I agree with your comments David. No argument from me on your observations. I would like to add that Wilcom ES45 is the slowest, most cumbersome and 'blinged' digitising program around. Mind you, I am comparing it with DGML which I found very fast. The old DGML could keep up with the mouse clicking with the occasional hesitation if I was working too fast for the commands. By this I am talking about the blink of an eye as opposed to Wilcom with up to 2 second delays at times, and yes I am using a powerful computer.

As for Deco studio, I looked at it online for all of 5 minutes and I have the same opinion as I believe any manual digitiser would have. Enough said.

Errol.

Hi Barbara,

You are quite correct with your comments regarding 'working with the old'. Boy, talk about teaching old dogs new tricks. Although having said that, I still find it to be slow compared with the old DGML. It is just something I will have to adapt to. I will also have to get used to all the peripheral menus around the work area. "When I was a youngster growing up things were much better.......", you know the old story.

Anyway, my better half and I were trying to tweak the system a bit....again, and a few things have improved, eg. I have adjusted the stitch graphics with some minor improvement, but I'm still not entirely satisfied. I will have to live with it or get bogged down with complaining about 'how things were', and I have too much work to do to carry on whinging.

In response to the comments by embluvr. Not having used the system and with only a cursory glance, I may be unjustly condemning the program. There is obviously a market for it out there. As I am from the 'old school', I probably won't give anything a fair hearing if it doesn't do what I want it to do, when I want it and to the standard I expect. I believe everyone should have a fair trial before they're shot.

For the record, I am over 8 hours from the nearest major city (non-stop highway driving), and nobody will travel this far to accommodate training unless I was prepared to finance the trip, and that would cost a small fortune. I think the cost would be around $2,000+ just for a visit from the city, so I have to rely on information via forums like this.

Thank you for your input and comments as I do find them enlightening and informative.

Errol. 

Hi again Barbara,

I started digitising in 1998 and quickly grasped the concept to the point that I was doing commission work internationally. Some of my clients included USA, Germany, New Zealand, England and all across Australia. About 4 years ago, I sold the business. I had been spending a minimum of 18 hours a day with 2 computers running continuously and my Tajimas running non stop, 7 days a week. I had to wait a few years before I was able to legally continue with my digitising and I am now getting back into it.

Thankfully, the re-learning curve hasn't been as bad as I thought it might be. We are already collecting new clients from all over the state as a result of my previous work and things are moving along nicely. Luckily, I still have around 2,000 designs that I kept for old clients, so that has been handy.

For the time being we are concentrating on getting this program up to speed where I am comfortable and confident in using it. As it is now, I find I have to concentrate on the program trying to get it to do exactly what I want it to because after all, it is only a computerised tool.

Well, I had better get back to work and see what I can produce.

Errol.