What happens to your PES file
Every needle point lands in the same place in the U01 file as in the PES 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 U01 has none |
| Size and density | Unchanged |
Thread colours
PES names a thread for each stop, but U01 has nowhere to keep them. The stops survive and the colours do not. Print the run sheet and keep it with the file, because that is the only record of the colours.
Long moves
U01 moves at most 12.7 mm per record, against 204.7 mm in PES. Longer moves are split into a chain of jumps, and a stitch longer than 12.7 mm becomes jumps followed by one stitch. Every needle point stays in the same place.
Trims
U01 has a real trim command, so cuts carry across as cuts.
Before you stitch
- Open the .pes 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 .u01 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 PES
PES is the Brother and Baby Lock format and probably the most common home embroidery file. Inside it is a PEC block, which is the part the machine actually sews, and in newer versions a list of exact thread colours for design software.
On the machine itself, anything beyond the Brother chart: its screen shows the nearest of those 64 colours.
About U01
U01 is the Barudan format. It has a 256 byte header, then three bytes per record, and it selects needles by number rather than storing colours.
The U01 file is for Barudan commercial machines. Barudan machines.
Hoopbench steps through needles 1 to 15 in order for each colour stop. Remap them on the machine if your threads are set up differently.