Projects/Liberty/File Formats/Husqvarna Viking SHV

Husqvarna Viking SHV - EXE Menu

Sometimes Pfaff, Husqvarna, or Viking files come as an EXE program: a self extracting ZIP compressed file; for Designer I software. The instructions by Husqvarna say design is in Menu 1, position 1. Once decompressed, with the likes of Ark or WINE, a directory tree is produced, for example:

File_name/

• MENU_SEL.PHV
• MENU_01/
  • MENU_01.MHV
  • DES01_01.SHV
• MENU_02/
  • MENU_02.MHV
• MENU_03/
  • MENU_03.MHV
• MENU_04/
  • MENU_04.MHV

The file MENU_SEL.PHV appears to contain a software notice, the name of the pattern (sixteen times), menu labels for four menus (each repeated sixteen times: I assume intended for different languages), some four row table (looks like weights for each bit: 120, 82, 44 and 6), and finally a 4 bit per pixel pixmap (8 bit line count, 8 bit pixels/line, lines x (pixels/2 round up) bytes).

In subdirectory MENU_01, the file MENU_01.MHV appears to contain a software notice, menu label repeated sixteen times, some values (of unknown purpose 0x77 119, 0xFB 251/-5, and 6), list of 36 bytes, and a 4 bit per pixel pixmap.

The important file is DES01_01.SHV, this contains stitches, the stitches appear to be the same format as VP3.

Offset	Size	Type	Description
0	86	ASCII	Signature = "Embroidery..." software notice
0x56 86	1	Byte	N1 length of string
0x57 87	N1	ASCII	Name of pattern (appears limited to 12 characters)
0x57+N1

After the header is an 16 colour image, there are two forms 8 bit sizes and 16 bit sizes. The 16 bit sizes are flagged with three bytes: 0xFF 0xFF 0x01. Big-endian is used for 2 and 4 byte numbers.

Offset	Size	Type	Description
0	3	Byte	0xFF 0xFF 0x01
3	2	Count	Height, lines in the pixel-map (unsigned big-endian)
5	2	Count	Width, pixels in a line, two pixels are packed in a byte, odd count leaves empty nibble in last byte of line
7	2	Count	Unknown width/2 round down
9	2	Count	Unknown height/2 round down
11	2	Count	Unknown width/2 round down
13	2	Count	Unknown height/2 round down

Offset	Size	Type	Description
0	1	Count	Height, lines in the pixel-map
1	1	Count	Width, pixels in a line, two pixels are packed in a byte, odd count leaves an empty nibble in last byte of each line
2	1	Count	Unknown width/2 round down
3	1	Count	Unknown height/2 round down
4	1	Count	Unknown width/2 round down
5	1	Count	Unknown height/2 round down

Followed by the bytes of the pixel-map.

Now the stitches, follow a summary and colour table.

Offset	Size	Type	Description
0	1	Count	Colour count, number of rows in colour table
1	1	Signed	Unknown = -60 or 196 or bit-set [1100 0100]
2	1	Count	Unknown = 40, may be weight in km/kg
3	1	Byte	Unknown = 0x00
4	1	Byte	Unknown
5	2	Byte	Unknown = 0 0
7	2	Signed	Right extent in 0.1 mm
9	2	Signed	Top extent in 0.1 mm
11	2	Signed	Left extent in 0.1 mm
13	2	Signed	Bottom extent in 0.1 mm
15	4	Count	total stitch count

Each colour table row appears:

Offset	Size	Type	Description
0	4	Count	stitch count, related to number of stitches of this thread
4	1	Byte	Unknown, seems to be HUS format colour index
5	3	Byte	Unknown = 0x02 00 00, this could be colour name string
8	2	BCD	Thread part-number
10	2	Signed	Start X in 0.1 mm
12	2	Signed	Start Y in 0.1 mm

The stitches are pairs (dx, dy) of signed 8 bit offsets (from previous current position) with an escape code. When dx is 0x80 -128, dy gives the command.

Code	Description
0x80 0x01	Start 16 bit jump stitch
0x80 0x02	End 16 bit jump stitch, enables stitches to be rewound
0x80 0x03	Unknown, may be deleted stitch
0x80 0xA0	Start 8 bit jump stitch
0x80 0x00	End 8 bit jump stitch

The jump stitch, going forward, Start then relative X displacement, relative Y displacement, End. When rewinding or backing up, the End will be seen, then Y displacement, X displacement, and Start.

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