Overview
VS Cost Estimator reads per-piece pattern areas, groups them by material, applies configurable rates, and produces a full costing breakdown. When VS Marker has been run, it uses the real nesting result instead of a rectangular estimate. A Bill of Materials panel adds auto-detected buttons and zippers alongside manual trim items.
Requirements
VStitcher 2025.3.0 or newer (BwApi 3.x; 3.25+ for PrintLayout APIs)
Optional: VS Marker 1.1.4+ (for accurate fabric yield)
Modes
The Mode row in Settings switches between two working modes:
Mode | Behaviour |
Merchant | Default. Manual — click Calculate to cost the garment. Full UI: BOM, Thread Cost, Fabric Yield, and export tools are all shown. |
Designer | Live — automatically recalculates on every garment change, no Calculate click needed. A pulsing LIVE indicator shows next to the mode toggle. Secondary sections (BOM, Thread, Yield, Brand) and the size list collapse to keep the view focused on the current size's result while iterating on the garment. |
Switch modes any time from the Settings panel — the plugin re-applies immediately without needing a fresh Calculate.
How to Estimate Cost
Step 1: Open the Garment
Open a garment in VStitcher — run VS Marker first for the most accurate fabric yield.
Step 2: Set Currency and Rates
Configure how costs are calculated and displayed:
Setting | Description |
Currency symbol | Free-text symbol (e.g. |
Symbol position | Prefix or suffix, via the toggle next to the currency field |
Decimal separator |
|
Per-material rate | Set directly per material, or pick a built-in preset (Cotton, Denim, Silk, etc.) from the dropdown next to each material |
Thread rate | Per stitch-construction-type rate, editable inline in the Thread Cost panel |
Use the Rates menu to Export Rates / Import Rates as a file, or Save Rates to persist the current settings for next time.
Step 3: Configure and Calculate
Setting | Description |
Size | Size to calculate for, or All Sizes for a comparison table |
Colorway | Which colorway to report costs against |
Seam mode | Sew line or cut line boundary for area calculation |
Click Calculate to see the cost summary, per-material table, and fabric yield (Merchant mode) — or just edit the garment and watch it update live (Designer mode).
Step 4: Add BOM and Export
Add or edit Bill of Materials items (labels, thread, hangtags), then export as PDF, CSV, or update the VStitcher Cost Banner (note: the menu item reads "Toggle Banner" rather than separate Show/Hide entries — VStitcher's plugin API has no way to hide a menu item once registered, so a single toggle is the standard pattern here).
What Happens During Calculation?
Fabric Yield
If a VS Marker result exists, the estimator reads it directly for efficiency %, consumption, and per-material breakdown (shown with a "VS Marker" badge). Otherwise it falls back to a PrintLayout-based estimate (shown as "PrintLayout (estimate)").
Bill of Materials
Buttons and zippers are auto-detected from the garment; other items (thread, labels) are added manually and persisted.
Known Limitations
If 3D trims (D-rings, cord-ends, sliders, etc.) placed only on a back panel with no front-side counterpart may not appear in the BOM. The trim scan follows the official BwApi sample and enumerates front-side materials only.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Fix |
Yield shows "PrintLayout (estimate)" | Run VS Marker first for real nesting data |
Rates reset after VStitcher restart | Rates are saved in the cost banner metadata — run Calculate before closing, or use Save Rates |
BOM items not persisting | Check settings.json file permissions under the plugin's per-user data folder |
PDF export fails | Confirm the plugin's vendored reportlab library is present |
BOM/Thread/Yield sections missing | You're in Designer mode — those sections are intentionally hidden there; switch to Merchant mode to see them |