Congratulations on making the decision to go computerized. Here you will find some information on what to expect on the day of installation and also what you can be doing while you are waiting for your shipment to arrive. Along with reviewing this page, please go to our PDF DOWNLOADS page and review those documents.
Patterns:
The first thing you might do is scour through all the websites drooling at all the beautiful patterns. Before you purchase, you'll want to take a good look at the patterns that will be coming with your IQ for free. The Intelliquilter will come with a large selection of patterns to get you on your way fast. To view the patterns that are included click here. As my customers, you'll also get my pattern collection. Just click on the Digitized Patterns link in the left column to view them.
There are also many, many free patterns around the internet that you'll be itching to download. Make sure these patterns either have a .dxf or a .iqp file extension. Those are the only files the Intelliquilter will accept. Occasionally you'll run across a site that will want to know a "password" before they will let you download their patterns. If you should run into one of these sites, you'll have to wait until your system arrives to get the password.
Videos and guides:
A definite prerequisite before training, is to view as many videos as you can. You can find some of these videos here on this site and also at www.intelliquilter.com. On installation day, I will go over most of the basics to get you up and running. You will need to refer back to these video's for more advanced applications. You will also download the IQ guides (available on our PDF DOWNLOAD page) to read a head of time. These documents also come on your flash drive that is inluded with your system, but if you want to get a jump start on your training, I suggest downloading and printing them out while you wait.
IQ Shipment Delivery:
Many times your IQ will arrive just hours, or at the most, a few days before we come to do the installation. If we are carrying the system with us, we will let you know. If you should be one of the lucky ones and have the opportunity to play with the tablet before we arrive, please do so. Your shipment will come Fed Ex and someone must be home to sign for it. When the system ships I usually get the tracking numbers and forward them onto my customers so they'll have an idea when to expect the package.
Playing With The Tablet PC:
Once you have the system in your hot little hands, you may carefully open the box. Usually on layer 1 or 2 you will find the tablet attached to the docking station. You can take the tablet off by raising up the white, right hand clamp. Then just roll the tablet away from the bracket. You really can't hurt it. A little farther down in the foam layering you will find your power cords to the Tablet PC. The tablet usually comes fully charged so you may not even need the power cord until we arrive. I think the system will go about 3 hours until it needs a charge. You will see a little warning on the screen if you are starting to lose power. It's up to you if you want to plug it in while you play with it or not. To turn on the tablet, simply hold the button on the side down until you see a blue light come on, then release the button.
Flash Drive:
There also is a flash drive in the box. Insert the flash drive into your home/office computer. You will see a patterns folder in it's directory. Please place your purchased iqp or dxf files into this folder. The files need to be inside this folder on your flash drive for them to load successfully. You can either try and load your new patterns yourself, or wait for me to show you how.
Fabric Sample:
The customer needs to have a sample piece of practice fabric (at least 65" wide) ready before we begin. Please have this either ready on zippers or already loaded to your machine. If you are pinning this to your machine before we arrive, leave about 5 feet off to one end of the machine clear for Greg to work. This practice piece will get stitched on over and over so please don't use any real quilts yet. A cotton or cotton blend batting is preferred. Also needed is a spot to plug in two plugs near the machine.
Power Supply:
You might want to have on hand a Tripp Lite Surge Suppressor. This is an extra layer of protection for static noise. It is more than a surge protector and will help your system avoid interruption from other electrical interferrances you might have in your home or building. You can purchase this at Proadvantage.com or other places on-line. You might even be able to find it locally. This is not absolutely necessary but we like to recommend it. They come with 2, 4, and 6 outlets. The IQ takes 2 outlets but a 4 outlet would be able to house your machine and the IQ all in one place. pity library and also I will be having a photo shoot on the 21th on the city lake. Come down and see what I can do get abc picture taken. Hope to see you there.
Tripp-Lite Brand is the recommended power supply. This can be purchased
on-line from www.proadvantage.com or you might be able to find it locally.
Supplies needed for Installation Day:
- Vacuum with hose to clean up metal shavings.
- Practice quilt sandwich at least 65" wide
- Please have either a fan running (in winter) or air conditioning in the room where your IQ is going to be installed. We prefer to work in a room that is around 65 - 70 degrees. Thank you!
- Good lighting
INSTALLATION INFORMATION
Installation Time:
Normal installation can take anywhere from 4 to 7 hours depending on your machine. If you have an APQS or a Gammill, you will be getting Edgerider Wheels installed. These are included with your systems and must be changed in order for the IQ to run the smoothest. No refunds or extra sets will be given for owners who already own ER wheels. If they are sent to you and you already have ER wheels, we will have to take the new set with us as they were sent in error. If you have an A-1 machine, we will be double checking to make sure your carriage is aligned and all the wheels are in correct working order. For all machines I highly recommend that you have it in the best working condition possible. There is nothing more frustrating for you and me if we start having machine issues during our training. If you are having tension issues (i.e., constant thread breaks) we will be training without thread or trying to run a very loose tension to save time. I feel it's more important for our customers to get their IQ training in, than to spend the time adjusting machines. We can do minor adjustments but may refer you to your machine dealers if more advanced adjustments need to be made.
While Greg is doing the installation on your machine head, I will ask that we go into a separate room for me to train you on the computer. Many times, studios are large enough for us to do the training there while Greg is installing, but we have found that both of us need more concentration. If Greg is listening to "us," then it can sometimes get distracted from what he is doing and vice versa. We find it works best if the two of us are in separate rooms if possible. After the system gets installed on the machine, I will be running some run tests. Greg and I will be working together for about the first half hour after the system is installed, making sure your system is adjusted properly. Then you will be off and running. I will be staying for a little while after it's installed to give some demonstrations on some of the features that require the machine to use.
Attention A-1 Owners:
There may be certain situations where I will be coming alone to install your system. If this is the case, you need to plan 2 days for the installation. I will be installing on day 1 (about 5 hours) and then come back the next morning to train you on the software and also do the demos on the machine. I will notify you if this is the way your installation will be handled. akin
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