ECLIPSE USER MANUAL AMXMAN-12-02 REV 2 AUTOMETRIX, INC. www.autometrix.com service@autometrix.com PH: 530-477-5065 FX: 530-477-5067
1: Concepts Awning Terminology All awnings have essential framing members: horizontal frames which Eclipse calls bars, and vertical frames called rafters or bows. Awning Styles Eclipse assists you in the design and production of dome, traditional, and waterfall awnings. (Marquee awnings will be added in the next version.) Dome styles include Domes, Long Domes, and Clamshells. With all of the options available, you can design a wide variety of Dome style awnings.
Traditional styles are Open, Standard, and Hipped. (Hipped are not implemented yet.). The Waterfall style layout is divided into five different designs. Notice that the top three all have a curved head bar and front bars. Each name starts with the type of head and front bar available - convex or straight. The second part of each name describes the bow shape. Design Frames and Construction Frames All awnings have essential framing members which may include the head bar, front bar, projection bar, front bow, and side bow. Eclipse refers to the frames that define an awning s shape as Design Frames.
Each awning style can be defined by a few Design Frames that will always have the same locations for that specific style. Construction frames are the frames (rafters) between the Design Frames. You control the shape of the Design Frames. Eclipse calculates the shape of each construction frame by blending its two neighboring Design Frames. In the following examples, all of the Design Frames are shown as pipes. Dome Frames The Design Frames are a centerline projection bow, side bows, and horizontal bars. Clamshell Frames The clamshell doesn t have any editable Design Frames. Each frame is an arc deterrmined by the awning dimensions.
Long Dome Frames The Design Frames are the side bows, projection bows, and projection bars. The top and front bars are always straight for the long dome style. Traditional Frames The Design Frames are the projection bows. The head and front bars are straight lines for the Traditional styles. Convex Waterfall Frames (Convex/Concave, Convex/Convex, Convex/Straight) The Design Frames are the centerline and projection bows. The top and front bars are arcs, so their shape is set by the dimensions of the awning.
Straight Waterfall Frames (Straight/Concave and Straight/ Convex) The Design Frames are the two projection bows. The head and front bars are straight lines for the straight waterfall styles.
2: Interface Elements Awning View When you click the Awning View tab, the left side of the screen shows the 3D awning view. Right click and move your mouse to rotate the view. Zoom in or out on the awning by using the mouse wheel. You can also click on any part of the snowflake in the lower right corner of the pane to select an awning face to view. When you hover over a pointer, the awning face that will be displayed is shown below the snowflake. Click the Direction dropdown to select any plane for viewing.
If you click on the Views button, you can select the number of window panes you want to view. Each pane can show a different view of the same awning. Data Panes The right side of the window is used for Data Panes. These include Awning Dimensions, Construction Details, Valances, Fabric Properties, Fabric Stretch, and Attachment Details. Each pane can be expanded or collapsed using the triangle at the top right of the pane. Specifics for these controls will be discussed in Chapter 3. Design Frame Editor The Frames button on the Awning View tab is a toggle allowing you to view or hide Design Frames. Click on any Design Frame, and you will see that frame in the Design Frame Editor on the right side of your screen. In the Design Frame Editor, you can change a frame s type to Arc, Arc-Line, Bezier, or Line. Each frame type has its own controls for creating the shape you want. When you like the shape, you can copy and paste it to any other Design Frame. Click Copy on the tool ribbon. To paste to another frame, click on that frame and then click Paste on the tool ribbon. You will see the result in the Awning View panel. You can also paste to all frames at once using the Paste dropdown.
Panel View When you click the Panel View tab, the left side of the screen shows the flattened panels for the active awning design. The right side is still used for Data Panels.
3: Design Process Select the Style Click the File tab, then hover over the New icon. You will see a choice of Domes, Marquees (not yet implemented), Traditionals, and Waterfalls. Hover over Domes, and you can select Clamshell, Dome, or Long Dome styles. Hover over Traditionals and you can select Open or Standard.
Hover over the Waterfall, and you can select either Convex or Straight styles. Convex uses a curved head bar and front bar. Straight limits the head bar and front bar to straight frames. For each style, you will start with a standard set of Design Frames. You can create a wide variety of awnings from the same style by changing the shape of the Design Frames. Data Panes Expand or Collapse data panes Store as default values Using default values Get default values Get help
Enter Dimensions and Data Units Select the units you want to use from the dropdown located on the status bar at the bottom of the screen. Awning Dimensions Pane All awning styles require you to enter the height, width, and projection. Since some styles use additional values, the Dimensions Pane looks different for each style. If you want a fixed valance, click on the checkbox below the dimension box in the center of the Dimension Pane. Enter the desired fixed valance depth also. Most of the design styles will have a fixed valance by default. If you don t want one, uncheck the box. Construction Details Pane For all awning styles, Eclipse needs to know how many construction frames (rafters) you want to use. This information allows the program to create the right number of panels. For some styles, it also needs to know whether you want closed or open side panels.
Since each awning style requires different information, the Construction Details Data Pane will be different for each style. Input the number of construction frames (rafters) you want to use between design frames. Click Enter. Depending on the awning style, Eclipse may ask you to specify whether these rafters are to be distributed in each half or across the entire awning. Some styles also let you Enable or Disable side panels. Valance Pane You can add a free valance by checking the Enable Pattern checkbox on the Valance Data Pane. Valance patterns are divided into families of similar shapes. Start by selecting the valance family from the top dropdown. Eclipse will display all of the patterns in that family in the box below.
Click on the pattern you want to use and you will see it applied to the awning view. Enter the vertical dimensions you want for the free valance by entering the height for the solid and cutout portions of the valance, as shown.
Valances will always be centered on the awning. You choose whether to have the valance meet the awning corners at a high or low point by clicking on the Low or High buttons. Set the width of the valance cells by choosing either the Scale to Fit or Scale to Size data box. When you use Scale to Fit, you enter the number of valance cells you want for each section. Choose whether the valence pattern is high or low at the corners. Scale to Size is intended for matching valance cells to a striped fabric. Set the cell width to the pattern repeat distance for your fabric. In the Fabric Data Pane, set the overall fabric width and the number of repeats. Eclipse will automatically set the cell width to match the repeat distance. Note: Do not use the manufacturer s nominal repeat distance listed for the fabric. It isn t accurate enough for automated cutting and will result in accumulated error. Since the number of cells needed won t always fill the awning width perfectly, you will need to tell Eclipse what to do at the corners. You can choose to either trim the pattern or extend from the lowest point to the corners.
Attachment Details Pane The panels Eclipse computes must be attached to each other and to the frame. Each panel needs to include material for folds and seams according to the choices you make in the Attachment Details Pane. Note that it is different for each awning style. On the left side of the Attachment Details Pane, you will see a list of edges. As you mouse over each edge, it will light up on the awning display. Click on an edge to see the available attachment options. Select the option you want to use. (If you don t see what you need, it is possible to add new styles. Call Autometrix Customer Service for assistance.) In the example below, you can choose from three Awning Rail options and three Pocket options. Click on a style to select it for that edge of the awning. Eclipse will take care of the details for you, based on your choices. Make sure to choose attachment details for each edge in the list. If you commonly use this attachment configuration for this awning style, you can make it your defult configuration by clicking on the green button in the lower right corner. Click on the Definitions bar to open an expandable Definitions pane. Here you can see a diagram explaining each attachment style.
Select the Style you want defined and its details will be shown below. It is helpful to think of attachments as a series of commands that add foldovers, plot lines, extensions, and seam allowances to the edges of the computed awning panels. Foldline Plotline Extend Terminate Attachment Commands A foldover of any distance. A plotted line at any distance from the finished edge. Any amount of fabric extended from the finished edge. Any distance to the finished edge, usually a seam allowance. When you click on any command, you can edit its properties, such as plot type (plot or reference) or distance. To the right of the Attachment commands, you also see a graphical representation. The green dot represents the visible edge of a panel. The commands that add material are shown to its right. Mouse over Legend to see an explanation of the symbols.
Fabric Properties Pane Large panels on waterfall and traditional awnings will need to be sliced into fabric sized panels. Eclipse needs to know the actual fabric width and the selvedge width to do that correctly. Most fabric comes in nominal widths of 46 and 60 inches, with a selvedge of 0.50. The actual fabric width is usually closer to 46.5. To ensure that your panels fit correctly, it is very important that you measure and enter the actual overall width of the material you are using. Solid Fabric: For solid colors, click on the Solid button. Enter the overall and selvedge width measurements. Also select whether you want the front and side centerlines to align with the panel center or the panel edge. Striped Fabric: When you are using striped fabric, Eclipse also needs to know your repeat distance and how you want the fabric aligned on the awning. Stripes come in two types, which we will call Single Stripe and Alternating Stripe. Single
stripes have only one pattern, while alternating stripes have two distinct patterns. Also, single stripe fabric is symmetric about the fabric centerline, while alternating stripe fabric is not. For most striped fabrics, the selvedge is not identical on each side. To reduce error, Eclipse uses a technique that assumes each selvedge is 1/2 and that all repeats are equal in width. For single striped fabrics, we need to know the number of repeats and whether you want the stripe or the background aligned with the awning centerline. When you have entered the overall width and the number of repeats, click Enter. Eclipse calculates the repeat width and displays it. It also fills in the repeat width in the Valance Pane Scale to Size area. (Go to the Valance Pane and click on Scale to Size. You will see that the valance cells will match your fabric.) For alternating stripes, we need to know the number of repeats, as well as the location of the first and second stripes. Eclipse uses a simple technique, shown below, for laying out and cutting alternating striped fabrics with minimum error. 1. Roll out a foot or so of the fabric on the cutting table, just as you will cut it. (Note: Vacuum hold is better if you lay out fabric with the outside facing up.) 2. Measure the distance from the near edge of the fabric to the centerline of Ribbon 1, the closest stripe. Enter that distance as Near edge to center of ribbon 1. 3. Measure the distance from the far edge of the fabric to the centerline of Ribbon 2, the closest stripe. Enter that distance as Far edge to center of ribbon 2.
4. Select thr ribbon you want centered in the valance cells by clicking Center on 1 or Center on 2. Eclipse will take care of the rest of the details for you. When you switch to the Panel View tab, you will see the stripes aligned with the green centerline of the panel and with the red slice lines, on the front and the side panels.
At the top of the Fabric Pane, you can choose to have awning centerline aligned with the center of a fabric panel or with an edge. Try both to see which saves material. The Fabric Pane also displays measurements for your fabric that need to be transferred to PatternSmith to lay out your panels on the fabric for cutting. Copy the values of Width, Repeat, and Offset into the PatternSmith Material Library before nesting. When you are ready to cut, align the pen with the fabric edge and your stripes and valence cells will be aligned for you. If you are using a striped fabric, make sure you go to the Valance Pane and set the valance repeats to Scale to Size so that the program can align the valances with the stripes. Fabric Stretch Compensation Pane Enter the amount by which to compensate for stretch in the horizontal and vertical directions. Typical values would be 1/4-1/2 per 10 feet, or 0.2-0.4%.
Design Frame Editor Modifying the Shape of Design Frames Click on a Design Frame in the awning viewport to open the Design Frame Editor. Design frames can be of four types: arc, arc-line, Bezier, and line. You can change from one style frame to another by clicking on any of the icons at the top of the pane. All Design Frames in an awning must be the same style. You can copy any Design Frame, and then paste it to another frame using the clipboard. You can paste to all frames, using the dropdown on the Paste button. If the height or projection are different, the program will maintain the top and bottom angles to make it fit the new frame dimensions.
Frame Types Most awning frames are either straight or created by a pipe bender that is set to a constant radius. Eclipse includes four types of frames: Line, Arc, Arc-Line, and Bezier. You can edit any Design Frame in the Design Frame Editor. Line Frames: Line frames are straight lines. There are no user controls available. Arc Frames: Arc frames are a constant radius arc, which can be either convex or concave. You have control over the top and bottom angles, either by dragging handles or entering values for the top or bottom angles.
Arc-Line Frames: When you want a combination of arcs and lines in the same frame, use our arc-line frame. It consists of a combination of a line at one or both ends and a constant radius arc. You control the end angles, either by dragging handles or entering the values directly. For any two lines that intersect at specified angles, there is a maximum possible radius when there is a line segment at one end only. You can change the radius by entering the percent of maximum radius either directly or using the slider. Initially, the Arc-Line frame s handles are dots at either end. Click on either and drag to see a line at the end. It is easy to make a wide variety of awning shapes by changing the amount of radius or the length of the line segments.
Bezier Frames: For unique designs, we ve included Bezier frames. These give you the most freedom in design. They allow a lot of creativity, but require more effort in bending since the radius is not constant. Bezier curves are easy to use for design. Each end of the curve has a handle that will always be tangent at that endpoint. The longer you make the handle, the more it affects the curve. To change the awning shape, just drag either handle with the left mouse button until you get the shape you want.
4: Saving Patterns Panel View Click the Panel View tab on the ribbon, and you will see the resulting flattened panels. Exporting Panels and Frames Before you save the panels for cutting, make sure you have measured the actual fabric overall width and entered that value in the Fabric data pane. The program uses that measurement, less twice the selvedge width, to compute the size of each resulting panel. From the Panel View tab, click on the Export button to save the panels and frames to a.psxml file to be read by PatternSmith. You can use the dropdown
arrow on the Export button to open the current design panels in PatternSmith. After you have exported the.psxml file, you can then open it in PatternSmith. Click the Open button and navigate to the file you exported from Eclipse. You will see all of the panels and construction frames as below: You are ready to nest and cut from PatternSmith. If you want to do any final editing, double click on the pattern you want to modify. Aligning and Cutting Striped Fabrics When you are using a striped fabric, there are a few easy steps to follow to make sure that everything lines up when cutting. Design: Make sure you have used the Scale to Size option for valance cell width. Don t
use the nominal repeat distance for the cell width. Instead, measure the actual width of the fabric and enter the number of repeats Eclipse will compute the repeat distance and enter it automatically in the cell width field on the Valance Panel. Patterns: When you specify striped When you specify striped fabric, each of the patterns saved by the program will have a reference line set to Alignment Attribute at one of the stripe locations. The nesting process will use that line to align your pattern to the striped fabric correctly. Nesting: Set up the fabric width, offset and repeat distance in the material library using the values in the Fabric Panel. For single stripe fabrics, you can nest with the top of panels in either direction, since the fabric is symmetric. However for alternating stripe fabrics, always nest with the top of the panel to the left on the table (toward the origin). In the PatternSmith Project screen, turn on Nestle Mode and Snap to Horizontal Grid. The alignment line in your patterns will line up with the stripes in the fabric. As you move the pattern on the fabric, you will see it snap its alignment line to the closest fabric stripe.
Cutting: Roll your fabric out so that the edge stays aligned with the x-axis rails. Jog the pen or pointer to the bottom edge of the fabric (the actual edge, not the selvedge line). Press Start at that point and your panels will be aligned with the stripes.