------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OMEGA™ 2.6.1 September 7, 2007 by Gerber Scientific Products www.gspinc.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- OMEGA 2.6.1 README =================== Please review the following resources to learn more about the new and exciting features in OMEGA 2.6, OMEGA 2.5.1, and OMEGA 2.5: > Review "What's New in OMEGA 2.6", “What’s New in OMEGA 2.5.1” and “What’s New in OMEGA 2.5” pdfs located in the Documentation folder on the OMEGA 2.6 installation CD. > Watch the “What’s New in OMEGA 2.6 Multimedia Presentation” which includes video screen-grab presentations and descriptions of new features. It is located on the GSP website: www.gspinc.com. The “What’s New in OMEGA 2.5 Multimedia Presentation” and the “What’s New in OMEGA 2.5.1 Multimedia Presentation” are located on the OMEGA Overview CD. > When installing OMEGA 2.6.1, you do not have to manually install the Sentinel Driver unless instructed by a GerberService technician. Just click the Install OMEGA 2.6 button and follow the installation prompts, and the Sentinel driver and all other OMEGA software loads automatically. > After installing the software, view the OMEGA sample PLT files in the following location on your hard drive: C:\jobs\Samples (where C is the designation of the drive on which OMEGA 2.6 is loaded). > Press F1 to access the OMEGA Help system for the most up-to-date information on tools and features. > If you ordered a hard copy of the OMEGA Reference Manual, save the documents “What's New in OMEGA 2.5.1” and “What's New in OMEGA 2.6” as they contain updated information. > Please review the end of this Readme OMEGA 2.6.1 enhancement information and updates to the software since the OMEGA 2.6 release. Installing a Digitizing Tablet ============================== Tablets are now installed via the General tab of the Tools > Options dialog box in Composer, rather than through GSPSetup. To install a tablet in OMEGA ---------------------------- 1. Open Composer and click Tools > Options and select the General tab. 2. Click the Select button under the Tablet option to display the Tablet Selection dialog box. 3. The software will attempt to automatically select the correct size tablet. If it cannot determine the tablet, no tablet will be selected. Choose the correct size tablet. Click OK. 4. Click the Preferences button to save the tablet selection. 5. Click Save Current Page at the Save Preferences message. 6. Click OK to exit Tools > Options. Digitizing Tablet Troubleshooting ================================= Occasionally you may have to adjust the communication port settings of your computer to be compatible with the tablet. To adjust the Communication Port settings: ----------------------------------------- 1. Click Start > Control Panel to open Control Panel. 2. In Category view, click Performance and Maintenance. 3. Click System to open the System Properties dialog box. Display the Hardware tab. 4. Click Device Manager and expand Ports (COM & LPT) by clicking the + sign. 5. Right click one of the Communications Ports and choose Properties to display the Communications Port Properties dialog box. 6. Display the Port Settings tab and choose the following settings: Bits per second: 9600 Date bits: 7 Parity: Odd Stop bits: 2 Flow control: None 7. Click OK. Installing Fonts and Library Files ================================== OMEGA 2.5 and higher includes a new Font and Library CD which contains Fonts, Gerber Graphix Libraries, and the Braille Option. While the standard base set of Gerber Soft Fonts loads automatically with the OMEGA 2.6 installation CD (CP = 200+ fonts; CS = 100+ fonts), you must use the OMEGA 2.5 Font and Library CD to load additional free and purchasable fonts in OMEGA 2.6. Gerber Soft Fonts on previous versions of the Font CD are not compatible with OMEGA 2.5 or higher. Please note: It is not recommended to install all Gerber Fonts on your computer as the performance will degrade. To install fonts from the OMEGA 2.5 Font and Library CD ------------------------------------------------------- 1. Close the OMEGA Installation program. 2. Put the OMEGA 2.5 Font and Library CD in the CD drive. 3. Right click the GSP Tray icon (small Gerber G in the lower right corner of the task bar) and select Font Manager. 4. When Font Manager opens the free fonts that can be installed without a password display in BLACK. Purchasable fonts which require a password display in BLUE. 5. Select the fonts to load and click the Install/Purchase button. 6. If the font is part of a purchasable Font Pack a password dialog box displays. If the font is free it installs automatically. 7. For purchasable fonts, enter the password that you received when you purchased the Font Pack. To install Gerber Graphix Libraries from the OMEGA 2.5 Font and Library CD -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Close the OMEGA Installation Program. 2. Put the OMEGA 2.5 Font and Library CD in the CD drive. 3. Start Composer. 4. Click File > Library to open the Browse to Folder dialog box. 5. Navigate to the Library folders on the Font and Library CD and click OK to open the Import Library dialog box. 6. Find the library clipart (GCA file) you wish to load and click Import. If the clipart file is part of a purchasable Library pack, the OMEGA Library Pack Password dialog box displays. If the clipart (GCA file) is free it opens in Composer. 7. For purchasable clipart enter the password that you received when you purchased the OMEGA Library Pack. The password unlocks all of the GCA files on the OMEGA Font and Library CD. For more information on loading fonts, Gerber Library (GCA) files, or the Braille option see the literature "Installing Fonts, Gerber Libraries, and the Braille Option in the "How Tos" folder on the OMEGA 2.6 Installation CD. Installing Gerber Device Profiles ================================= Gerber Device Profiles are no longer automatically loaded during OMEGA installation. You must load the Device Profiles from the OMEGA 2.5 Gerber Profile CD. To install Gerber Device Profiles from Device Profile CD -------------------------------------------------------- 1. Close the OMEGA Installation program. 2. Put the OMEGA 2.5 Gerber Device Profiles CD in the CD drive. 3. Right click the GSP Tray icon (small Gerber G in the lower right corner of the task bar) and select Device Profile Manager. 4. When the Gerber Device Profile Manager opens choose the devices for which to install profiles from the list on the right. Previously installed profiles display in the top window. Profiles that are not installed display in the bottom window. 5. Select the profiles to install from the bottom window and click OK. For more information on using the Gerber Device Profile Manager press F1 when the Device Profile Manager is open to display the Help topic. Alternately, see "Using the Gerber Device Profile Manager" located in Chapter 66: Using GSPTray in the OMEGA Reference Manual. Vinyl Only Jobs in OMEGA 2.5 or higher ====================================== Vinyl only shapes of the same color can be stacked and paper printed with more control in OMEGA 2.5 or higher using the "To front" and "To back" commands. For example, you can now stack, view, and paper print red vinyl, green vinyl, then the same color red vinyl without the red vinyl going onto the same stacking level. To offer this new stacking functionality, you must now use the Combine tool to get inside shapes to knock out of outside shapes of the same color. For example, if you have concentric circles that are both the same red vinyl color, you must select both circles and click the Combine tool to get the inside shape to knock out of the outside shape. This only applies to shapes created in OMEGA 2.5 or higher such as circles, squares, digitized, or vectorized shapes. Text still automatically combines, and jobs from previous releases also automatically combine. Exporting Clipping Paths ======================== When exporting plot files with clipping paths, Exporting to Hot Folder and the following export filters support clipping paths: > AI - (GSP) Adobe Illustrator(R) File > EPS - (GSP) Encapsulated Postscript(R) File > BMP - Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Bitmap > JPG - JPEG File Format > TIF - Tagged Image File Format Note: Other OMEGA export filters (including PDF) do not support clipping paths at this time. Paper Printing ============== If you are experiencing problems when paper printing from Composer, try printing at a lower resolution, a lower print quality, or at a smaller size. If you are having trouble paper printing vector or image files, set the Composer display to Wireframe (View > Wireframe before paper printing. Do not set the Paper Printing Output Type to Wireframe; set the Composer preview only. Paper Printing of difficult files is more successful when the Composer preview is set to Wireframe. Design Time Tracking ==================== Design Time Tracking and the Design Time Log File is turned ON by default in Composer. To track the Elapsed Design Time, open or create a file in OMEGA 2.6, and then save it. To view the amount of time spent creating an OMEGA 2.6 job open it in Composer and click File > Properties. Expand the first category of general information and look for Elapsed Time. Default Halftone is GerberTone STC Photo 70 lpi =============================================== Please note that the default image halftone for new installations of OMEGA is now GerberTone STC Photo 70 lpi. If you installed OMEGA 2.6 on a computer that already had a previous version of OMEGA, the existing default of GerberTone Photo will still be used. See below for instructions under Composer Recommended Preferences on how to change the default image halftone to be GerberTone STC Photo 70 lpi. GSPPlot Changes =============== The Vinyl Only command has been removed from the View menu of GSPPlot. This command is no longer valid for OMEGA 2.5 or higher. View commands include: Show Cut, Show Print, Show All, and Preview. The Rewind Between Layers command now rewinds after each layer is output including the last layer. ******************************** COMPOSER RECOMMENDED PREFERENCES ******************************** Embed Images Turned ON ====================== DESCRIPTION: Permanently keep image files such as TIF, BMP, and JPG files together with the PLT files. PROS: No more rendering errors such as “Where is FILENAME.TIF?” CONS: PLT file sizes will be larger because the original image file size will be added to the PLT file size. HOW TO: In Composer click File > Open. Turn ON Embed Images. Click Preferences. Flatten Layers to Current Layer When Importing ============================================== DESCRIPTION: AI and EPS files will discard layer information when imported. PROS: Reduce confusion about “to front/to back” and eliminate error messages about operations that cannot be performed on objects residing on different layers. CONS: AI and EPS files lose their layer information when they get flattened to the current Composer Layer 1. HOW TO: In Composer click File > Import. Clear the Keep Layers checkbox. Check Flatten Layers to: Current Layer. Set Vector Halftone Type to GerberTone Fine ============================================== DESCRIPTION: All vector objects, regardless of the halftone settings used in Composer, will use GerberTone Fine when outputting to the GERBER EDGE-series thermal transfer printers. PROS: GerberTone Fine provides a halftone dot smaller than the usual GerberTone default dot but does not create banding in gradient fills. CONS: Some spot color gradient fills will exhibit over-transfer of foil (the gradient will fill in with unwanted GerberColor Foil). This can be eliminated by temporarily applying and removing transfer tape on the areas of over-transfer, or by using a lower percentage tint value for the high end of the gradient (fill from 0% to 70% instead of 0% to 100%). HOW TO: In GSPPlot click Setup > Print Options > Click the Halftone button and open EDGE Family tab, Turn on Substitute Halftones for Edge Family. Under Shapes Fills and Strokes, choose GerberTone Fine from the “Halftone to Substitute” list. Click Preferences. Click YES in the Save Preferences message box. Click OK to exit the dialog box. Set Image Halftone Type to be GerberTone STC Photo 70 LP ======================================================== DESCRIPTION: Imported and opened image files such as TIF, JPG, and BMP files will use GerberTone STC Photo at 70 lpi instead of the usual default halftone of GerberTone Photo. PROS: Image files will appear to have smaller dots but will be resistant to banding that occurs when using a Classical Dot at 70 lpi. CONS: May take longer to render files that contain images. HOW TO: Place any image file in Composer. Select the image and go to the Image Fill dialog box, (the picture frame at the bottom of the Toolbox on the left side of Composer). Make the Color Type: Process. Choose Gerbertone STC Photo (2nd from the top) from the Halftone Type list. Enter 70 in the LPI box. Click Preferences. Click YES in the Save Preferences message box. Set Images to Display in Composer at a High Resolution and 24 Bits per Pixel ============================================================================ DESCRIPTION: High resolution and 24 Bits per Pixel settings make images appear as sharp as possible and offer the closest color fidelity when viewing in Composer. Note that these settings do not affect GERBER EDGE output, but only affect how the images view on the screen in Composer and how they paper print. PROS: Images will look crisp and sharp for editing or preview purposes. Also, high resolution images are automatically compressed to save file space. Medium and low resolution images are inherently smaller, but do not get compressed. CONS: Redraws, especially of larger files will take longer. Some extremely large files may not successfully display. HOW TO: Place any image file in Composer. Select the image and go to the Image Fill dialog box, (the picture frame at the bottom of the Toolbox on the left side of Composer). Set the Bits per Pixel slider to 24. Set the Resolution to High. Click Preferences. Click YES in the Save Preferences message box. Turn ON Suppress Fill Cuts for Text on the Work Surface (TOWS) ============================================================== DESCRIPTION: TOWS text will NOT have cuts assigned to it, potentially saving a step before outputting. PROS: Automatically turns off cuts for text when a spot or process color is assigned to text. CONS: Turns off cuts every time, even if you want them to be on. Note: cuts can be turned on at any time during the design process by selecting an object and clicking the CUTS ON button in the Arrange toolbar. HOW TO: In Composer click Tools > Options > General Tab. Turn on the Suppress Fill Cuts checkbox. Click Preferences. Click Save Current Page. Click OK to exit the Options dialog box. Increase Fill Stripes so that Gradient Fills Preview More Smoothly in Composer ============================================================================== DESCRIPTION: Gradient fills in Composer display and paper print more smoothly by increasing the number of fill stripes. PROS: Gradient fills will paper print and display in Composer more smoothly. CONS: Gradient fills will take slightly longer to display and paper print. HOW TO: In Composer click Tools > Options > View Tab. Set the Number of Fill Stripes to be higher than the default of 21*. Click Preferences. Click Save Current Page. Click OK to exit the Options dialog box. *Recommended stripes setting is 99-128. Maximum number of fill stripes is 256. Turn Off Show Most Recently Used Fonts List for Text on the Work Surface (TOWS) =============================================================================== DESCRIPTION: The most recently used fonts will NOT display at the top of the list. PROS: Makes it easier when typing the first letter of a font name to get to that section of the font list. CONS: Turns off the convenient list of the most recently used fonts. HOW TO: In Composer click Tools > Options > Text tab. Clear the checkbox for “Show Most Recently Used Fonts.” Click Preferences. Click Save Current Page. Click OK to exit the Options dialog box. ************************************* OMEGA 2.6.1 Changes and Enhancements ************************************* The following items are enhancements to OMEGA since the release of OMEGA 2.6. ============================================================================= * Certain translated dialog boxes now display properly * Composer starts once with multiple files when PLT files are launched from emails or Explorer. * Eliminated “Parameter is Incorrect” message * Sluggishness due to Sentinel configuration eliminated. There is no need to reconfigure sentinel driver to stop using parallel ports. * Improved display of pre-OMEGA 2.5 vinyl only jobs * Improved Composer performance after the following operations: - EPS File export - Paper printing - Clicking on Image Fill Tool - Reading of PLT files with guidelines only - Digitizing tablet configuration and usage - Filtering Fonts by Category * Import/Export - EPS and AI exports can now include cut data as a named stroke as well as a named fill - Improved export of gradients and strokes with tints - Pantone color names are maintained when importing - DXF export does not duplicate start/end points - Improved success when importing multiple files - Improved import success rate after performing Import All * All shapes output when cutting vinyl only jobs * Improved output of ART Path multi-pass paneled jobs * Update EDGE FX firmware on release CD from J1 to K0. * “Show Installed Fonts” can be launched from GSPTray * Design Time log file can be opened and lines deleted successfully * GSPTray reports software version correctly * Shapes with no fills display properly Updates to OMEGA Software ========================= Periodically you should visit the GSP website to check for updates to the OMEGA software: www.gspinc.com/support/downloads/software.html Copyright (c) 2007 Gerber Scientific International. OMEGA is a trademark of Gerber Scientific Products. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks in the US and other countries. Adobe Illustrator and Encapsulated Postscript are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. Sentinel is a trademark of SafeNet, Inc.