Settings Canvas Ruler, Guidelines

Created by Sunny Hart, Modified on Tue, 3 Mar at 9:03 AM by Sunny Hart

STEK EDGE • Canvas

Canvas Settings: Rulers, Guidelines, and Cutouts

Use Canvas Settings to measure patterns, align pieces faster, and control which cutouts appear in a pattern.

Purpose: Use Canvas Settings to measure patterns, align pieces faster, and control which cutouts appear in a pattern.

Applies to: STEK EDGE (current version) — Canvas → Settings (Rulers, Guidelines, Cutouts)

Time to complete: 1–2 minutes (less than 1 minute per toggle)

Audience: Any user (Installer / Shop staff)

Caution (Cutouts): If you toggle cutouts OFF, modify the pattern, then toggle cutouts back ON, cutouts can become misplaced. Do geometry edits first, then finalize cutouts.

Why this matters

Problem: In real shop workflows, small UI settings can waste time when they are off. Measuring without a scale, aligning without snap guidance, or plotting with unwanted cutouts can create rework.
What EDGE improves: Canvas Settings provides quick toggles for Rulers, Guidelines, and Cutouts so you can adjust canvas behavior in seconds while you work.
Result: Faster layout, fewer alignment mistakes, and cleaner output based on the job.

What this feature does

What it is: A Canvas Settings menu that controls three helpers: Rulers (measurement), Guidelines (alignment), and Cutouts (show/hide internal features).
What it helps you do: Measure pattern size and film space, align patterns quickly, and toggle cutouts like sensors/emblems/handles based on the install.
What it does not do (optional): These settings do not change your physical plotter setup. They affect how you view and prepare patterns inside the canvas.

Videos

Video

Video — Canvas Settings (Rulers, Guidelines, Cutouts)

Covers: Opening Settings from the canvas and using the three options to improve workflow.

When to use: Any time you are preparing patterns in the canvas and want better measuring, faster alignment, or specific cutout behavior.

Before you start

You need: Any pattern opened in the canvas.
Recommended: Keep Guidelines ON during layout, keep Rulers ON when measuring, and finalize geometry edits before changing Cutouts.
Terms used (optional): Ruler = scale in mm/inches; Guidelines = alignment lines while moving; Cutouts = internal features (sensors, emblems, door handles, fuel door, sunroof).

How to use it

Workflow

Workflow A — Recommended (use Settings while arranging patterns)

Open Canvas Settings
Where: Canvas → top bar → Settings
Do: Click Settings.
Expected result: You see three options: Rulers, Guidelines, and Cutouts.
Use Rulers to measure
Where: Settings → Rulers
Do: Toggle Show ruler ON or OFF.
Expected result: A ruler appears along the canvas boundary. Units show in mm or inches based on your user settings.
Note (optional): Useful for quickly checking pattern size and film space.
Use Guidelines to align patterns faster
Where: Settings → Guidelines
Do: Toggle Guidelines ON or OFF.
Expected result: When ON, guidelines appear while you move a pattern to align with other pieces or the canvas edges.
Note (optional): When OFF, movement is “free” with no alignment assistance.
Use Cutouts to control what is cut
Where: Settings → Cutouts
Do: Toggle cutouts ON/OFF for all cutouts or by type (examples: Sensors, Emblems, Door handles, Fuel door, Sunroof).
Expected result: The selected cutouts show or hide inside the pattern.

Workflow

Workflow B — Safe order when you plan to modify a pattern (Cutouts)

Do geometry edits first
Where: Canvas (pattern editing workflow)
Do: Make your pattern modifications first while cutouts remain consistent.
Expected result: Your edits are applied without risking cutout misplacement.
Finalize Cutouts after edits
Where: Settings → Cutouts
Do: Toggle cutouts ON/OFF only after you finish modifying the pattern.
Expected result: The pattern displays the final cutout configuration you want to plot.
Avoid toggling cutouts back ON after heavy edits
Where: Settings → Cutouts
Do: If you need cutouts ON, keep them ON through the edit process when possible.
Expected result: Lower risk of cutouts appearing in the wrong place.

Tips

Keep Rulers ON when you are checking size or film fit.
Keep Guidelines ON during layout to reduce alignment errors.
For Cutouts, treat toggling as a “final configuration step,” especially if you edit the pattern.

Common mistakes

Mistake: Turning Guidelines OFF and struggling to line up patterns → Fix: Turn Guidelines back ON during layout.
Mistake: Forgetting rulers are in inches vs mm → Fix: Confirm the unit in your user settings and re-check measurements before plotting.
Mistake: Turning Cutouts OFF, editing the pattern, then turning Cutouts back ON → Fix: Do geometry edits first, then change cutouts (or keep cutouts consistent through the edit).

Troubleshooting

Issue: Ruler is not visible
Cause: Show ruler is OFF (or the canvas boundary is not visible)
Fix: Settings → Rulers → toggle Show ruler ON, then zoom/scroll until the boundary is visible.

Issue: Patterns won’t “snap” into alignment
Cause: Guidelines are OFF
Fix: Settings → Guidelines → toggle ON, then move the pattern again to see alignment lines.

Issue: Cutouts look wrong after editing
Cause: Cutouts were toggled OFF during edits and re-enabled after geometry changes
Fix: Undo if possible, redo edits with cutouts consistent, then toggle cutouts at the end.

Wrap-up

You used Canvas Settings to control measurement (Rulers), alignment behavior (Guidelines), and cutout visibility (Cutouts). These quick toggles reduce layout time and help ensure the pattern output matches what you want to cut before plotting.