Ann The Gran Community

How do you like Catalog Xpress? Click on 'Reply' and tell me what you like about it, what you don't like about it, and why someone else should or shouldn't buy it.

I just tried Catalog Xpress and cannot believe how well it gets me organized! 

I have no idea how many designs I own.  It could be 500 or 5,000 or somewhere in between.  I am cataloging them and finding ways to know what I am dealing with.  What a great program. 

Thanks to whomever created this software.  I love being organized but always think, I will get there tomorrow.  Catalog Xpress has taken me to a new level of my craft.  When someone asked me if I had a widget design, I never knew if I did or not.  Now I do, I am fresh out of widget designs.

Yes Pat ,I just finished getting mine into Catalog Express this week. All I can say is  WOW!! It is so easy to use and I feel so organized now.Before I would spend literaly hours going through my stock of designs to look for one thing.Now I can easily find it in a flash!

I love the fact that you can do it all from one program ,convert,resize,add lettering and load directly to your card for use.With just a few clicks of the mouse you are off sewing which is(lets face it) we all want to be any way ! I also like the way you can sub categorize so easily ,now I can go directly to the daisy's and roses with a click,instead of spending my sewing time looking for one.

By the way now that I am all done(for now,until I start adding again) I had over 12,000 designs.Now I know what took me so long to look for that darn daisy design !

I recommend this program to everyone just getting started in machine embroidery,it will definatly save you a lot of time later and make more time for you to do what we all love ,and that is sewing!

You know what, Judy, I thought I was a little crazy with the number of designs I have purchased!  I am so glad I am not alone.  I don't know how many I have, but I think it must be about 8,000.  I am still doing the inventory thing!

 I have had trouble with the download to my card.  Can you help me?  I am generally trainable - make that - usually trainable - make that - maybe trainable. 

I tried to do a download, but I just was not getting anywhere.  Looking forward to your input!

Pat 

OK Pat............did you like put a hex on my machine here LOL, now my read write feature isn't working................Greg,..............Help ! I can do it from my Janome software but not CX. I did it  before, now it is not working. hmmmmmmmmmmm.

I agree with all thats been said on the C.Xp. I have had it for two years, I have now downloaded it to my windows vista. I seem to have got a update on it, So far I haven't got to grips with it, not even sure if I have down loaded it propertyThe support I have been given has been super from the team, I'm sure they must be pulling thier hair out with me and saying heres this woman from Scotland again I had her last time it's your turn again lol.I've been right down in the dumps over it and they I feel have kept me from throwing the towel in.But I couldn't now get by with out the program it will take me a bit of time to get useing it like I did my old version ( never had to think what I was doing it was so easy) I'm sure this one is as well, thanks everyone for help, My machine is a Janrome 350e Cheers Liz

Hello Judy,

Can you exit the Catalog Xpress and restart the software and try again?  Also, is the card showing up the software?  Do you get an error message when trying to write to the card?  Have you tried reformatting the card?

Thank you

AnntheGran Support

I tried to do that,restart and try again.The card shows up but will only let me refresh...nothing else. I cannot read,write format ..nothing but refresh. Everything is greyed out except refresh.

Thanks

Godo Afternoon Everyone,

I don't want to sound like a total ninny, but what is the Catalog Xpress and what will it do for me.  I have a Bernina 440 with the embroidery attachment.  I have had my embroidery module for a while and I have downloaded tons of designs from the internet and YES I have quite a mess on my hands.  My designs are not organized at all.  Kind of sounds like I need this Catalog Xpress but I need someone to tell me if it will work with my equipment.

Thanks

Well, I cannot answer all questions because I just got CatX (I always give a nickname to those I like) and am still working with it.  

Hopester- If you have a ton of designs, this software will help you organize and get a handle on all your designs.  So far, I am happily using the feature where I place my designs in various categories, some of which are predefined and some of which I have defined.  The software is flexible.

For instance, Ann predefined "Children" and I made a subfolder of "Boys" and "Girls" because I have so many of them.  Now if someone asks for a litle girl playing with friends theme, I just go directly to "Children" and "Girls" to check it out.  Before, I really had a mess. 

The big advantage that I personally see is that designs seldom have names, they usually have numbers.  Those numbers don't mean too much if I want to search for something.  I had been changing the numbers to something more meaningful, but discovered just how tricky that was - the designer had the same problem, therefore uses numbers.   Issue:  How do you define a smiling girl, and another smiling girl, and another smiling girl, and so on.  

Now all the smiling girls are smiling back at me but I can see which is which, what colors are needed, how many color changes, the size of the design and the number of stitches all in one glance. 

So, it does not have anything to do with your embroidery equipment at all.  And, it stands alone, your computer does not have to have something extra special such as a special software.  There are, naturally, minimums for this software, just like any software you might use.

Think of this as an inventory specifically for embroidery designs.  I can assure you that inventory software is extremely expensive, difficult to learn and not geared to embroidery.  I have taught adult learners software for 4 years and inventory/database software is the most complex of all user software.  This CatX is user friendly and very easy to use.

Gee, I should get a commission on this post - LOL

Pat

Great answer Pat !  Ann should give a commission LOL! Hopester, Pat is right ,it does not matter what machine you have,this software will work with it. It is extremely user friendly,which is why I like it.

My hubby actually had made me an inventory list of sorts years ago,but it did not have the features and advantages this does.I had several categories,but no sub categories. So I had one in there of animals,well that included all animals,so if I was looking for rudolf the reindeer,it took a while to find it,or should I say them! Then I had to look through all the animals to find one reindeer,which usally I had several,so it took a while.Now I had rudolf in a category all his own,and I have them in sub category for rudolf with red ribbon and so on.

I also like the fact that I can convert them right there as well ,then resize them if I need to .Where before I was skipping around on the computer with different programs trying to do everything CatX will do. This is easier and faster for me,so I have more time to actually sew instead of playing on the computer ! Which is where I want to be any way,LOL.

As far as price,it is a lot of program for the money. I know I hemmed and hawwed over it for a while myself,now I wished I had bought it long ago when I first saw it. Like Pat said,inventory software is expensive and not so user friendly.Most of the time I was ready to toss the computer out the window before.With CatX I spent 5 minutes with it and pretty much knew how to do everything with it.

Not only that, it keeps a running total of how many designs you have,(which I didn't know until I had them all named and categorized).Now it is so easy when I get a new design I slip it right into CatX and have it named and categorized within a few minutes(yes Pat I just got some new ones LOL!).

You will love it.It is a bit of work when you first get it but it is worth  it in the end. You will be so organized when you are done you will want to clean your sewing room(well maybe not).

It also works with Alphabet Xpress as well.In other words it talks to one another and is compatible.If I want to add lettering to a design,I can do it right from CatX.You click and Alphabet X comes up,you add the lettering and can put that in the Catx for further use if you want to do that, so if you want to make another one just like it you don't have to re-do it,it is already there to use.I don't know of too many programs that actually work with one another,but these do.

Hope this helps !

Thanks for the info Pat.  It sounds like what I need.  I will start saving my pennies.

Hopester (gotta love that name!) - I think of my purchases such as this in two ways:

1. What is my time worth?  I spent too much time trying to set up a usable database for my inventory.  I am very computer literate and was frustrated with all my attempts.  Then I spend time trying to find a design.  There is a lost cause for me!  Someone will ask for a little girl with an umbrella, and I might have a vague recall that I have it, but still have to find it.  I have purchased designs that were nearly dups, another waste of funds.
2. Every investment I make is for my favorite addiction.  I don't smoke, etc., so I feel I can be good to myself.  I would not try to mow my lawn with a great pair of scissors, I would buy the best tool I can afford for the job.  I am unaware of another software that does the same things this does, it is specialized.  It is only fair to pay the developer, owner and seller for their product.

I don't have a large budget, but I have a wonderful craft that gives me a lot of joy.

Pat

I don't have Catalog Xpress--but years ago some gave a free catalog system which was just folders with folders(sub folders) I have to convert within my software(Art)so that feature wouldn't be needed--I still find I have too many designs--yes that is possible--I started with AnntheGran way back even sis one digitzed design when I had PES and I looked and it is still there--but I degress.  Would this SW be of any use to me-----Lani

CatalogXpress is a database software.  Download it for a 30 day trial and play with it.  Your designs remain on your computer in its original place.  CatalogXpress just holds the information.  So, when you 'move' a design, you are only moving its information, so don't delete them from your computer.  

If you have a 'free' system that is a few years old, it may not be meeting your needs now. 

When you have many designs, having them organized, pictures of them, stitch count and other things, this software is a read gem.  In fact, it might pay for itself if you know what you want, you can find it rather than buy a similar or the same design.

Pat