Capturing a Hide

To start the HideShot process, spread the hide on the cutting table. Turn the vacuum on and smooth our any wrinkles as much as possible. To minimize vacuum loss, it is recommended to cover the table with a thin (1mil) plastic sheeting.

Once the hide is smoothed out and you are ready to take a picture, press the HideShot button under the Tools tab.

Finding The Perimeter

If you have used HideShot before, HideShot will try to distinguish between the hide and the background to capture a perimeter. If it is your first time using HideShot, or it was not successful, you can move the markers for the hide and the background to better capture the hide.

Markers

Hide Marker

This marker indicates where the hide is. Place the Hide Marker onto the hide.

Background Marker

This marker indicates where the background is. Place the Background Marker onto an area of the background that contrasts well with the hide.

Ribbon

Image

Retake Picture will retake a picture.

Brush

The Brush shape can be a circle or square and the Size can be adjusted using the slider.

Use the Pick Color tool to select a sample color of a pattern.

Repair

If glare or other marks are affecting the hide capture, use the Paint tool to repair the hide. Additionally, the Erase tool can be used to fix the background. The Erase tool automatically uses the color from the location of the background marker.

Both the Paint and the Erase tool use the Brush settings to change the shape, size, and color. 

Remove All Paint will remove all of the marks you have painted.

Grading

Grades can be added to a hide to control the areas that patterns can be nested in. If you add no grades or flaws, the complete hide will be available for nesting.

There are 5 grades, A-E. Grade E is considered a flaw and no patterns can be bested in those areas. Grade A is any area that is not assigned to a different grade. You can not paint the A grade.

To assign an area to a grade, select the grade you want to use using the Grade Drop Down Menu. Then, click the Grade tool and start painting. If you paint a complete loop (finish painting where you started), the inside of the loop will be filled. Any area that is not graded is assumed to be an A grade.

The Erase tool will work similarly to the grade tool and will remove any graded areas. Erasing a complete loop will fill the loop and remove that area.

Fill Empty Space will fill the remainder of the hide with the currently selected grade. If you want the remainder to be an A grade, do nothing and it will auto-fill when you return to PatternSmith.

Remove All Grade will remove all graded areas from the hide.

View

Zoom All shows the full extent of the image.

Hide

Cancel will discard the hide image.

Done will finish the hide editing process and take you back to PatternSmith.