can be used to adjust the spacing between letters, alter the font or what has been typed and resizing True Type Text after placing .

Objects/Alignment Tools - Objects can be aligned to the top, bottom, left and right as well as centring vertically and horizontally.

Tools - Designs can be cropped, extended, have rows and columns inserted or deleted, rotated, reflected, scaled or centred.

Extending - Automatic extension of the grid when placing areas which are too large.

Change Stitches - Ability to change all of one stitch type to another, useful to change a design with part stitches to one with full stitches.

Stitch Type - Use this option to change the description used for the cross stitch, for example change a design to Tent Stitch or Petit Point in the key.

Scale - A design can be increased or reduced in size whilst editing. Also areas of the design can be scaled whilst copying and moving.

Machine Features

Number of Jumps - The program gives a count of the number of jumps in the design on the status bar. The jumps can be viewed as required and turned off if not wanted.

Reduce Jumps - If there too many jumps, the Reduce Jumps option will join together blocks of colour and/or remove lone stitches which will cut down the number of jump stitches.

Save as Machine Format - Save a design ready to send to the embroidery machine via your existing link, control the size of stitches and the number of strands for each stitch. Save as Pfaff, Melco or Tajima formats.

Too Large for the Hoop - Should the design be too large for the hoop, then it is possible to split it into manageable sections.

Printout - Print out a paper copy of the design that shows the design, colour changes, thread usage and information. What appears on the printout is configurable to give control.

Printing Features

Print - Designs can be printed directly from the Browse option using the saved information.

Browse/Thumbnails - Designs can be printed as a series of thumbnails which can act as a catalogue of your designs.

Wizard - Wizard guide you through the process of converting an image or printing a design.

Thread Organiser - Create and print simple thread sorter cards.

Print Preview - Preview the design before printing.

Printing - Designs can be printed with or without key; design information can be added; tiling for larger designs; change margins and line thickness as required; selected colours, stitch types or areas can be printed.

Key and Palette - The colours in the key and palette can be sorted into various orders.

Print Stitch Display - Various stitch displays are available for cross stitch and backstitch including Light Colour Blocks As Symbols, Colour Blocks next to the symbols in the key or show the symbols in the key in a box.

Coloured Template - Ability to view and print your design in a coloured template.

Printout Colour - The colour of the printout can be changed to make the chart easier to read.

Key Layout - Keys can be changed to be longer, more descriptive or split into columns as required.

Centre Marks - There is a choice of which centre marks including coloured centre lines from which to chose to use.

Layout - Layout of Design Pages can show the whole design layout with page numbering showing how they will be printed off.

Key - Abbreviated key can be placed on each design page, half stitches can be listed separately, the Line Spacing of the key can be altered and the Thread Usage information can be added to the key.

Printout - Adjust the size of the symbols used and change the colour of the overlap when tiling.

Grid Lines - Print the number of grid lines in 10s, change the grid line weights to improve readability of chart.

Print Layout - Select a different print layout for the design by selecting one of built-in layouts, including A3 layouts.

Print to File - Print designs to Bitmap or TIFF files which will allow you to distribute your designs without the need for Turbo Cross.

There is a demonstration version available which allows you to evaluate all the programs. This contains all the options in the registered version with the exception of being able to save files to disk and to stitch designs that you have created. Several sample designs are supplied so that the Save As Machine Format option can be evaluated.

Design Samples 

  Demonstration Version             How to Order

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Copyright © 2000-2004 Fulford Software Solutions. All rights reserved.
Revised: 27-Aug-2006 .