Handstand canes are a great way to try something new with your handstand training. They are a little bit easier to balance on because you can move them under you. They promote trying harder to not fall, let you try new moves (presses, negatives, crocodile transfers etc) and the most important one, just look cool to show off on.

I wanted a set that has adjustable width so I can make them wider for doing dip exercises as well as handstands in the narrower position. They can also be disassembled to fit inside a 20L bike pannier (just about).

These were made from a 2.4 metre length of 6 x 1 (15cm x 1cm) planed wood. Apologies, we mix and match units in the UK, especially with DIY…..

The blocks for the hands are 3.5 x 5 x 2 inch

The blocks are attached to the base via 1 inch wide threaded pipe and 2 flanges for each cane. I have used 30cm long pipe.

Block spacings: I like to have my hands about 38cm apart, which is roughly my shoulder width. These canes can go from 35.5 to 50 cm apart. Beginners might want them a bit wider but as the shoulders get stronger and more flexible you should aim to bring them closer towards shoulder width for better handstand alignment. Wider is easier for bend arm pressing however.

Alternative Adjustable Base

An older version I just used a 60cm wide base piece and drilled multiple holes. This works well, but doesn’t fit in a pannier or most backpacks. With the canes on the outermost widest hole spacings it works well for dips, but isn’t quite as stable when trying one arm stuff because there isn’t much lateral support. A 75 cm wide base would have likely been a better choice. As mentioned above, I like my blocks about 38cm apart, so I recommend hole spacings that go from around 35 to 50 cm wide to accommodate a wide variety of people.

You may have already seen my article on how to pattern bags with darted corners, but if would rather just have the work done for you. I’ve got you covered with this pattern generator! Just input the dimensions and options you would like, and click generate!

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Want to support development of more free tools?

Please donate via Paypal or Ko-fi or purchase a random pattern from this website

These free tools take up a significant amount of my limited personal time so any support is appreciated 🙂

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This produces a mathematically correct pattern for the dimensions you provide, which is more accurate for rounded corners than the approximation I described in the darted patterns article. A pattern for the base to optionally sew the darted panel to is also generated.

Note! There might be bugs, so test your patterns on scrap paper or fabric before committing to the expensive stuff. This is a work in progress project.

Any issues, use the socials or contact me link above to let me know.

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  Bag Volume Estimation

]]> /online-darted-pattern-generator/feed/ 0 6995 /online-automatic-pattern-generator/ /online-automatic-pattern-generator/#respond Fri, 11 Oct 2024 11:36:17 +0000 /?p=6551

Not sure how to start making patterns? Do you struggle with the maths of calculating accurate middle (gusset) pieces. This is the tool for you!

I have previously released a Inkscape extension that can automatically generate patterns from shapes drawn, such as bag side panels. Not everyone has access to or uses Inkscape, so I’m working on bringing that key functionality to an online tool. Nearly instant patterns for backpacks, bike bags (frame bags, top tube bags etc) and more.

Work in progress! Might have some bugs. Test with a paper model or scrap fabric before committing to your expensive materials.

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Want to support development of more free tools?

These free tools take up a significant amount of my limited personal time so any support is appreciated 🙂

Please donate via Paypal or Ko-fi or purchase a random pattern from this website

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Start Drawing!

Instructions:

Draw your shape by left mouse clicking or tapping on the canvas. Where you want a split/new pattern piece in the gusset (perimeter side loop) right click. Split points are shown with red markers. On mobile you can make them red split points after the shape is completed.

Add seam allowance by pressing enter or click the Finish Shape/Add Seam allowance button to complete the shape. A helpful 3D view also appears! You can adjust the seam allowance in the pattern generation options

Edit the shape after the seam allowance has been added by clicking and dragging points, or tapping and dragging.

Add red split points on desktop by right mouse clicking any point. On mobile, tap any point.

Delete points by right clicking once to turn to a red split point, then click again to delete. Mobile, tap to turn to red, then tap again to delete

Add new points by tapping/clicking anywhere along a line segment

Scaling is adjusted by either specifying the actual real world dimensions of each grid square, or chosing a line segment and specifying the known length of that segment

Background image for tracing is added by clicking the browse button, and opacity can be adjusted. If the background image has wonky perspective, please use my free perspective correction tool before tracing. No images are uploaded to me, this all runs locally on your device.

Pattern Generation: Specify how wide you want the bag to be (use the 3D view to visualise) and the seam allowance, then click Generate Pattern (or type P).

You will now have a automatically generated pattern, ready to cut out and sew!

Printing and Assembling:

Patterns must be printed at 100% or “Actual Size” or equivalent in your printer settings. Cut along the borders and tape the borders together.

Made something cool? I’d love to see. Feel free to share your creations via the social links at the top of the page or the contact form.

Known Quirks:

• You can draw whatever, but doesn’t mean you can sew it. For example, patterns with sharp inwards corners you will struggle to sew. Again, test on scraps before fully committing.
• Might have bugs. Test whatever you generate with a paper model or scrap fabric before committing to fabric.
• Linear segments only currently. I might look into curved corners and beziers in the future. For now, just draw lots of points to simulate curves, and move the points if you need to adjust them.
• Wide gussets (wider than the paper width) aren’t tiled.

Sewing Instructions

For general instructions related to frame bags, which are a perfect example of what this tool can be used for, see this article:

A Rough Guide to Custom Frame Bags

Changelog:

28 Nov 2024: User interface improvements, instructions added.

17 Nov 2024:

• Gusset piece dimensions listed in the PDF so you don’t have to print the pages
• One single PDF generated for the entire project

9 Nov 2024: Fixed bug when generating patterns with gussets larger than page width that caused freezing

6 Nov 2024: 3D view to help visualise your project

The first step most people take is using the fabric panel dimensions, and doing a simple width * height * depth calculation. This is great for calculating the volume of a rigid object, but bags are soft and deform. I’ve seen commercial companies get their published bag volumes wildly wrong by making this error.

Pattern Pieces to Finished Bag Volume

Take the example on the left on this image. Doing width * height * depth calculation would result in it having zero volume as it has no depth (just two pieces of fabric sewn together), but when it is filled, it clearly bulges out and has volume.

So how can you estimate the volume based on the dimensions of your pattern pieces?

After running many fabric volume simulations, you can use these general rules:

If your bag is cuboid shaped (cube, or 3D rectangular), multiple the width * height * depth calculated volume by 1.2 to get a more accurate estimation of the volume when bulged out.

For flatter pancake shaped flattened bags, multiply by 2 for a rough estimate.

And flat bags (flat zip pouches etc) use a paper bag problem solution:

where w is width and h is height in metres, and V is volume in m³

If you are familiar with Blender, simulating volume change is easy by adding a subdivision surface multiplier then cloth physics.

If anyone knows of a generalised equation that can estimate a volume just from width, height and depth, I’d love to know!

Dimensions

Similarly if you want a bag to fit within a set range of dimensions (such as carry-on luggage) you need to account for bulging, and scale down your pattern pieces. The shallower and more pancake shaped your bag is, the more the depth dimension will change when the bag is filled.

Finished Bag Volume

For the inverse problem, trying to calculate the volume of a finished bag (cuboid shaped e.g. a backpack), again it is best to avoid doing a simple width * height * depth calculation of your actual fabric pieces as this does not account for bulging.

Instead, you can use the equation for calculating the volume of a elliptic cylinder using the actual bag dimensions, not the fabric panels themselves.

Want to support development of more free tools? Feel free to donate via Paypal or Ko-fi or purchase a random pattern from this website 🙂

Have you ever tried taking a photo of your pattern pieces and tracing them in software, and the dimensions are not quite right? This tool will help you correct the perspective of your photo to assist making accurate traces digitally, for example in Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator. Only corrects 2D perspective, not 3D objects.

Might have bugs, let me know!

For best results photograph your object on a grid, or on a object with 90 degree corners with known dimensions.

• Add 4 points to your image in the following clockwise order: top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left.
• Try and make the rectangle as big as possible for the highest accuracy. You can click and drag the points after the rectangle is drawn.
• Specify the known width and height of what you have selected. The units are dimensionless.
  For example, so if you have placed the object on a grid, count the grid squares. If the object is on a A4 piece of landscape paper, you could place your points around the paper and use 290 x 210 as your aspect width and height.
• Save, then load your image into Inkscape, Illustrator etc and scale to the actual dimensions, and trace!

Double check measurements before applying. The calculation can do some crazy distortions if you make mistakes, or the rectangle you draw is too small to be accurate, which might cause the script to hang for a period of time.

Drop me a message if there are issues or ways to improve. I know there is a algorithm that can estimate the perspective correction just from the drawn rectangle without needing the user to specify the aspect ratio (as used in document scanner apps), but I’ve not been able to implement it yet. The method I use here should be more accurate anyway however as there is no estimation, the user specifies the known width and height.

Features

15 Litre Capacity. Volume is calculated from fabric modelling software for accuracy.

Low Profile Shape to keep out of your way during activities

Simple Design. A perfect building block to add the features you need

Great First Backpack Project. Learn to sew zips and curved panels.

Front Panel Opening with long zip for easy access to the full bag contents.

Gentle S Shaped Straps.Simple, reliable shape and design. For fully featured straps with pockets see one of my thru hiking pack or trail running pack sewing guides

Printable PDF Pattern and Full Instructions

US Letter, A4 and A0 paper sizes

Every step is illustrated and described for complete clarity. No confusing wall of text or half-baked video like you can find elsewhere.

Sew your own commercial quality backpack with beginner friendly instructions.

Not for commercial use.

FREE/Donate What You Want at PayHip

£2.99 on Etsy (includes 25 page beginner sewing ebook)

Show off your hard work!

Instagram @pricklygorse #pricklygorse

Facebook @pricklygorse

Or feel free to send me photos via the contact links at the top of the page!

Suggested Fabrics and Hardware (Notions)

This is to give a rough estimate for budgeting. The sewing guide provides a complete comprehensive shopping and cutting list and should be used over this.

Links to example fabrics at RipstopByTheRoll provided (USA). I earn a tiny amount of coffee money at no cost to yourself to support more free patterns. See my page on recommended myog suppliers for alternative suppliers

Features

15 Litre Capacity. The main body is approximately 12 litre with 3 litres of additional pocket volume. Volume is calculated from fabric modelling software for accuracy.

Vest Style Shoulder Straps that hug your body for a secure and comfortable fit. Lace up straps for fine tuning the fit, but the instructions will include a piece to use this space as an additional pocket.

Several pockets for organisation and easy access to your essentials.

• 6 pockets on the shoulder straps
• Large external stash pocket (for coat, wind breaker etc), designed to be accessed on the go.
• Top zippered pocket for small items such as a phone, sunscreen etc

Hydration Bladder Sleeve on the back panel to ensure optimal hydration.

Four Point Compression on each side to ensure the bag can be cinched tight to minimise bounce.

Zip-Up Main Compartment because when you want to move fast, the faff of a roll top and it’s additional straps won’t cut it

Printable PDF Pattern and Full Instructions

The final release will include US Letter, A4 and A0 paper sizes

Every step is illustrated and described for complete clarity. No confusing wall of text like you can find elsewhere.

The guide goes out of it’s way to not only include the most comprehensive instructions, we also include a free 25 page beginner sewing ebook to get you started.

Sew your own commercial quality backpack with beginner friendly instructions.

Not for commercial use.

Join the Waiting List at PayHip

Add your email to the waiting list “product” page at PayHip and follow me on the socials at the top of the page to be the first to know when the sewing guide is released.

Suggested Fabrics and Hardware (Notions)

This is to give a rough estimate for budgeting. The sewing guide provides a complete comprehensive shopping and cutting list

Coming soon!

Get the extension for free and open source at Github

Want to support development of more pattern generators? Donate at Paypal, Payhip, Ko-fi or purchase a random pattern from this website 🙂

Example Video

Installation

Add the .inx and .py files to your Inkscape user extensions folder. You can find this by opening Inkscape Preferences (Edit-Preferences) and selecting the System tab. Restart Inkscape and the extension will appear under Extensions – Prickly Gorse – Unroll Path to Straight Path.

Usage

Select your path (or multiple individual paths) and run the extension (Extensions – Prickly Gorse – Unroll Path to Straight Path).

Shapes need to be converted to paths (Object – Object to Path).

The extension can either generate a new straight path with the nodes at the same spacings, number the nodes, label segment lengths, extrude the line to a 2D shape, and add an offset to the extruded shape. You can chose the units, decimal precision, and label prefixes.

This produces a line slightly above the original path’s bounding box that is the total length of the path, with nodes placed the same distances along as on the original path. You can generate either a single line (A), a line and an extra group with numbered nodes (B) or labelled segment lengths in the units of your choice (C, D). You can add a label prefix, for example if making a top and bottom line.

Numbered nodes are useful if you can’t remember which node aligns with which on the original shape. If you have drawn the original path in the wrong order and don’t like your starting node, chose your new starting node and use the ‘Break Path at Selected Nodes’ tool, then re-run the extension. Or trace over your old shape with a new path, which is a bit more reliable if you want to keep it a closed shape.

But we are on MYOG Tutorials, so you probably are using this to help making sewing patterns. Using the offset and extrude options (E,F), you can make a complete sewing pattern with just a click

Top Tube Bag Example

Known Issues

Adding offset (seam allowance) to the original shape is still a bit experimental, and the offset path can sometimes be inside the original shape, or the ticks might be instead. You might need to reverse the path. Alignment marks are always added perpendicular to the path, so sharp corners will have two marks.

Sometimes the generated paths might be placed on the wrong position on the canvas, depending on how you selected the path within groups. If this happens, exit out of the group, and reselect. Don’t use CTRL+click to select into groups before running the extension.

I’d love to see the awesome stuff you make with the extension!

Contact me on the social media links at the top of the page (#pricklygorse) or contact form at the top of the page 🙂