This feature allows you to add flat step tones to your separation, which can ease the control of design engraving depth.
- Go to Edit Menu > Gamma, or use the keyboard shortcut ⌘6 to open the Gamma Window.
- Hold down ^ (control key) on the keyboard and click on the curve to open the contextual menu and select either Stairs - X First, or Stairs - Y first. These options dictate which axis you would like your curve to start from.
- Add your nodes as normal by either ^ (control key) clicking and selecting ‘Add node’, or by holding down ⇧ (shift key) and clicking at the point you would like the node to be placed.
- Layers which have been adjusted using the Stairs mode can be separated into layers by holding down ⌥ (option key) as you click Do Gamma. Each tone will become its own layer.
These layers can then be sent to a Roland LEF haptic printer and used as height maps if you are using AVA’s Roland driver. If you are using the AVA Digital Print Rip to print to a Roland haptic printer, we use the AVA Splitter to splice a single grey scale height map into layers for the printer to use.
Alternatively, these separated layers may be sent to an engraving Mac®hine.