Downloable Form Programmes?

I was recently asked whether it would ever be possible to download form programmes to the E6000 Console.

The short answer is no. If you have the chip set that came with Form 6, you will find you can get to PC START from the FORM prompt, but it is expecting Form 6 data rather that a traditional form programme.

Form 6 uses an entirely different format for shape data than the form programme numbers. In many ways it is a much more simplified system, mostly just a listing of needles in work and rows counts. The way the program works is that you draw a shape with the pixels representing the stitches and rows. During the download the pixels are converted into instructions for increasing and decreasing.

A disadvantage of Form 6 shapes is that if you want to adjust the width or length of the piece, you have to draw a new picture of it. To me, the form programmes are better because you can change some measurements without re-doing the whole programme.

Theoretically, I could program Journal Six to change a bitmap of the rows and stitches into Form 6 data, but I personally think form programmes are more flexible. I don't have any plans to add Form 6 emulation to Journal 6 at this time. Update: See post from February 25, 2010 regarding downloadable charts.

I do hope to make a form programme generator and post it on my website to make it easier for folks to write their own program for basic shapes such as sleeves and sweater fronts.