What happens to your PCS file
The natural upgrade path for old Pfaff designs. PCS stores real colours and VP3 keeps them, and stitch positions are rounded from 0.06 mm units to 0.1 mm.
| Stitch positions | Identical, to 0.1 mm |
|---|---|
| Colour stops | Same number, same order |
| Thread colours | Carried exactly |
| Size and density | Unchanged |
Thread colours
PCS and VP3 both store real colour values, so colours carry across exactly.
Long moves
PCS stores absolute positions, while VP3 moves up to 12.7 mm per record. Longer moves are split into a chain of jumps.
Trims
VP3 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 .vp3 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 VP3
VP3 is the shared format for current Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines. Each colour block stores its own start point and a full thread record, including the colour, catalogue number and description.
The VP3 file is for current Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines and their software. Viking and Pfaff machines that read VP3.
It keeps the most thread detail of the common formats, so it is a good one to convert from when you want the colours to survive.