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 SewIconz is software for viewing the contents of embroidery files, quilting files, and certain image files
(jpeg, gif, png, bmp, dxf, plt) as icons from within Windows Explorer©. With SewIconz, the stitch
pattern contained in embroidery files and some cross-stitch files will appear as icons as you scroll through
your Windows folders. Information about the number of stitches, colors and pattern size (in either mm. or in.) will appear
as your cursor moves over the icons. You may download the user manual for a more detailed explanation of all the features of SewIconz.
A free viewer
for AutoCAD© and Quilt files - CadQView - may be downloaded here. CadQView is stand-alone software developed by S & S Computing that allows viewing and
printing of individual CAD and Quilt files. It is intended as a useful adjunct to SewIconz.
NOTE ABOUT SEWICONZ ZIP FEATURE
The Zip viewer feature
of SewIconz will not work with some third-party zip software (such as
WinZip©, WinRar© or PKZip©). Presently, only StuffIt© and jZip™ free compression software (see link below) work
with SewIconz (in addition to Windows Explorer, of course) to correctly display the embroidery
file icons inside of zip files.
Also, at present SewIconz will not
display embroidery files that are inside folders in zipped files. Only embroidery files that are zipped and are at the top-level
of the zip file will be displayed.
Users of SewIconz with licenses prior to v1.40 may purchase
an UpGrade license below if they wish to activate this new feature. Otherwise, they may UpDate for no charge.
jZip V1.3 (no add-ons) - Free Download
If you wish to download the free compression utility jZip, click the link above. jZip
has a WinZip-style interface. When used in conjunction with SewIconz, it can display icons for embroidery
files that are in zip and rar archives. Until a 64-bit version becomes available, it
will be necessary to install both the 32- and 64- bit versions of SewIconz if you plan to use
jZip on a 64-bit computer.
USERS MAY NEED TO UPDATE SYSTEM FILES
You may receive
the following error message when you try to run SewIconz:
On XP:
"This application has failed to start
because the application configuration is incorrect."
On VISTA/WIN7:
"Application failed to start
because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect."
In that case, download (and run) from
this website one of the following files from the appropriate link below:
32-bit OS vcredist_x86.exe
64-bit OS vcredist_x64.exe
Downloading and Ordering Information You may download either the DEMO (valid for 7 days) or the Retail version of the SewIconz
software by clicking the appropriate link below. To order the product online, click the appropriate "Add-to-Cart"
button below. The activation (registration) code will be emailed to you once your payment has been approved (usually no
later than 4:00 pm on the day of the order, although eChecks may take up to 5 days to clear).
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IMPORTANT NOTE:
Uninstall DEMO before installing Retail 32-bit Retail:
SewIconz3264-bit Retail: SewIconz64USE THESE LINKS FOR
FREE UPDATES, TOO
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Upgrade License is needed to implement Zip viewer for versions earlier than 1.40a
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Note for VISTA®
and Windows 7® Users Starting with v1.36, SewIconz will automatically update file associations that were set prior
to the installation of SewIconz. For example, if you have associated the file type "pes" to automatically open
with a particular editor when it is double-clicked, then SewIconz will preserve that file association.
If you change the file association, or update editor software, after SewIconz is installed,
it will be necessary to re-run SewIconz by double-clicking the desktop icon, clicking the
"Disable SewIconz" button, and then double-clicking the desktop icon again in order to update the file
types to iconize (see the FAQs below).
Removing an Application Icon Overlay
If an embroidery file type handled by SewIconz is also associated with another program (such as an editor), a miniature
view of the program icon may appear on the thumbnail icon that SewIconz displays. To hide that program icon, go to Control
Panel/Appearance & Personalization/Folder Options/Show Hidden Files & Folders. This will take you to the View-Advance
Settings list. Uncheck the box entitled "Display file icon on thumbnails" to remove the application icon.
Note for Husqvarna-Viking
3D and 4D® and Brother PEDesign® Users
Owners of 3D and 4D or PEDesign software may have to follow the steps described here to modify the
registry settings written when 3D (or 4D or PEDesign) was installed or updated on their computer. This may be necessary in
order for SewIconz to function properly and display icons for the chosen file types. IMPORTANT:
after any update to 3D or 4D, you will probably have to rerun the SewIconz desktop icon selection process.
First,
if you are on VISTA, follow the directions above to remove any file associations for embroidery files with the 3D, 4D or PEDesign
software. On XP, you can do this by right-clicking the various file types (like .hus or .pes) and removing the associations
directly.
Next run the file ALL_REG.reg that SewIconz writes in your SewIconz folder.
Double-click this "*.reg" file to run it. (You will be asked to approve the running of this file, which you
must do in order to proceed.) This will automatically correct (modify) the registry entries for the various file types that
SewIconz needs to function correctly.
Finally, reboot your computer and your icons should now
be correctly displayed in Windows Explorer.
Setting Up and Using SewIconz SewIconz is unlike our other software. After the initial installation and
setup are complete, it requires no further user interact to perform its tasks. It is a class of software known as icon
handlers, which means it interacts with the Windows© Operating System rather than directly with the user.
After SewIconz is installed, you need
to configure it by double-clicking its desktop icon to select the file types to iconize. This will open the setup dialog
shown in the figure below. The setup dialog contains lists of embroidery and graphics file extensions (types) that
you select to be handled (iconized) by SewIconz. Click on the types you want to iconize (hold down
the Ctrl key to select multiple types). You may select the units (mm or in) for displaying file information. Also, for file
types (like *.dst and *.exp) with no internal color palette, you can select the color palette by clicking on the Color
Order button and following the steps on the palette dialog. You may also change the background, or fabric, color
by pressing the Fabric Color button. This is useful, for example, when viewing white lace patterns which would
otherwise be invisible on a white fabric background.
Finally, press the OK button to complete the setup
process. This is the last time you need to interact with SewIconz - until you want to change the
types of embroidery and graphics files to iconize or to uninstall the application. You will be asked to reboot your system.
You can either answer "yes" and your computer will be automatically rebooted or it you answer "no", remember
to reboot later (otherwise your icons may not appear if your file type selections were changed).
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| SewIconz Setup dialog |
In addition to the embroidery file types handled by SewWhat-Pro, SewIconz will also display Janome jan files, Viking krz
cross stitch and PCStitch pat cross stitch files. A variety of quilting design files are also displayed. Certain
types of graphics files can also be viewed with SewIconz: Wings XP ngs, Corel draw,
AutoCad dxf (also used for quilting), png, gif, and jpg files. Graphics formats to iconize
should be carefully selected since rendering some of them (especially jpg) can sometimes dramatically decrease the
responsiveness of your computer. VISTA users should not choose jpg format from the SewIconz
graphics list, since that type is handled by native VISTA code.
SewIconz is a stand-alone
application that does not require the installation of any of our other products to run. A view of a Windows folder,
with SewIconz installed, is shown below. When your mouse is dragged over the file
icon, SewIconz will automatically display fly-over information about the number of stitches, color
changes and pattern size.
Starting with v1.40, SewIconz will display embroidery and graphics files
that are inside Zip folders. (Files inside folders inside Zip folders can not be viewed, however.) In VISTA/WIN7, single
left-click on the Zip folder icon in the left directory/folder pane to view the contents of that folder which will display
in the right file pane. At present, the pattern information is not available for zipped embroidery files.
On XP, Zip files do NOT show in the folder (left) pane. To see the files inside Zip files in XP, users need to either (1)
DOUBLE-CLICK the zip file icon in the file (right) pane; if this extracts the zipped files then try the second option (2)
RIGHT-CLICK on the zip file and choose "Explore".
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| Windows Explorer Icon view with SewIconz installed |
To use SewIconz, you must open a folder
(using Windows Explorer) on your hard drive, CD, or removable drive, that contains embroidery files. You will now see
icon images of the stitch patterns contained in each file. Note: you may have to reboot once after
the initial setup.
When the DEMO period expires, or for any other reason you wish to disable the SewIconz
icon-handler, just double-click its desktop icon and click the "Disable SewIconz" button.
This will return the handling of your embroidery icons (by Windows Explorer®) to the state before SewIconz
was installed. It is recommended that you follow this procedure if you are installing the retail version of SewIconz
after a previous installation of the DEMO.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q Does
SewIconz work with VISTA and Windows 7? I installed SewIconz on my Windows 7 computer and
the icons don't display - what did I do wrong?
A Yes, SewIconz works on computers
running VISTA and Windows 7. You must be sure to install the correct bit version - either 32- or 64-bit - corresponding
to your computer's operating system. If you are not seeing icons after installing SewIconz, it is likely
due to having installed the 32-bit version on a 64-bit system. Simply uninstall the 32-bit version and install the 64-bit
version (download from the SewIconz64 link).
Q How do I determine if my computer operating
system (OS) is 32-bit or 64-bit?
A The easiest way on VISTA or Windows 7 systems is to press
the Windows key (the one with the "wavy flag" logo) and the Pause key simultaneously. An information
sheet will appear which displays System Information, including the bit-size of your OS. Alternatively, you can try to
install the 64-bit version of SewIconz. If it installs, you have a 64-bit OS! If you have a 32-bit OS, the
64-bit version will fail to install, and you must use the 32-bit installer.
Q After
installing SewIconz and selecting the file types to iconize (by double-clicking the SewIconz desktop icon), only the icons
for small views display properly. The medium and large (Tiles, thumbnails) views show up as black boxes or with "weird"
icons in them. What is wrong?
A This occurs because there are several settings in VISTA that can
be used to block the display of large icons (thumbnails). To fix this, open Windows Explorer. If there is no menu displayed
at the top, go to Organize->Layout and check the Menu Bar item. Now go to the Tools->Folder Options->View Tab. In
the "Advanced Settings" box, make sure the item "Always show icons, never thumbnails" is unchecked.
Now click the Apply button at the bottom of the dialog and check to see if your large icons now display.
If icons are
still not appearing, then one more setting has to be adjusted. Go to Start->Control Panel->System & Maintenance->System->Performance
Information & Tools. (This assumes you are using Control Panel Home View. In Classic View, click Performance Information.)
Now click the "Adjust Visual Effects" link. On the "Visual Effects" tab, make sure the check box "Show
thumbnails instead of icons" is checked. One of the two option "Let Windows Choose What's Best for my Computer",
or "Custom", needs to be selected to be able to make this change.
Q After setting a
file association ("Open With") for an embroidery file type, the SewIconz icons no longer display for that file type
and only the application icons show. How do I recover the SewIconz (pattern) icons?
A Follow this
two-step procedure to recover the correct pattern icons:
1. Double-click the SewIconz desktop
icon and press the "Disable SewIconz" button. Then click "Close".
2. Double-click
the SewIconz desktop icon a second time and reselect the embroidery file types to iconize. Press "OK". No need to
reboot.
Now your SewIconz (pattern) icons should be redisplayed correctly, and your file association will be intact,
too.
Q Will SewIconz display icons in the VISTA/WIN7 Details Pane?
A Yes. To open the Details pane, click (in Windows Explorer) Organize->Layout->Details Pane.
You can use that to see an enlarged view of any embroidery (or image) file that you click in the Windows Explorer
file pane. Because of the support for viewing zipped embroidery files, support for the Preview Pane was disabled.
However, because of the Large and Extra Large icon sizes that are available, this was considered a reasonable trade-off in
functionality.
Q When do I need to activate (double-click) the SewIconz
desktop icon?
A You only need to do that whenever you wish to change the choice of file types
that should appear as icons, or if you want to change the units displayed for the pattern properties (which display when you
hover your cursor over the pattern file icon). Certainly right after SewIconz is installed on your system you should do that.
Otherwise, the desktop icon for SewIconz can be ignored and just serves as a reminder that it is on your computer and handling
the display of embroidery (and some other image) icons.
System Requirements Windows
95, 98, ME, NT, XP, Windows 2000 and VISTA. SewIconz will also run on the MAC OS using a Windows emulator like Parallels
Desktop for MAC. At least 320 kB of free space is required to install the program and help files.
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