Add a shape
There are two ways to add a shape: draw it directly, or pick it from the shape library.
Draw a shape
The Editor group of the tool rail has drawing tools. Keys shown are the default Illustrator preset; see Customizing shortcuts.
- Rectangle (M): drag to draw; hold Shift for a square.
- Ellipse (L): drag to draw; hold Shift for a circle.
- Polygon (Y): drag to draw a regular polygon. Set the number of sides in the Properties panel.
- Star: drag to draw a star. Set the points and inner radius in the Properties panel.
Ellipse, Polygon, and Star are variants on the Rectangle slot: right-click or long-press it to reach them.
New shapes start as a Tatami fill by default. See Setting the default fill for new shapes to change it.
Add from the shape library
Click Add shape in the tool rail to open the Add shape dialog. Shapes are shown as a thumbnail grid, not listed by name:
| Shape | Its own settings |
|---|---|
| Rectangle | Corner radius |
| Ellipse | |
| Polygon | Sides |
| Star | Points, spoke ratio |
| Heart | |
| Cross | Arm ratio |
| Arrow | Head ratio, shaft ratio |
| Diamond | Aspect (W/H) |
| Triangle | |
| Teardrop | |
| Crescent | |
| Leaf | |
| Flower | Petals |
Set the Size (mm) and the shape-specific options, then click Create. The new shape is placed centered on the current view.
The preview is the real thing
The dialog previews with the same renderer the canvas uses, drawing the same stitches from the same settings, so what you see is what Create gives you. Dragging a slider updates the stitches live.
A View type switch flips the preview between Vector, Stitch, and Realistic (Realistic needs WebGPU).
Stitch settings in the dialog
You pick the stitch type and its settings before creating the shape, rather than fixing them afterwards:
- Running: stitch length, bean passes.
- Satin: width, placement (Contour or Inner), spacing, and the corner method.
- Tatami: angle, row spacing.
You also set the color here.
A satin band wider than the shape it sits on turns inside out, which used to come out as a spiky scribble. The width is now capped to what the shape can carry. The crescent starts at a 1 mm satin band, since its horns taper to nothing, and the heart defaults to Overlap corners because its cusps are near-hairpin turns.
Adjust a shape
Select a shape and every one of its knobs reaches the essentials bar, under Shape: corner radius, spoke ratio, arm ratio, arrow ratios, diamond aspect, and so on. The Properties panel has the same fields.
To change how it's stitched, pick a stitch type on the bar: see Fill an area. To move, resize or rotate it, see Move, resize, and rotate.