What happens to your PCS file
Every needle point lands in the same place in the EXP file as in the PCS 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 | Dropped, as EXP has none |
| Size and density | Unchanged |
Thread colours
PCS stores real colours, and EXP has nowhere to keep them. The stops survive and the colours do not. Print the run sheet and keep it with the file.
Long moves
PCS stores absolute positions, while EXP moves up to 12.7 mm per record. Longer moves are split into a chain of jumps.
Trims
EXP has a real trim command, so cuts carry across as cuts.
Before you stitch
- Open the .pcs 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.
- Download the .exp 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 PCS
PCS is an older Pfaff format. Unlike most formats, it stores the absolute position of each stitch, in units of 0.06 mm rather than the usual 0.1 mm.
Trims. Rounding to 0.1 mm can also move a stitch by a tiny fraction of a millimetre when you convert away from it.
About EXP
EXP is the expanded format from Melco, also widely used with Bernina. It has no header at all: the file is simply two bytes per stitch, with control codes for jumps, trims and colour changes.
The EXP file is for Melco machines and Bernina machines and software. Melco and Bernina users, and a simple exchange file where a header is not needed.
With no header, a damaged EXP can look valid. Hoopbench checks that the stitches make sense and tells you if they do not.