3.7 Other Resources Required Commercial software for controlling the milling machine will be required. The mapping process requires access to current distortion maps in the database. There are no technical difficulties here, however. Mask design file information, describing a mask design, is entered in database. Mask design is selected by mill operator.
Stock is mounted and milled.
If the milling was unsuccessful, the previous step is repeated. Acceptable quality means that a mask design in the database is now identified with the physical slitmask. Before each run, the Instrument Specialist calls up the requested mask designs from the database and retrieves the slitmasks for loading in the spectrograph. At this point, reconstituted copies of the mask design files are placed in the observer's directory. In this case, barcoded stock is sent to the user, and the user arrives at Keck with mask design files and milled slitmasks.