> 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/view-menu/view-fabric.md).

# View Fabric

*Available on Desktop and Mobile. A few advanced rendering options are desktop-only and are marked below.*

### What It Does

View Fabric renders a realistic visualization of your woven cloth, showing how the threads interlace and what the finished fabric will look like. You can view both the front and back of the cloth, zoom in to examine thread-level detail, and toggle rendering options like proportional scaling and seamless repeats.

This is one of the most important tools for evaluating a draft before you start weaving. The drawdown grid shows the structure, but View Fabric shows you the actual appearance of the cloth — with thread colors, thickness, and interlacement all rendered realistically.

***

### Opening View Fabric

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Desktop" %}

* **Ribbon**: View tab → View Fabric button
* **Keyboard**: V

View Fabric opens as a separate window over your draft.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Mobile" %}

* Tap **View** on the rail (tablet) or the bottom dock (phone), then **View Fabric…**

View Fabric opens as a full-screen overlay. Tap **✕** to return to your draft.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

***

### Viewing Controls

**Front / Back** Switch between the face of the cloth (the side that faces up on the loom) and the reverse side. The back view is the mirror of the interlacement — where the front shows warp over weft, the back shows weft over warp.

**Zoom** **Fit** scales the image to the window; **+** / **−** step the zoom, with the current level shown as a percentage.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Desktop" %}
Ctrl/Cmd + mouse wheel also zooms; drag to pan; mouse wheel scrolls. **Rulers** can be shown along the edges (with an Imperial / Metric switch), and **Save** exports the current view as a PNG or JPEG.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Mobile" %}
Drag to pan the rendered image. Rulers and image export are not available on mobile — for a saved image, render on desktop, or use Print/PDF.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

**Dimensions readout** The fabric's real-world size (from your EPI/PPI and thread counts) and the current side — "Front of cloth" / "Back of cloth", or "Outside of Tube" / "Inside of Tube" for tubular cloth.

***

### Rendering Options

These work identically on all platforms:

**Proportional** When checked (default), thread widths and heights are scaled according to your EPI and PPI. A rug at 8 EPI looks very different from a fine cloth at 30 EPI. When unchecked, all threads render at the same size regardless of sett.

{% hint style="info" %}
On desktop, section markers carrying a local EPI/PPI override (cram-and-dent) render at their own density — a crammed section visibly tightens. See Section Markers → Variable Density.
{% endhint %}

**Double Weave** For doubleweave drafts, renders the two cloth layers separately. Drafts designated **Doubleweave** in Project Info → Cloth Construction start with this checkbox on; the checkbox itself works on any draft, and your choice is remembered for the session. When the tie-up looks like doubleweave, a "Double weave detected" note appears.

**Repeat to Fill** Tiles your cloth seamlessly to fill the window — the whole view becomes yardage instead of one repeat, at any zoom, front or back. Instant even on very large drafts. One note: it treats your draft as the repeat, so a draft that includes a border will show the border repeating too. (Rulers, where available, hide while tiling.)

**Variegated Yarns** When checked (default if your draft uses variegated yarns), threads with variegation profiles render with their color changes; unchecked shows base colors only.

**Structure Only** Renders black warp on white weft instead of your actual colors — for studying interlacement without the distraction of color.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Desktop" %}
Structure Only follows the View tab's Structure Only state at the moment you open View Fabric.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Mobile" %}
Structure only is a checkbox in the View Fabric options row — toggle it any time.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

#### Desktop-only rendering options

{% hint style="warning" %}
The following options are available on desktop only.
{% endhint %}

**Deflected Threads** Threads that float over multiple opposing threads render with a slight dome or swell, simulating how yarn deflects outward when it floats.

**View Spacing** Renders reed-gap spacing from your section markers.

**Yarn Bloom** A slider (0–100) adding fuzzy fiber texture, simulating the hairy surface of spun yarn. Start around 30–50; most effective on woolen yarns, best appreciated zoomed in.

***

### How to Use It

1. Make sure your EPI and PPI are set correctly — proportional rendering and the dimension readout depend on them
2. Open View Fabric (see *Opening View Fabric* above); a progress indicator appears while the fabric renders
3. The front of the cloth shows by default; switch to **Back** to check the reverse side
4. Adjust rendering options — each change re-renders the fabric
5. **Fit** to see the whole cloth, or zoom in to examine detail
6. Turn on **Repeat to Fill** to judge the pattern as continuous yardage

### Step-by-Step Example: Evaluating a New Draft

1. Open View Fabric
2. Check **Proportional** is on — this shows the fabric at your actual sett
3. Switch to **Back** to see if the reverse side is acceptable
4. Turn on **Repeat to Fill** and step back — is this the cloth you imagined, repeated across a towel's width?
5. On desktop, try **Deflected Threads** and a touch of **Yarn Bloom** for the most lifelike preview
6. If everything looks good, you're ready to warp

***

### Special Cases

**Folded double cloth** renders "unfolded" (opened flat) so both layers appear side by side. **Tubular cloth** renders unrolled with a marked fold line, and the side readout becomes "Outside of Tube" / "Inside of Tube."

**Warp-faced / weft-faced drafts** (desktop cloth-type settings) render with threads packed and overlapping to simulate the covering face.

***

### Tips

* **Set EPI/PPI first** — both must be 200 or less.
* **Zoom in for detail** — interlacement shading (and the desktop-only deflection and bloom effects) show best up close.
* **Each option change re-renders** — large drafts take a moment; a progress indicator appears.
* **Both sides matter** — many weavers use the back as the show side; always look before you warp.

### Quick Reference

| Setting                  | Default                                      | Desktop      | Mobile   |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- | ------------ | -------- |
| Front / Back             | Front                                        | ✓            | ✓        |
| Zoom / Fit               | Fit                                          | ✓            | ✓        |
| Proportional             | On                                           | ✓            | ✓        |
| Double Weave             | Off (auto-on for designated/detected drafts) | ✓            | ✓        |
| Repeat to Fill           | Off                                          | ✓            | ✓        |
| Variegated Yarns         | On (if applicable)                           | ✓            | ✓        |
| Structure Only           | Off                                          | via View tab | checkbox |
| Rulers (Imperial/Metric) | On                                           | ✓            | —        |
| Save image               | —                                            | ✓            | —        |
| Deflected Threads        | Off                                          | ✓            | —        |
| View Spacing             | Off                                          | ✓            | —        |
| Yarn Bloom               | Off (0)                                      | ✓            | —        |