The folders of sample yarns included in the software are designed as a starting point for your weave simulations. It is very easy to create your own yarns in AVA and you should find that you are able to create very realistic looking yarn effects yourself.
Creating single yarns
- In AVA go to File Menu > New and enter the required values. A good starting point is: Width 200 pixels; Height 7 pixels; X res 72 dpi; Y res 72 dpi; Mode 8 bit Spot. A new file will open.
- Zoom in closer so you can see more clearly. Select a tonal brush of 3 or 4 pixels in width and draw a line across the whole width of the file.
- Add other details as desired, using other brushes and tools.
- When you are happy with your new yarn, go to Edit Menu > Select All, followed by Edit > Select > Snap. Your yarn information will become selected.
- Go to Separate Menu > Make Pad. A new 1 bit layer will be created which fills the selected area. Move it below the 8 bit layer.
- Double click on the new layer text and rename it “mask”.
Note: This type of yarn file must contain one layer named “Layer” (which defines the detail of the yarn) and one layer named “mask” (which defines the width and shape of the yarn) to work correctly.
- Go to File Menu > Save and give the yarn an appropriate name.
- Create a new folder inside Home user > Library > Application Support > AVA > Yarns, and give it the same name as your new yarn. It can now be used in a weave simulation.
Tip: If you are not sure how to begin designing a certain type of yarn, it may be beneficial to use one of the sample yarns as a starting point. Open one of the sample files in AVA and make the desired changes to the 8 bit layer. Remove the existing mask layer and add a new one following the steps above, then go to File Menu > Save As and give your modified yarn a new name and save it in a new folder.
Creating multiple yarns
The method for creating multiple yarns is the same as for creating single yarns, the main difference is the type of information saved in the file and its organisation within the yarn folder. When creating a set of yarns to be used in a multiple yarn simulation, it is important to have the same number of yarns as there are colours in your weave design (for example, a four colour weave design will use colours a, b, c and d in the weave colour palette and will therefore require four yarns to be created and saved in a folder).
- Follow steps 1 – 3 above to create a series of different yarns.
- To create yarns made up of two or more colours, simply add more layers to the file, choose the desired colours and add the details needed.
- Once you have achieved your desired yarn effect, make sure all the layers are visible and choose Separate > Combine to Image or click on the Combine To Image button in the tool bar.
- Click on the ‘24’ button, in the sheet that opens and click OK. A new image will be added to the file which is a combination of the layers.
- Make the new image visible and active and follow steps 4 – 6 in the previous method to create a mask layer.
- Remove the original layers, leaving just the image and the mask layer in the file.
Note: This type of yarn file must contain a 24 Bit image (which defines the detail of the yarn) and one layer named “mask” (which defines the width and shape of the yarn) to work correctly.
- Go to File Menu > Save and name the first yarn “a”. Name the second yarn you create “b”, name the third “c”, and so on for as many yarns as you need. Make sure you save them all in the same folder and give the folder an appropriate name for the types of yarns in it.
Tip: If you need to create a series of similar yarns, it is possible to make a template, or master file which can be used to create several yarns, one after the other. Once you have completed step 5 in this method, instead of removing the original layers, split them to a new file (make them active and choose Layer > Split). Then simply save this file as a “master” and use it as the basis for your other yarns. Make whatever changes your require for a new yarn and then combine the effect to a new image, add your mask and repeat the process.