Step & Repeat

Step & Repeat

The Step and Repeat command allows you to import a pattern and repeat it several times in both horizontal and vertical direction. This is often used in Textile printing to repeat seamless patterns to fill a desired area. Mirroring and shifting the pattern are also included. The pattern must be saved as a TIFF or BMP image. Alpha channels in the image are used as masks so that the covered part of the image will be treated as if it would not exist. Besides the documentation below, creating a sample Job for your Application in the JobComposer and exporting it to XML through RightClick > XML Export to verify the syntax can prove helpful at times. After the overarching -Element, we use to import the image, we then use the parameters within and to specify the amount of repetitions in X and Y directions.

Format: <StepAndRepeatImage></StepandRepeatImage>

Parameter

Description

Possible Values

<SizeFactorHorz></SizeFactorHorz>

Defines repetitions in Y direction (Horizontal)

Numerical values, e.g. 5. Also accepts decimals like 5.5 

<SizeFactorVert></SizeFactorVert>

Defines repetitions in X direction (Vertical).

Any numer, e.g. 5. Also accepts decimals like 5.5

<MoveHorzY></MoveHorzY>

Numerically Sets a horizontal offset relative to the image size. This value is also automatically set by the <SelectedOffset> Attribute.

e.g. “0.50” offsets the grid by half the image width

<SelectedOffset></SelectedOffset>

Sets one of the predefined offset values for the image files.

0= No Offset

1= 0.5 Offset

2= 0.333 Offset

3= 0.25 Offset

<MirrorHorzX></MirrorHorzX>

Mirros Image Horizontally in X direction.

0= No Mirroring

1= Mirroring

<MirrorHorzY></MirrorHorzY>

Mirros Image Horizontally in Y direction.

0= No Mirroring

1= Mirroring

<MirrorVertX></MirrorVertX>

Mirros Image Vertically in X direction.

0= No Mirroring

1= Mirroring

<MirrorVertY></MirrorVertY>

Mirros Image Vertically in Y direction.

0= No Mirroring

1= Mirroring

<SpecBySizeRepeatHorz>

</SpecBySizeRepeatHorz>

Sets that number of horizontal repeats should be specified by size rather than number of copies. Size is specified in <SizeMmHorz> Parameter.

0=Off (Default)

1= Active

<SizeMmVert></SizeMmVert>

Sets to the horizontal size to be filled with repeats through <SpecBySizeRepeatVert> in mm.

E.g. 1500 for 150cm

<SizeMmHorz></SizeMmHorz>

Sets to the horizontal size to be filled with repeats through <SpecBySizeRepeatHorz> in mm.

E.g. 1500 for 150cm

<FillMediaWidth>

Creates repeats of the image file across the entire media width. Requires <SpecBySizeRepeatHorz> and <SizeMmHorz> to be set.

0=Off, uses specified number of repeats

1= Repeat across media width

<SpecBySizeRepeatVert>

</SpecBySizeRepeatVert>

Sets that number of Vertical repeats should be specified by size rather than number of copies. Size is specified in <SizeMmVert> Parameter.

0=Off (Default)

1= Active


Sample Code for Step and Repeat
<HotFile> <Job> <Image> <StepAndRepeatImage> <Image FileName="C:\Images\Pattern.tif"/> <StepAndRepeat> <SizeFactorHorz>5.000000</SizeFactorHorz> <SizeFactorVert>8.000000</SizeFactorVert> <MoveHorzY>0.333333</MoveHorzY> <SelectedOffset>2</SelectedOffset> </StepAndRepeat> </StepAndRepeatImage> </Image> </Job> </HotFile>