> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.tempoweave.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.tempoweave.com/help-by-menu-tabs/tools-menu/thread-assistant.md). # Thread Assistant ### What It Does The Thread Assistant is your at-the-loom companion for **threading the warp** — sleying each warp end through its heddle on the correct shaft. Instead of squinting at a paper draft and counting ends, it walks you through the warp a small group at a time, showing exactly which shaft each end goes through and what color it is. You mark each group as you thread it (with a button, the keyboard, or a foot pedal) and it advances to the next group automatically. Think of it as a guided checklist for dressing the loom: it keeps your place, shows the shaft number and yarn color for every end, tracks how far you've threaded, and even tells you how many heddles to pre-pull on each shaft for the group you're about to thread. Your threading progress is saved with the draft and is **shared with the mobile app**, so you can start threading at your computer and finish at the loom on a tablet or phone (or vice versa). *** ### Opening the Thread Assistant * **Ribbon**: Tools tab > Dobby group > **Thread Assistant** button The Thread Assistant opens as a separate, non-modal window — you can keep working in the main drawdown while it's open. Only one instance can be open at a time; clicking the button again brings the existing window to the front. *** ### The Thread Assistant Window The window has five regions: * **Navigation bar** (top) — move between groups, jump to a thread, and zoom. * **Group display** (center) — the large color discs for the group you're currently threading. * **MARK THREADS** button — marks the current group done and advances. * **Threading Preview** strip — a warp's-eye overview of where you are. * **Settings panel** (right, collapsible) — direction, group size, starting point, foot pedal, and display options. * **Overview** strip (bottom) — a progress bar across the whole warp. *** #### Navigation Bar (Top) **Direction toggle** (e.g. "Right→Left") Toggles the threading direction. Most weavers thread from the right side of the warp to the left, so the default is **Right → Left**. Click to switch to **Left → Right**. (This is the same setting as the Direction radios in the Settings panel.) **◀ Prev / Next ▶** Step to the previous or next group without marking anything. Use these to review groups you've already threaded or to skip ahead. **Unmark** Clears the threaded marks for the **group currently on screen** only. Use it if you marked a group by mistake or need to re-thread it. (To clear the *entire* draft, use **Unmark All Threads** in the Settings panel.) **Thread \[ ] / \[total] Go** Type any thread (end) number and click **Go** (or press Enter) to jump straight to the group containing that end. The total number of warp ends is shown next to the field. **− / +** Make the color discs smaller or larger. Zoom in for big, easy-to-read discs at the loom; zoom out to fit a larger group on screen. *** #### The Group Display This is the heart of the window: one large **color disc per warp end** in the current group, laid out left to right in the order you'll thread them. Each disc tells you everything you need for that end: * **Disc color** — the yarn (warp) color of that end, so you can confirm you're picking up the right thread. * **Shaft number** (large, centered) — the shaft to thread this end through. A dash ("—") means the end is empty (no shaft assigned). * **End number** (above the disc) — which warp end this is, counting from end 1. * **Green ✓ badge** — appears on ends that are already threaded; threaded discs are also dimmed so your eye goes to what's left to do. * **⋆ (amber star)** — marks the **geometric center** of the warp. * **◆ (blue diamond)** — marks your **starting/anchor end** (where group 1 begins). When every end in a group is threaded, a note appears: *"This group is threaded. Use Prev / Next or Unmark."* **Heddle Summary (optional)** When **Show heddle summary** is enabled (Settings panel), a small **Shaft / Heddles** table appears in the top-left corner. It lists how many ends in the current group fall on each shaft — so you can pre-pull exactly the right number of heddles per shaft before you start the group. Only shafts used by the current group are listed. *** #### MARK THREADS The big red **MARK THREADS** button marks the current group as threaded and advances to the next group. This is the action you'll repeat over and over as you dress the loom. So you don't have to reach for the mouse at the loom, you can also trigger it with a **keyboard key or foot pedal** — the default is the **Space** bar (configurable in Settings). When marking, an optional beep confirms the action. The Thread Assistant **does not wrap around**: when you mark the last group, threading is complete and it stops rather than looping back to the start. *** #### Threading Preview The **Threading Preview** strip below the discs is a warp's-eye view of your draft's threading. It shows the shaft cells across the warp, with **threaded ends in green** and the **current group highlighted in blue** so you always know where you are in the overall draft. A frozen shaft-number column stays in view as the preview scrolls horizontally through a wide warp. You can hide this strip and set how many shafts it displays (**Max shafts in preview**, 8–64) in the Settings panel — handy for very tall drafts, or to free up vertical space for bigger discs. *** #### Overview (Bottom Strip) A thin progress bar spanning the bottom of the window represents the **entire warp** at a glance — threaded versus not-yet-threaded — so you can see how much of the warp remains. A small label shows the range currently in view. *** #### Settings Panel (Right) The panel on the right holds all the configuration. Click **◀ Collapse settings** to hide it (a thin **▶** tab brings it back) — useful for a wider disc area at the loom. **Direction** **Right → Left** or **Left → Right** — the order in which the assistant walks the warp. Matches the toggle in the navigation bar. **Group size** How many ends are shown and marked together (1–8, default **4**). Smaller groups are easier to keep your place with; larger groups mean fewer marking steps. **Starting thread** The anchor end where **group 1** begins (1–40,000, default 1). * **Position at Center** — sets the starting thread to the geometric center of the warp and jumps there. Use this when you prefer to **start threading in the middle and work outward**, a common approach that keeps the design centered in the reed. The center end is marked with the **⋆** glyph and your chosen start with the **◆** glyph in the group display. **Foot pedal** The key (or pedal mapped to a key) that triggers **MARK THREADS**. Click **Set**, then press the key or pedal you want to use. The default is **Space**. **Beep when marking** Plays a short confirmation chime each time you mark a group. Turn off for silent marking. **Display** * **Show heddle summary** — toggles the Shaft / Heddles table described above. * **Show threading preview** — toggles the Threading Preview strip. * **Max shafts in preview** — how many shafts the preview shows (8–64, default 16). Bigger drafts can show more shafts; the tradeoff is less room for the discs. **Unmark All Threads** Clears **every** threaded mark in the draft, so you can start the threading over. Use this when you reopen an already-threaded draft and want a clean slate. (To clear only the group on screen, use **Unmark** in the navigation bar.) *** ### Typical Workflow 1. **Open the Thread Assistant** (Tools > Dobby > Thread Assistant) with your draft loaded. 2. In the **Settings panel**, set your **Direction**, **Group size**, and **Starting thread** — or click **Position at Center** to thread outward from the middle. 3. (Optional) Turn on **Show heddle summary** and pre-pull the heddles it lists for the first group. 4. Thread the ends shown in the **disc row**, matching each end to its **shaft number** and **color**. 5. Press **MARK THREADS** — or your **foot pedal / Space key** — to mark the group done and advance. 6. Repeat. Watch the **Threading Preview** and **Overview** bar fill in as you go. 7. Made a mistake? **Unmark** the current group (navigation bar) and re-thread it. 8. When the last group is marked, threading is complete. *** ### Notes & Tips * **Progress is saved with the draft.** Threaded marks round-trip through the `.wif` / `.twa` file (the `[TW THREAD ASSISTANT]` section), so they survive saving, closing, and reopening. * **Shared with mobile.** Because progress lives in the file, you can start threading on the desktop and continue in the TempoWeave mobile app at the loom — your marks carry over both ways. * **The assistant guides; it doesn't change your draft.** Marking a group threaded only records progress — it never alters your threading, colors, or shafts. * **Center-out threading** keeps the pattern centered in the reed: use **Position at Center**, then thread one direction, and switch the **Direction** toggle to thread the other half. * **At the loom**, collapse the Settings panel and zoom the discs up (**+**) for a large, glanceable display, and drive everything from the foot pedal. *** *See also: Weave Assistant for the at-the-loom weaving companion, and Prepare Threading.* --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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