The Swath Tool

The Swath Tool draws a pre-defined, stylized stroke surrounding a segment. This segment or “spine” of the stroke can be edited and shaped like any curve or line segment. The stroke or “hull” surrounding the spine can have varying widths and end styles.

1. Click Worktable > Work on Block.
2. Click Block > New Block > PatchDraw Motif.

You may not see the the Swath tool on your screen.
If not, here is how to get it:

  • Click the Customize Toolbar    tool on the left side of your screen.
  • Click Add/Remove Buttons…
  • Choose Swath tool from the list.

3. Click the Swath Tool

4. Position your mouse cursor on the worktable where you want the line to begin.

5. Click, hold and drag to draw your stroke. The “spine” of your patch will draw in blue.

6. Release the mouse to finish your line. Two lines appear surrounding the spine with the selected style shapes within the two lines.

7. Use the Shape tool to edit the spine of the stroke.

8. Click the Convert to Patch button on the Precision Bar to complete the patch.

Before clicking Convert to Patch only the spine is editable.

After clicking Convert to Patch everything is editable.

Use the Precision Bar (View > Precision Bar) to select different contours.

You can also use the  Precision Bar to select different styles.

Other Helpful Tips

  • This is the only tool on the PatchDraw toolbar that is NOT part of the Stitching worktable as well.
  • The Swath tool works best with smooth, gentle curves. It is not intended for use with sharp curves. If your design requires a sharp curve, it is best achieved by creating separate swaths.

  • You can select the contour, style, width and boldness BEFORE you draw, or you can draw the stroke with the current settings and then adjust the settings AFTER you draw.
  • Remember to always use Convert to patch when you’re done editing the stroke. If you forget, EQ will automatically convert it to a patch.

• If you’d like a reminder of this and other tools in EQ7, check out the  Display Dynamic Help tool.
• To print this: Click the title (Tool Tip Tuesday! -  The Swath Tool) and then print as normal.