What happens to your DST file
Every needle point lands in the same place in the XXX file as in the DST file, and Hoopbench reads the new file back to prove it before you save it. The details below are what actually changes between these two formats.
| Stitch positions | Identical, to 0.1 mm |
|---|---|
| Colour stops | Same number, same order |
| Thread colours | Choose them first |
| Size and density | Unchanged |
Thread colours
DST stores no colours, and XXX keeps exact ones. Set your own under Colour stops before you download, and they are stored exactly as you pick them, along with any names you type.
Long moves
XXX can move 12.3 mm in one record and DST only 12.1 mm, so everything fits. Chains of jumps from the DST file stay as jumps.
Trims
XXX has a real trim command, so cuts carry across as cuts.
Before you stitch
- Open the .dst file above and watch it sew, so you know the file is sound and in the order you expect.
- Choose your hoop under Hoop fit. The check uses the design's real size, not the file's header.
- Pick your thread colours under Colour stops, because DST doesn't hold them.
- Download the .xxx file, and stitch a test piece on matching fabric and stabiliser.
Converting doesn't resize a design or change its density. If a design needs to be much bigger or smaller, use digitising software, as stretching stitches without recalculating them can leave gaps or heavy spots.
About DST
DST is the file most digitisers deliver, because almost every commercial machine can sew it. It starts with a 512 byte text header holding the design name, stitch count and extents, followed by three bytes for every stitch.
Thread colours and thread names. A DST only says "stop and change thread here".
About XXX
XXX is the Singer format. It has a 256 byte header, then stitch records, then a table of real colours after the end marker.
The XXX file is for Singer machines and the software that shipped with them. Singer machines that read XXX.
Singer home machines have long, narrow hoops on several models, so check both the width and height.