Are there defined names for variables, like there are for measurements?

Hi folks,

me again :slight_smile: I am working on a tutorial for Valentina, where I do a simple pattern. As I found the table with the names for measurements

https://static.miraheze.org/seamlywiki/d/d5/Measurement-body-diagram_20160404b.svg

in the forum, for the English version I plan to use the names provided there, because for me it makes sense in order to have the people produce patterns that easily can be exchanged (sometimes I love standards :slight_smile: )

But, when I am doing that, I guess it maybe wise to do the same with variables. There should be variables used in a wide range of systems, like ease, or length of the model. So there might be defined names for that, too, like for the measurements?

tx Monika

Hi @moniaqua

There is a measurement for Total Height, which is from top of head to floor, in Tape

And no, there is nothing like that, as far as I know. Each person creates the variable with a name that they can identify it with. The same for Custom measurements. I have found that people will normally continue to use names that they are taught from the beginning, only adding their names when they create extra variables, so I wouldn’t worry about it.

Yes, I found that one, that’s what we call “Körperhöhe”. Model length (I just roughly translated it, I don’t know whether the term exists like that) is from neck back (7th vertebra) to seam. This is something I wouldn’t do to measurements as it is not a measurement from the body, but I think it makes sense to put it in a variable as it normally is used more than once in a pattern. And I think it isn’t bad to establish such things in the beginning.

That’s right, but I have to translate my measurements anyways because I guess people are not happy with Terms like HĂŒU (HĂŒftumfang, hip circumference) or gArD :slight_smile: So I can use the Valentina-Terms as well, makes it kind of easier for me to find the right translation :wink:

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Ah, ok :slight_smile: I see what you mean now. And, no, I still don’t think such a list exists. I think it would be good to use things like “=GarmentLength” Or “WaistToHem”. Use caps to head the words to separate the words and use small sentences that are graphically descriptive.

One idea that has been tossed around is to use the localized dictionaries of terms to generate measurement/variables/etc. For example, if someone chooses waistline then to then hemline, the software would call that WaistlineToHemline for English speakers, TailleÀL'Ourlet for French, VitaAll'Orlo for Italians, etc. (I used Google Translate; please don’t shoot me.) That would allow users of different languages to know exactly what a measurement/variable/etc. was referring to.

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From top of head to floor is height.

The variables you are asking about are specific to garments. Example: Trousers would not use a neck to seam variable.

These variables are built from body measurements, but they are not body measurements, they are specific to a particular garment of a particular style.

They are defined for your pattern in the Increments table, and are saved within the pattern.

This distinction between body measurements and the garment-specific variables is not apparent in patternmaking books because these numbers are usually included in the same table for a pattern.

Each pattermaking system uses some body measurements but not all body measurements.

Patternmaking books explain a few basic patterns built from that system’s measurements. Each pattern uses only a subset of the system’s body measurements. Each pattern is presented as the basis for many other shirts. This hides the reality that there are literally hundreds of variations to make that basic shirt, from which many other shirt styles can be developed. You see the problem?

To further confuse things, patternmaking books frequently use standard sizing tables which include measurements of the finished garments in the same tables with body measurements used to make the pattern. They don’t explain how these finished garment measurements were derived from the body measurements. They hide essential info you need to make properly fitted clothing.

The list of garment variables might as well be infinite, because we can’t anticipate which measurements you like, which systems you like (or if you just ‘shoot from the hip’), or which garment variables you want to use.

Multiply the number of all patternsystems (including your own personal shortcuts and preferences) with the number of all possible garments and you will realize the magnitude of the problem.

Since we can’t anticipate the variables that you will want, we could implement custom macros. Would you want to create your own macros, and then select your ‘shirt’ macro whenever you make a new shirt?

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Yes, I am aware of that :slight_smile:

Hofenbitzer is very specific about that. He uses them in the same table, but he colors what is measurement and what variable. I can see your point that it just might be to many variables over all systems though.

I think, I see the problem :slight_smile: I was only asking because there are variables I use over and over again:

  • the length of the garment
  • the eases at hip, waist, bust, 


If you change length of garment and/or ease, you have already different garments. But still those variables are really in every pattern. I don’t know if other pattern systems provide “Passformklassen”, that is a table with different sets of eases for different kinds of garments (PK 1 for example for Jersey, corsets etc., PK 3 or normal snug blouses and so on)

I think you are one step ahead of what I was thinking about :slight_smile: I really only wanted to know whether there exist defined names for variables (or increments); if not that’s fine for me, too. I just didn’t want to miss something and then have to write the tutorial all over again :wink:

Hmm. Now that it worked a little bit in my mind and after I’ve done that reference thing felt the 1000th time, after all is stable I think it would be a really nice feature. I myself am not the one who uses macros that often, but I know there are people who do that and there might be people who share their macros, like it is done in other programs, too.

Sounds like if you use the same variables over and over again, you would probably want to create these variables once in a macro or script and then select it whenever you want those variables in your pattern.

This would be easier than typing them into the table each time.

Yes, that’s right. As I have to print DIN A4 on a simple printer and pdf sometimes makes funny things, I put always a reference square into my patterns, for example. That is not exactly only variables, but it is a piece that as well could be done with a macro, for what I understand of the meaning of the word macro.

Else, in every pattern there is ease. I do have a table with eases, what easy to use for what (those “Passformklassen”), so it would be nice to just say “Passformklasse 5” and all eases are added.

I think even darts could be done with a macro at some point - like I’ve seen it in a (very expensive) pattern making program when I was looking for pleats, they just say “dart”, where the dart should be, length and width of it and voilà, a full dart appears.

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