Weave Assistant
Available on Desktop and Mobile. This guide covers the desktop Weave Assistant; the tablet and phone version has its own guide — Weave Assistant (Mobile) — because the touch interface is laid out differently. Weaving progress, treadle mappings, and settings travel inside the .twa file, so you can move between desktop and mobile mid-project.
What It Does
The Weave Assistant is your at-the-loom companion. It displays your draft pick by pick, showing which shafts to raise for each pick and a real-time cloth preview as you weave. With a TempoTreadle 3 on your loom, it advances hands-free — the box senses your actual treadling over Wi-Fi and confirms every shed. If you have a dobby loom (Louet or Leclerc), it can connect directly and send shaft commands automatically. And with neither, it still works as an on-screen guide — advance through your treadling with a foot pedal or keyboard and follow along visually.
With Weave Assistant and TempoTreadle, you can weave with confidence through life's distractions. Think of it as a scrolling teleprompter for weaving: it keeps your place, shows what's coming next, alerts you to treadling errors, color changes, and lets you focus on the weaving instead of a paper draft.
Opening the Weave Assistant
Ribbon: Tools tab > Dobby group > Weave Assistant button
The Weave Assistant opens as a separate window. Only one instance can be open at a time — if you click the button again, it brings the existing window to the front.
Opening the Weave Assistant
Ribbon: Tools tab > Dobby group > Weave Assistant button
The Weave Assistant opens as a separate window. Only one instance can be open at a time — if you click the button again, it brings the existing window to the front.
The Weave Assistant Window
Toolbar (Top)
Navigation Controls
Forward / Reverse Toggles the weaving direction. In Forward mode, advancing goes to higher-numbered picks. In Reverse mode, it goes backward — and the pill turns red so you can't miss it. Use Reverse when you need to unweave or re-do a section. Flipping direction also repositions you sensibly: switching to Reverse steps back to the last pick you wove; switching to Forward steps ahead to the next one (wrapping at section boundaries).
Previous / Next Pick Step backward or forward one pick at a time. You'll typically use the foot pedal or keyboard instead, but these buttons are available for mouse navigation.
Back Up Goes back one pick, undoing the last advance. This is direction-aware: if you are weaving forward, it goes back one pick; if weaving in reverse, it goes forward one pick. Use this when you need to re-do the previous pick.
Pick Jump Type a pick number and click Go (or press Enter) to jump directly to any pick. The display immediately centers on that pick.
Section Filter A dropdown that lets you limit the weaving range to a specific section of your draft. If your draft has Section Assembly markers (such as "Header," "Pattern," "Footer"), they appear here. Select a section and the Weave Assistant only cycles through picks in that range, automatically wrapping at the section boundaries.
When "All" is selected, you weave through the entire draft.
View Controls
Zoom + / - (top bar) Adjusts the size of the shaft grid and cloth preview cells. Zoom in for detail or out to see more picks at once.
â–¾ View (menu) The display toggles, gathered in one place:
Show treadle overlay (on by default) — the floating treadle guidance card.
Show large treadle overlay — maximizes the card with much larger text and boxes; glanceable from the bench, and the low-vision option.
Show Next and Prev treadle (on) — the next-pick / last-pick preview lines inside the overlay.
Show Interlacement (on) — shadow and highlight lines simulate the over/under texture of real cloth; off shows flat colored cells.
Show color names (off) — displays the current pick's yarn line and color name, and hovering any pick in the treadling panel names its yarn. Takes the guesswork out of "which blue is this pick?"
Color change alert (on) — chime when the next pick uses a different weft.
Show treadling panel (on) — the side panel; turn it off to give the cloth preview the full width.
Settings Shows or hides the settings panel on the right side of the window.
Info Bar
A full-width bar below the toolbar showing three pieces of information about the current pick:
Pick number — Large, bold display (e.g., "Pick 42")
Active shafts — Which shafts are raised for this pick (e.g., "Shafts: 1, 3, 5, 7")
Weft color — A color swatch showing the weft color for this pick
This gives you all the essential information at a glance without looking at the grid.
Shaft Grid (Left Panel)
The shaft grid shows the treadling or liftplan data in a grid format:
Header row — Shaft numbers across the top (1, 2, 3, 4...)
Pick rows — Each row represents one pick. The current pick is highlighted with a red border and its number shown in red with a ">" marker.
Filled cells — Dark cells indicate which shafts are raised for that pick
Weft color dots — Small color indicators on the right margin showing the weft color for each pick. If a yarn is variegated, the dot shows a striped pattern.
Section highlighting — If you've selected a section, its range is shown with a colored background
The display is centered on the current pick, with upcoming picks above and completed picks below. As you advance, the grid scrolls to keep the current pick in view.
Cloth Preview (Right Panel)
The cloth preview shows what the fabric looks like as you weave:
Woven picks (below the current pick) are shown at full brightness
Unwoven picks (at and above the current pick) fade to 35% opacity, giving you a sense of what's coming without visual clutter
Interlacement (when 3D View is enabled) shows shadow and highlight lines for a realistic thread-over-thread appearance
Both panels share the same vertical alignment, so the current pick row lines up across the shaft grid and cloth preview.
A resizable splitter between the two panels lets you adjust how much space each one gets.
Status Bar (Bottom)
Shows:
Connection status — "No dobby connected" or the connected port name
Pick position — "Pick 42 / 200" (or with section range: "Pick 42 / 200 [Pattern: 21–180]")
Advancing Through Your Draft
Using the Keyboard (No Dobby)
By default:
Space — Advance to the next pick
Shift+Space — Go to the previous pick
These keys are configurable in the Settings panel. You can map them to any key or key combination.
Using a Foot Pedal
If you have a USB foot pedal (commonly available online), configure it to send the Space key. Then you can advance picks hands-free while keeping both hands on the loom.
The key mapping in Settings lets you set up any key your foot pedal sends.
Using a TempoTreadle
With a TempoTreadle box connected (see TempoTreadle Connection under Settings):
Press the correct treadle and close the shed — an OK beep sounds and the assistant advances by itself
Press a wrong treadle — an error beep warns you before you throw the pick
The keyboard and foot pedal keep working alongside the automatic advance
Using a Dobby Loom
When connected to a supported dobby loom:
Connect the loom via the serial port in Settings
Click Start Cycle
The Weave Assistant sends shaft commands to the loom for each pick
When the loom reports a cycle complete (the shed has been opened and closed), it automatically advances to the next pick
The keyboard/foot pedal still works for manual control alongside the automatic advance
On an AVL Compu-Dobby the lift for each pick is sent while the previous shed is open, so the first treadle stroke after Start Cycle arms pick 1 and the second weaves it (see AVL Compu-Dobby options below).
Settings Panel (Right Side)
Click Settings in the toolbar to show or hide this panel.
Device Connection
For weavers with a TempoTreadle sensor or a supported computer-controlled dobby loom. The status dot on the section header shows the link state at a glance.
Dobby Type Select your device:
TempoTreadle (see TempoTreadle Connection below)
Louet Megado
Louet Octado
Louet Magic
Leclerc Weavebird
AVL Compu-Dobby I
AVL Compu-Dobby II/III
AVL Compu-Dobby IV/4.5 (serial)
AVL Compu-Dobby IV/4.5 (network)
Note: AVL options are in Beta
AVL Compu-Dobby options Choosing an AVL type adds three settings:
Loom shafts — how many shafts the loom has (4 to 40, in fours). A Compu-Dobby I, II, or III cannot tell TempoWeave this, so set it here. A Compu-Dobby IV or 4.5 reports it when you connect and that value is used instead.
Dobby — Positive for most AVL looms (the solenoids select the shafts that rise). Negative for the Workshop Dobby Loom (the solenoids select the shafts that stay down). Virtual positive for a Workshop Dobby Loom driven by a Compu-Dobby IV/4.5, which reports itself as negative but behaves as positive; choose it if your cloth weaves face down and every solenoid is energized when you disconnect. A Compu-Dobby IV/4.5 reports its own polarity and overrides a mismatched Positive/Negative choice (the status line says so).
Loom network address — for the network type only: the Compu-Dobby IV/4.5 network name or IP address. The controller's default is 169.254.128.3.
The Compu-Dobby takes the lift for the next shed while the current shed is open, so after Start Cycle treadle once to arm pick 1 and again to weave it. From then on the assistant shows the pick in the open shed and advances when you close it. Jumping to another pick or reversing direction takes effect on the shed after the one already latched, and the display waits on that pick until its shed opens. There is no self-test on a Compu-Dobby, so the Test button is hidden.
Serial Port Select the port your loom is connected to. Click Refresh to scan for available ports. On macOS and Linux the list shows only plugged-in USB serial interfaces — Bluetooth and other system ports are filtered out, so an empty list simply means no loom cable is connected. If your adapter is unusual and doesn't appear, check All ports to see everything.
Connect / Disconnect Opens or closes the connection to the loom.
Test Sends a self-test command to verify communication with the loom.
Start Cycle / End Cycle Starts or stops the automatic weaving cycle. When cycling, the loom and software work together: the loom reports when a pick is complete, and the software sends the next shaft configuration.
If you don't have a dobby loom or a TempoTreadle, you can ignore this entire section. The Weave Assistant works perfectly well as a visual guide with just the keyboard or foot pedal.
TempoTreadle Connection
TempoTreadle is our Wi-Fi sensor box that mounts under your loom's treadles and reports every press — so the Weave Assistant advances hands-free and confirms each shed as you weave. Choose TempoTreadle in the Dobby Type dropdown and the connection panel appears:
Loom Type Tunes the detection behavior to your loom: Multiple (Floor Loom), Single (Countermarch), or Table Loom (levers must match the expected shafts exactly, then it advances — no closed shed needed).
Address The box's network address. You almost never type this by hand — use Setup.
Setup… The guided wizard: it finds a TempoTreadle on your network, or walks the box onto your home Wi-Fi the first time. See the TempoTreadle 3 connection quickstart for the full walkthrough, including what the box's screen shows at each step.
Connect Opens the connection. Once paired, the address is remembered — next session it's one click. The status dot on the Device Connection header turns green when you're linked.
Tune Verifies the box senses each treadle before your first session. The tune grid is labeled with your treadle numbers — using the mapped numbers if you've remapped, with a red X over positions mapped OFF — so what lights up matches what your feet do. Tap Done with a box connected and you drop straight into Weave mode, ready to treadle.
Treadle Mapping… The per-project mapping table: 16 physical positions, each with Status (On/Off), Maps-to treadle, and a per-row Color Alert suppressor (turn it off on a tabby treadle so alternating weft colors don't chime every pick). Reset to 1:1 and Reverse presets included. The mapping saves in the draft, so it travels with the project.
Battery and power Battery-powered boxes show their charge here and as a chip in the top bar (amber at 20 percent, red at 10). Auto power-off deep-sleeps the box after a chosen stretch of inactivity on battery — tap any button on the box to wake it. Firmware updates, when available, are offered right in this panel.
Weaving with it: press the correct treadle and close the shed — an OK beep sounds and the assistant advances by itself. Press a wrong treadle and an error beep warns you before you throw the pick. The keyboard and foot pedal keep working alongside it, and your position, mapping, and progress save with the draft.
Foot Pedal
Next Pick Key Shows the current key mapping for advancing to the next pick. Click Set, then press the key you want to use. Default: Space.
Previous Pick Key Shows the current key mapping for going back. Click Set, then press the key combination. Default: Shift+Space.
These settings are saved between sessions.
Sound
Volume A slider (0–100%) controlling the chime volume. Default: 70%.
Color Change Chime When enabled, a chime plays whenever the weft color changes from one pick to the next. This is especially helpful for patterns with frequent color changes — you can hear the change coming and reach for the next shuttle without looking at the screen.
Play button (▶) — Test the current chime sound
Browse (...) — Choose a custom WAV file for this chime
Clear (X) — Remove the custom sound and return to the built-in default
End Wrap Chime When enabled, a distinctive double-ding plays when you reach the end of the treadling sequence (or the end of the current section) and it wraps back to the beginning. This alerts you that you've completed one full repeat.
Same controls as the Color Change chime: play, browse, and clear.
Custom chime files must be WAV format. TempoWeave includes built-in default chimes that work without any setup.
Woven Length
The Woven Length expander in the settings panel is your progress instrument cluster:
Project density — the picks-per-inch (or per cm) from Project Info, shown read-only. Changing the density in Project Info updates it here immediately.
Pick Counter 1 — the picks-woven odometer. It counts every pick you advance while weaving forward (Back Up doesn't touch it, so corrections don't inflate your count). It's editable: set it to 0 to restart, or type a number to match where the cloth actually is.
Theoretical length — Pick Counter 1 divided by the project density: how much cloth the count says you've woven.
Pick Counter 2 — a trip meter. It only counts while Start is pressed, and Reset zeroes it anytime — use it for "picks since the last color band" or any short-term count, independent of the odometer.
Repeat Counter — how many times you've completed the cycle: it increments each time weaving wraps from the last pick back to the first (of the whole piece, or of the marked section you're weaving). Unweaving back across the start un-counts one, so it always reflects true completed repeats — it is never guessed from pick totals. Editable for corrections, with its own Reset; the current count also shows as "Repeats: N" beside the pick number.
Length Calculator — enter a measured length of actual cloth and it computes your actual beat density, for comparing against the project density.
Your progress is saved automatically
The Weave Assistant saves your weaving position — current pick, odometer, and counters — into the draft file automatically: every ten picks in the background and again when you close the assistant. This works even on a locked draft (only the weaving-progress section of the file is touched; the draft itself stays untouched and locked). If the power fails mid-session, you resume from at most ten picks back.
Working with Sections
If your draft has Section Assembly markers (defined in the Section Assembly editor), the Section Filter dropdown in the toolbar lets you limit weaving to one section at a time.
For example, if your draft has a Header (picks 1–12), Pattern (picks 13–180), and Footer (picks 181–200):
Select "Header" from the Section dropdown
The Weave Assistant only cycles through picks 1–12
When you reach pick 12, the next advance wraps back to pick 1 (and plays the End Wrap chime)
When the header is done, switch to "Pattern" and weave that section
Switch to "Footer" for the closing section
This is much easier than remembering pick numbers or manually stopping at section boundaries.
How to Use It
Basic Workflow (No Dobby)
Open your draft
Click Weave Assistant in the Tools tab
The window shows your treadling starting at pick 1
Sit at your loom with the screen visible
Press Space (or your foot pedal) to advance to each pick
For each pick, look at the info bar to see which shafts to raise and what color to use
Weave the pick, then advance again
If you make a mistake, press Shift+Space to go back
Basic Workflow (With Dobby)
Open your draft
Click Weave Assistant
In Settings, select your Dobby Type and Serial Port
Click Connect, then Start Cycle
The loom raises the correct shafts for pick 1
Throw your shuttle and beat
The loom automatically advances to the next pick when the cycle completes
Continue weaving — the loom and software stay in sync
Step-by-Step Example: Weaving with Color Change Alerts
You have a pattern with alternating color blocks and want audio cues for color changes:
Open your draft and click Weave Assistant
In Settings > Sound, make sure Color Change Chime is checked
Set the volume to a comfortable level and test it with the â–¶ button
Start weaving with Space or your foot pedal
Each time the weft color changes, you hear a chime — time to switch shuttles
At the end of the repeat, a double-ding tells you it's wrapping back to the start
Step-by-Step Example: Threading with Prepare Threading
You have a complex draft and want help threading the loom:
Use Prepare Threading (Tools tab > Dobby group) to create a threading WIF
Open the threading WIF file
Click Weave Assistant
Each pick now represents one warp thread
Step through with Space — for each pick, the info bar shows which shaft to thread that warp thread through
The weft color shows what color yarn should be at that position
Thread your warp one thread at a time, advancing after each one
Tips
Keep the window visible — Position the Weave Assistant window where you can see it from your loom. The large pick number and shaft list in the info bar are designed to be readable at a distance.
Use the foot pedal — Hands-free advancing is a game-changer, especially for long treadling sequences. Any USB foot pedal that sends a keyboard key will work.
Zoom for comfort — If the grid is too small to read from your weaving position, zoom in. If you want to see more picks at once (to plan ahead), zoom out.
Section filtering saves time — Rather than counting picks to know when a section ends, let the Section Filter handle it. The End Wrap chime tells you when it's time to switch sections.
Color change chimes are addictive — Once you get used to hearing the chime for color changes, you'll wonder how you ever wove without it. It's especially helpful for rep weave and color-and-weave patterns.
Escape to close — Press Esc to close the Weave Assistant quickly.
Your position is saved — When you close the Weave Assistant, your current pick number is saved. Next time you open it for the same draft, you'll pick up where you left off.
Keyboard shortcuts — Ctrl/Cmd + Plus/Minus also works for zooming, matching the standard zoom shortcuts.
Supported Dobby Looms
Megado
Louet
Serial (USB adapter)
Octado
Louet
Serial (USB adapter)
Magic
Louet
Serial (USB adapter)
Weavebird
Leclerc
Serial (USB adapter)
Compu-Dobby I
AVL
Serial (USB adapter), 1200 baud 7E2
Compu-Dobby II, III
AVL
Serial (USB adapter), 9600 8N1
Compu-Dobby IV, 4.5
AVL
Serial (USB adapter), 9600 8N1, or network (telnet)
AVL Compu-Dobby support covers positive and negative dobbies and the Workshop Dobby Loom's virtual-positive behavior.
If you don't have one of these looms, the Weave Assistant still works fully as a visual guide — just skip the Dobby Connection section in Settings.
Quick Reference
Next pick
Space
Yes (Settings > Foot Pedal)
Previous pick
Shift+Space
Yes (Settings > Foot Pedal)
Zoom in
Ctrl/Cmd + Plus
No
Zoom out
Ctrl/Cmd + Minus
No
Close window
Escape
No
Next Pick Key
Space
Yes
Previous Pick Key
Shift+Space
Yes
Chime Volume
70%
Yes
Color Change Chime
On
Yes
End Wrap Chime
On
Yes
Dobby Type
Louet Megado
Yes
Zoom Level
100%
No (resets each session)
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