Embroidery data creating system for embroidery machine

An embroidery data creating system for creating embroidery data necessary for controlling an embroidery machine for embroidering in one of two opposing embroidering directions during embroidering operations, said embroidery data creating system comprising:

• embroidering region defining means for defining an embroidering region;
• end point specifying means for specifying an end point where stitching is to be terminated in the embroidering region defined by said embroidering region defining means;
• boundary line determining means for determining an initial boundary line passing through the end point specified by said end point specifying means and perpendicular to the embroidering direction;
• area comparing means for comparing the respective areas of initial partial embroidering regions respectively on the opposite sides of the initial boundary line determined by said boundary line determining means and selecting the initial partial embroidering region having the largest area;
• stitching direction determining means for determining a stitching direction along which stitches are to be formed in the whole embroidering region, the stitching direction being suitable for the initial partial embroidering region selected by said area comparing means to form stitches in the embroidery direction;
• and
• embroidery data creating means for creating embroidery data for the whole embroidering region according to the stitching direction determined by said stitching direction determining means.

A method of creating embroidery data, comprising the steps of:

• defining an outline for an image to be embroidered;
• identifying an end stitching point on the outline;
• creating an initial boundary line passing through the end stitching point, the initial boundary line perpendicular to an embroidery direction in which embroidering is carried out;
• designating a principal initial partial embroidering region based on initial partial embroidering regions created on either side of said initial boundary line;
• selecting a stitching direction based on the principal initial partial embroidering region;
• establishing an actual boundary line having a slant appropriate to the selected stitching direction and passing through the end stitching point;
• defining a principal actual partial embroidering region from actual partial embroidering regions on either side of the actual boundary line, the principal actual embroidering region containing at least the principal initial embroidering region;
• and
• forming stitching data commencing with the principal actual embroidering region.