Import an embroidery file
Boldbobbin can read existing machine files back in as stitch blocks.
Readable formats: DST, PES, EXP, JEF, PEC, VP3, U01, XXX.
- File → Import → Import embroidery…, or click Import in the tool rail's Automation section and pick Embroidery design from the chooser, or drag a supported file onto the canvas.
- The Import embroidery file dialog opens, showing the stitch count, size, and colors, with a preview of the actual stitch paths.
- Set the options and click Import.
Options
- Center in hoop: move the design so it sits centered, instead of wherever the file placed it (on by default).
- Give each color change its own color: appears for files that record color changes but no actual thread colors (typical of DST). Turn it on so each section reads as a distinct color you can tell apart and recolor later.
- Discard unused palette colors: after import, drop palette colors no stitch uses (off by default). Imported colors are always added to the palette.
If the design is bigger than your current hoop, you'll see a warning but can still import. See Design larger than the hoop.
DST has no thread colors
The DST format stores color changes but not the colors themselves, so an imported DST reads back as one color until you assign colors: that's what "Give each color change its own color" is for.
Opening a Boldbobbin project instead
To open a Boldbobbin project (not a machine file), use File → Open (.vemb)…: that's a different format. See File formats.