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Web-to-Print tutorial

With the Web-to-Print Wizard you can create customized print documents using the various templates. These are step-by-step instructions for creating layout templates.

Overview

See Web-to-Print-templates for an overview of the Web-to-Print wizard and its underlying concepts. It tells you about the options available in the Wizard as well as shows you how to systematically create a template and what you need to keep in mind.

Work window in the "Create layout" step with the layout (1) and the task window (2). The layout window has a fixed toolbar 1 (11) and a toolbar that depends on the task at hand 2 (10). At the top, the task window shows the number of boxes (3) respective tasks. For every page or double page of the layout there is a separate section (4). Every group (9) in the layout is assigned a layout-group asset (5) for the configuration and every box (8) is assigned a layout-box asset (6). An action area (7) behind that shows the editing status respective the action buttons.

Create a layout template

Below we will go through the various steps for creating layout templates.

Creating fields in a box

To enter text in fields with the Wizard you first need to create the corresponding fields in the template in Adobe InDesign. There are a number of options for creating fields. For more information on this see the Adobe support pages or look at some related manuals/information. Below we will show you with examples just one way of doing that.

First you need to create the necessary tags in the tag palette in Adobe InDesign:

  • "Story" tag

  • "censhare:content" tag

The "Text section" tag selects a box that takes fields. You can also select a different name. The "censhare:content" tag indicates a field that is addressed by censhare. This name cannot be changed. After creating the tags you'll see three tags in the palette: Root, Story and "censhare:content".

To continue, you now need the structure pane in Adobe InDesign. You can find that under "Show view/structure/Show Structure".

Select the desired box for the field(s) and drag it to the desired spot in the structure pane. Adobe InDesign will ask you which tag the box should be given now. Select the "Story" tag. Continue to assign tags to the desired boxes.

Tip:  Use a text box for connected fields like address elements.

In the text box you now write the texts for the individual fields such as first name, last name, street, postal code and city. Then mark one text and select the "censhare:content" option in the tags panel. Proceed like that for all of the other text entries. In the structure pane you will now see all of the "censhare:content" tags below the "Story" tag for the box.

Next, create an attribute for every "censhare:content" tag. This ensures that the field is assigned to the right layout-box-tag asset. Select the desired "censhare:content" tag in the structure pane and select the "Create attribute" option. A dialog window will open. In the "Name" field enter the value "configurationAssetKey". The "Value" field is assigned the resource key of the associated layout-box-tag asset.

Now create the associated layout-box-tag asset. In the Desktop Client (Java Client), select the value "Layout-box-tag" as the sub-type for the "Module" type. In censhare 5 Web click "Module/layout-box-tag" an.

Now you still need to create respective enter the resource key. In the Desktop Client go to the "Resource" section on the "Advanced" tab. Click the "+" button and enter the desired resource key in the "Key" field. In censhare 5 Web go to the "Resource" widget in the "Overview" tab, click the "Edit" button and enter the value in the "Key" field.

Additional steps:

  • Configuring layout-box-tag assets

Assigning boxes to a group in a layout

After you have created the desired boxes, texts and fields you now have to assign them to a group. There are two criteria for this decision. First, you need to integrate a group for all boxes that will be receiving their contents from the same structure asset. Second, by assigning them to a group you can join boxes with task areas. Because of the assigned layout-group asset, a group appears as a higher-ranking area in the task window when editing the layout.

Before you can create a group, you need to first create the layout-group asset and the associated layout-box assets. You enter these in the dialog when creating the group.

Tip:  Create a unique configuration asset and give it a unique name for every group and every box. It should be clear which group or boxes the asset is configuring.

Try not to use the same configuration asset for multiple groups or boxes. Changes will affect all associated groups or boxes. For larger templates, the outcomes of this are very difficult to predict. Using one configuration asset for multiple templates is not recommended at all. When making changes it can lead to unwanted effects that are not always easy to recognize.

Creating layout-group assets

You can create layout-group assets in both the Desktop Client and in censhare 5 Web. The asset type is "Module/Layout group". The name of the asset plays an important role in creating the group. The name also appears in the selection field for the configuration asset of the "Group" area in the group dialog. The more meaningful the asset name, the easier it is later to find the associated layout-group asset in the selection menu.

The asset name also has a second function. it appears in the task area of the task window during the "Create layout" step. The more meaningful the name, the easier it is later for the user to recognize which step it is in this task area.

If you create the template for multiple languages, you can also create a name for every language. In this case, the user doesn't see the asset name itself, but the localized name.

In the Desktop Client, click on the "New asset" button in the toolbar of the main window. Select the "New asset" menu and the value "Module" as the asset type. In the dialog that opens, enter "Layout group". Enter the asset name in the "Asset" field of the "General" area. Click the "+" button below that to create a localized name. In the new field enter the corresponding name and select the language.

Now you still need to create respective enter the resource key. Click OK to create the asset.

In censhare 5 Web click the "Create new asset" button in the top navigation. In the dialog that appears, click the "New asset type" field in the "New asset" tab. An input field will open with a selection list. For example, enter "Layout" and select the entry "Module/Layout group". Click OK to create the entry or CANCEL to exit the dialog.

censhare opens the new asset in an asset page. Move the cursor to the title bar of the "General" widget and click the "Edit" button. In the dialog that opens, enter the desired value in the field "Localized name" and select the correct language in the field behind it. Using the "+" button below the field you can enter additional localized names. Click OK to save your changes. Then click SAVE or SAVE & CLOSE to permanently save your changes.

Additional steps:

  • Configuring layout-group assets

Creating layout-box assets

You create layout-box assets the same way you create layout-group assets. In the Desktop Client, select the value "Layout box" as the sub-type for the "Module" type. In censhare 5 Web, select the entry "Module/Layout box" in the selection list.

Additional steps:

  • Configuring layout-box assets

Creating a group in an InDesign layout

You can only use the Desktop Client to create a group for boxes in the layout template. Open the template layout in the Desktop Client and select the boxes for which you wish to create a group. Then go to the InDesign palette in the Desktop Client. Click the "Group actions" button in the palette toolbar and select the entry "Create new group". The corresponding dialog will open.

The dialog contains an area for the group and one for the box. In the group area you enter the title of the group in the "Field" name. In the "Configuration asset" field, select the asset that you previously created in order to manage the behavior of the group in censhare. Click the selection list where you will see all layout-group assets for which you have access in the system. Go to the desired entry and select it.

In the box area, select the configuration asset for the boxes of the group. Click the selection list where you will see all of the layout-box assets defined in the system. Go to the desired entry and select it.

Confirm the entry with OK or exit the dialog with CANCEL. censhare will now enter the selected layout-group and layout-box assets for all of the boxes.

For now, this will assign the same layout-box asset to all of the boxes. If a different layout-box asset should apply for one box, you need to edit that box's group configuration in the layout. Select the desired box in the layout. Then click the "Group action" button in the toolbar and select the entry " Edit group attributes of boxes". In the box section, select the associated layout-box asset for the box in the "Configuration asset" field. Repeat the process until all of the boxes have been assigned the correct layout-box assets.

Configuring layout templates

Find the steps for configuring the layout template.

Configuring layout-group assets

Previous steps:

  • Creating layout-group assets

With the help of features, the layout group asset exercises control over which editing options apply to a group. Except for specifying a selection for assets (asset query), you can assign rights in both the Desktop Client and in censhare 5 Web.

In the Desktop Client, open the desired layout-group asset in order to edit the meta data. Then go to the "Features" tab. In the "Features" section add the rights you want to add. Click the "+" button to add a new feature. The name for all rights features start with "Layout group:". If a right should only be unavailable for a certain amount of time, you can simply deactivate it by removing the check mark in the selection box behind it. Click OK to save your changes. Select CANCEL to exit the dialog.

To assign a right in censhare 5 Web, open the layout-group asset in question in an asset page. Go to the "Layout group" widget and click the "Edit" button. A dialog will open. Click there on the desired rights. The names of the fields in the dialog correspond to those in the Desktop Client. The only difference is that the name in censhare 5 Web is not preceded by "Layout group: ".

Confirm with OK or exit the dialog with CANCEL. Then you need to save the changes permanently with SAVE or SAVE & CLOSE.

The following options are available when configuring a group:

Function

Required features in the asset
Content selection

Predefining a selection of structure assets

- Asset query (1)

Placing structure assets automatically

- Asset query (1)

- Place first result (1)

Suggesting a selection of structure assets

- Asset query (1)

- Allow placement of other assets (1)

Requiring the selection of a structure asset

- Placement required (1)

Preplacement of content before editing the layout


Making the placement of an asset its own step in the Wizard

- Asset query (1)

- Selectable in Wizard (1)

Editing the layout


Moving a group

Position movable (1)

Removing a group

Removable (1)
(1) In the Desktop Client, the name of every feature still has the prefix "Layout group:". The feature name is then "Layout group: Asset query" instead of "Asset query", for example.

Predefining a selection of structure assets

You specify that the user only can only place a certain selection of structure assets in one group. If the group only has one box, it can also be an image or a text asset.

First, create a general search that contains all of the allowed assets. For more information see the section "General search" in the "Define search" area. In the Desktop Client, now add a feature of the "Layout group: Asset query" type. In the associated field, enter the resource key of the query asset.

In censhare 5 Web, go to the "Asset query" widget in the "Overview" tab. Click the "Add relation" button in the action bar of the widget. In the asset dialog that opens, select the desired search and confirm your selection with OK.

If in the "Create layout" step in the task window the user clicks on the search symbol in the entry for the associated layout-group asset, an asset chooser dialog will appear with the result of the search. The user can select one of these.

Placing structure assets automatically

To do this you first have to specify that only a certain selection of structure assets are permitted to be placed for a group. To do this, enter a search accordingly, as with the process "Predefining a selection of assets". Instead of the user selecting an asset from the results of the asset query here, the system automatically places the first result of the query.

To do that you need to define the desired general search, add a feature of the type "Layout group: Asset query" to the layout-group asset, and enter the resource key or the search. You also need to create - or select - a feature of the type "Layout group: Place first result".

If the user goes to the "Create layout" step in the Wizard, censhare will carry out the asset query. When creating the layout, the first result is automatically placed in the group associated with the layout-group asset. If the user clicks in the task list on the search symbol of the entry for the layout-group asset, he/she can retroactively select and place a different asset from the search.

If a group only has one box, censhare can also automatically place an image or text asset there. In this case, no search can be defined in the layout-box asset for that box.

Suggesting a selection of structure assets

Instead of telling a user that he/she is only allowed to place certain assets, you can present the search results as just a suggestion. In this case, the user initially also only sees the search result, but he/she still has access to all of the other assets in the system in the asset chooser dialog.

You also need to define a general search, add a feature of the type "Layout group: Asset query" and enter the resource key for the search. You then add a feature of the type "Layout group: Allow placement of other assets".

Requiring the selection of a structure asset

Normally the user can freely decide whether he/she wants to place a structure asset in a group. For the group you can also specify that the user must place an asset here. In this case the user can't continue to the next step in the Wizard before an asset is placed in the group.

To do this, add a feature of the type "Layout group: Placement required".

Making the placement of an asset its own step in the Wizard

In certain cases, it may make sense to offer the user the option of selecting a structure asset for a group before the layout is created. censhare then places the data during layout creation and the user can edit it immediately if need be. For example, the user preselects the desired person asset for a business card. The corresponding data such as the address will already be in the right place in the layout right from the beginning of the editing process.

Just like with the process "Predefining a selection of assets", you need to create a general search, add a feature of the type "Layout group: Asset query" and enter the resource key for the search. You also add a feature of the type "Layout group: Selectable in Wizard".

For every group with this feature, the Wizard will generate its own step before the "Create layout" step. If the user reaches a step like this in the Wizard, censhare automatically carries out a search and shows the result in the Wizard. The user can now select one of the assets shown.

Moving a group

Normally a user cannot move a group within a layout. If the user wishes to do so, however, add the feature "Layout group: Position movable" to the group.

Removing a group

Normally a user cannot remove a group from the layout. If the user wishes to do so, however, add the feature "Layout group: Removable" to the group.

If a user has removed a layout group, it cannot be recovered. So please proceed cautiously with this setting. Alternatively, snippets can be created for certain groups. The user can then add those as a replacement for the removed group.

Configuring layout-box assets

Previous steps:

  • Creating layout-box assets

With the help of features, layout-box assets exercise control over which rights are applicable for the associated boxes. Except for specifying a selection for assets (asset query), you can assign rights in both the Desktop Client and in censhare 5 Web.

Editing layout-box assets is the same as editing layout-group assets. All rights features for layout-box assets begin here with "Layout box:". 

To make sure the box works correctly with the associated layout-box asset, you need to enter the purpose of the box in the asset. These include either placing image or text assets or editing form fields. To do this, create the feature "Layout box type" in the layout-box asset. In the selection box for the field, select the desired value: form, image or text.

The following options for configuring a box are available to you:

Function

Required features in the asset

Content selection

Predefining a selection of assets

- Asset query (1)

Suggesting a selection of assets

- Asset query (1)

- Allow placement of other assets (1)

Requiring the selection of an asset

- Placement required (1)

Placing content

Placing different content

- Placement changeable (1)

Specifying text transformations

- Content transformation (1)

Editing image cropping

- Image cropping editable (1)

Editing content

Editing placed content

- Content editable (1)

Editing the layout

Changing the position and size of the box

- Geometry editable (1)

(1) In the Desktop Client, the name of every feature still has the prefix "Layout box:". The feature name is then "Layout box: Asset query" instead of "Asset query", for example.

Predefining a selection of assets

You can also define a general or a relative search for a box. If the group of the box serves the purpose of displaying the content of a structure asset, then you need to define a relative search here. This specifies what content of the structure asset is placed in the box. For more information see the section "Relative searches" in the "Defining searches" area. If you don't define a search, the box will remain empty when placing a structure asset.

If the group is not meant for placing structure assets, you can define a general search for each of the associated boxes. This specifies a selection of assets that the user is allowed to place in the box.

In the Desktop Client, now add a feature of the type "Layout box: Asset query". In the associated field, enter the resource key of the query asset. In censhare 5 Web, go to the "Asset query" widget in the "Overview" tab. Click the "Add relation" button in the action bar of the widget. In the asset dialog that opens, select the desired search and confirm your selection with OK.

Suggesting a selection of assets

Instead of telling a user that he/she is only allowed to place certain assets in a box, you can present the search results as just a suggestion. In this case, the user will initially only see the search result. In the asset chooser dialog the user will still have access to all of the other assets in the system.

To do that you need to define the desired general search, add a feature of the type "Layout group: Asset query" to the layout-group asset, and enter the resource key for the search. You then add a feature of the type "Layout box: Allow placement of other assets".

Requiring the selection of an asset

Normally the user can freely decide whether he/she wants to place an asset in a box. For boxes you can also specify that the user must place an asset here. In this case the user can't continue to the next step in the Wizard before an asset is selected here.

To do this, add a feature of the type "Layout box: Placement required" in the layout-box asset.

Placing different content

If an image or a text is placed in a box, you can explicitly assign the right that a user is permitted to place another asset. For example, an image is automatically placed from an asset query when placing a structure asset in a box within a group. But the query delivers two other assets that can also be placed. Assign the right here so the user can then also select another image.

To do this, add a feature of the type "Layout box: Placement changeable" in the layout-box asset. If you deactivate the check box it removes the option for that user.

It also prevents users from replacing an asset in the template with another asset. To do this, you need to integrate the corresponding box into its own group and then place the asset there. Then you also add the feature in the layout-box asset and deactivate it.

Specifying text transformations

Texts in the ICML format can be placed directly in a box. For other formats, a conversion to ICML is necessary. In most cases this is a conversion from text to ICML. For a box, you can specify the conversion that censhare should use.

To do this, add a feature of the type "Layout box: Content transformation" in the layout-box asset. In the field for the feature, enter the resource key of the asset with the desired transformation.

Editing image cropping

Using the simple editor, users can edit the cropping of a placed image. You can allow this or forbid the user from being able to do it.

To do this, add a feature of the type "Layout box: Image cropping editable" in the layout-box asset.

Editing placed content

Placed content can be opened in its own asset page and edited there. You can either allow this or forbid the user from being able to do it.

To do this, add a feature of the type "Layout box: Content editable" in the layout-box asset. If you deactivate the check box it removes the option for that user.

Changing the position and size of the box

Users can change both the size and position of a box. You can either allow this or forbid the user from being able to do it.

To do this, add a feature of the type "Layout box: Geometry editable" in the layout-box asset. If you deactivate the check box it removes the option for that user.

Configuring layout-box-tag assets

When configuring the layout-box-tag asset, you define the input field for the editing dialog of that field as well as the asset feature that is to be edited. For editing, censhare shows all input fields for the fields within a box in a separate dialog. If there are multiple boxes with fields, then there is a separate dialog for every box.

censhare saves the appearance of the input field in the text file of the associated layout-box-tag asset. The file contains an HTML template for display purposes. For a simple input field that looks like this:

CODE
<cs-input ng-model = "item.value" > </cs-input>

If the input field should have multiple lines, enter the following code:

CODE
<cs-input ng-model = "item.value" multilines = "6" /> </cs-input>

The attribute "multilines" indicates the number of lines, in this case six.

If censhare should fill in the field with a value when placing a structure asset, enter the macro that will determine the value. In censhare 5 Web, go to the "Macro" widget on the "Overview" tab. Here you can connect the layout-box-tag asset with the desired asset. Click the "+" button in the action bar of the widget and select the desired asset in the dialog. In the Desktop Client, create the field "Macro reference" and enter the resource key of the macro.

Now create the associated macro asset. In the Desktop Client, or in censhare 5 Web, enter an asset of the type "Module/Macro". In censhare 5 Web, enter the selected resource key when you create the macro. In the Desktop Client, open the asset, create a key field in the "Advanced" tab of the "Resource" area and enter the resource key.

Macros use either an XPATH expression or an XSLT script to determine the desired data. For example, the following XPATH expression accesses the business telephone number of a person:

asset/asset_feature[@feature='censhare:address']/asset_feature[@feature=
	'censhare:address.com-tel-type' and @value_key='work'][1]/asset_feature[@feature=
	'censhare:address.uri-tel']/@value_string 

The XPATH expression is saved in the feature "Macro expression (XPATH)". You attach the XSLT script as the master file to the macro asset. You can't use the XPATH expression and the XSLT script together.

In censhare 5 Web, go to the "Macro" widget on the "Overview" tab and click the "Edit" button. Enter the desired formula in the field "Macro formula "(XPATH)". In the Desktop Client, create the field "Macro expression (XPATH)" under the "Features" label in the "Features (internal)" section and enter the XPATH expression there.

For XSLT, create the formula in a text file and drag it to the "Files" widget in censhare 5 Web. In the Desktop Client, drag the file to the macro asset and click "Replace" in the dialog that appears.

Defining searches

General searches

To create a general search, carry out the desired search in the censhare 5 Web Client. Click the "Action menu" button in the filter bar of the search page and select the entry "Save search". A dialog appears where you need to give the search a name. censhare saves the search result as an asset with the name you selected.

Now search for the name and open the queried asset. You will find the resource key in censhare 5 Web in the "Resource" widget on the "Overview" tab. In the Desktop Client, you'll find the value in the meta data dialog on the "Features" tab.

Relative searches

For a relative search you first need the associated XSLT script. In censhare 5 Web, create an asset of the type "Module/Search/Transformation". Enter a resource key in the "Resource" widget of the "Overview" tab. This needs to be unique in censhare and needs to have the company or service provider abbreviation as a prefix. Drag the text file with the XSLT to the "Files" widget in order to create a master file for the asset.

In the Desktop Client, create an asset of the type "Module". In the dialog, select the sub-type "Search/Transformation" for the field type on the "General" tab. On the "Advanced" tab in the "Resource" section, click the "+" button to create a resource. Enter the desired resource key in the "Key" field. Save the asset and drag the text file with the XSLT script to the newly created asset.

Creating snippets

We recommend creating a layout in the Desktop Client in order to create the templates for the snippets. This will make it easier later to carry out changes for snippet assets.

Open the layout in the Desktop Client and select the boxes there that should belong to the snippet. Then define the group or groups and assign the desired layout-group and layout-box assets. For more information see the sections "Assigning boxes to a group" and "Creating a group in an InDesign layout".

Now select the group(s) and drag it/them to the desktop. Adobe InDesign uses that to create an Adobe snippet file of the type IDMS. Now drag this snippet file back to the Desktop Client or to censhare 5 Web in order to create an asset. censhare will then highlight the drop area. After releasing the file, censhare will create an asset of the type "Layout/Layout snippet".

In the last step you need to assign the snippet to the template. In censhare 5 Web, open the template in an asset page and go to the "Layout snippets" widget on the "Administration" tab. Click the "Add relation" button in the "Action bar" widget. In the dialog that appears, select the desired snippets and either confirm with OK or exit with CANCEL.

In the Desktop Client, open the layout-template asset to edit the meta data. Go to the "Features" tab and for every snippet in the "Features" area create a feature of the type "Layout snippet". Search in the main window of the Desktop Client for snippets and for each of them drag an asset into a drop area of one of the "Layout snippets" that was just created. Confirm with OK or exit the dialog with CANCEL.

Configuring the Web-to-Print wizard

Below we will describe the various steps for configuring the Web-to-Print Wizard.

Configuring layouts as templates for the wizard

In order to make the layout available as a template, assign to it the features "Copy template" and "Show as template". To do that, open the layout in the Desktop Client to edit the meta data and go to the "Advanced" tab. In the "Production features" section, click twice on the "+" button to add a production feature for each. Select "Copy template" once and "Show as template" once and then save the changes.

Second, specify which Web-to-Print template you are dealing with. You can do this in the Desktop Client or in censhare 5 Web. In the Desktop Client, create the feature "Template usage" in the meta data dialog of the asset in the section "Features (internal)". First select "Web2Print" and then select the desired category.

In censhare 5 Web, open the layout in an asset page and go to the "Template" widget on the "Administration" tab. Click the "Edit" button to open the corresponding dialog. In the "Web-to-print categories" section, click the field "Template Usage". A selection list will open. Click the desired category. The root entries "Root/Web2Print" have no function. Confirm your selection with OK or exit with CANCEL. Now you need to permanently save the layout asset.

The Web-to-Print categories are defined as a feature in the Master data in the Admin Client. It is a hierarchical values list that you can expand with your own categories. In the Admin Client, go to the Master data in the "Features" table and double click to open it. To find the feature definition, search in the search bar on top for the ID "censhare:template-usage". Open the definition and go down to the "Values" section in the dialog.

Select the line with the entry "root.web2print" and click the "+" button in the toolbar above it. In the dialog that appears, enter the partial ID for the new category in the "Value" field, for example "certificate". The value then becomes "root.web2print.certificate". Give it a suitable name. The value sorting indicates where the value appears in a list with the categories. If all of the categories in the list have the same entry, they are sorted alphabetically. Enter a value that is suitable for you here. Confirm with OK to create the entry and then save the feature.

Configuring the final dialog

Select a dialog

To configure the final dialog for the layout template, open the template asset in an asset page in censhare 5 Web. Go to the "Web-to-Print confirma dialog" widget on the "Administration" tab. Click the button "Add relation". In the asset chooser dialog, select the desired dialog asset and confirm with OK or exit with CANCEL.

Tip:  If you have already defined a dialog, you first need to remove it before you can select a new one. In the widget, go to the dialog asset and select the command "Remove relation" in the asset action menu of the entry.

In the Desktop Client, open the layout asset to edit the meta data. Go to the "Features" tab and in the "Features" category create a feature of the type "Web-to-Print confirm dialog". As a value, enter the resource key of the dialog asset. Confirm with OK or exit the dialog with CANCEL.

Creating a dialog asset

First create the dialog definition in a text file. This is an HTML template. The basis for accessing the asset feature is the JSON data model of the asset in question. Access to the data is done with the help of censhare Angular JS Directives.

Below we will introduce a simple HTML template to illustrate the structure of a template and the access to data. More comprehensive dialogs can be created as part of a project.

The following HTML template shows you the contents of the asset feature name, description and color:

CODE
<cs-dialog-group title = "{{ 'csCommonTranslations.properties' | csTranslate }}" >
<ul>
<cs-metadata-row required property = "asset.traits.display.name" >
</cs-metadata-row>
<cs-metadata-row multilines = "5" property = "asset.traits.display.description" >
</cs-metadata-row>
<cs-metadata-row property = "asset.traits.display.color" >
</cs-metadata-row>
</ul>
</cs-dialog-group>

The directive "cs-dialog-group" creates a title for the controls used in the dialog. The directive "cs-metadata-row" creates a line in the dialog to show the content of feature defined in the "property" attribute. By entering "required", the user is required to enter something in this field before he/she can save any changes. The "multilines" attributes generates a multiline input field, in this case with five lines.

The format for accessing a feature looks like this:

asset.trait.TRAIT.ATTRIBUTNAME

Together, the TRAIT and ATTRIBUTNAME uniquely describe the desired feature. Both are fields within the definition of a feature in the "Features" table in the Master data of the Admin Client. If you want to access a certain feature, search for the corresponding values in the Master data. For example, the "color" feature with the ID "censhare:asset.color" has the Trait "display" and the Property name "color". The "property" attribute then has the value:

"asset.trait.display.color"

Now create an asset of the type "Module/Dialog" in censhare 5 Web or in the Desktop Client and give it a resource key. In censhare 5 Web, open the asset in an asset page. Drag the text file with the dialog definition to the "Files" widget on the "Overview" tab. censhare creates a master file with the dialog definition.

In the Desktop Client, create the "Resource key" field, enter the value and save the change. Then drag the text file to the dialog asset in the main window. In the query that opens, click "Replace" so censhare can save the text file as a master file.

Troubleshooting configuration errors

Layout-box / layout-group asset does not appear in selection list

Symptom

When creating a group in an InDesign layout in the Desktop Client, you can't select the desired layout-group or layout-box asset. It won't appear in the related selection list for the configuration asset.

Causes

  1. The layout-box / layout-group asset does not have a resource key. In this case, censhare will not show it. This can happen when duplicating an asset, for example. censhare doesn't copy the resource key of the original asset because it needs to be unique in the system. Instead, the key then needs to be manually created.

  2. The layout-box / layout-group asset is not in the same domain as the layout-template asset. Only layout-box / layout-group assets that are in the same domain or below it will be visible in the selection list. The only exception is the domain root. That is visible everywhere.

  3. The layout-box / layout-group asset you are looking for does not have the right asset type, for example "Module/layout box tag" instead of "Module/Layout box".

Solutions

  1. Enter a resource key for the layout-box / layout-group asset. 

  2. Assign a suitable domain to the layout-box / layout-group asset.

  3. Assign a suitable asset type to the layout-box / layout-group asset.

Further information

  • Assigning boxes to a group (introduction)

  • Assigning boxes to a group in a layout (practical instructions)

Boxes appear without configuration assets in the Wizard task list

Symptom

If a box belongs to a group, then the suitable configuration assets are already assigned to it. The box will also appear in the task list as a task within the associated group. Boxes may also appear in the task list that are not part of a group and which do not have configuration assets.

Cause

As soon as you place an asset in a box, the box will also appear as a task in the task list. Because it doesn't belong to a group, the box appears separately. The user can freely edit boxes and placed assets because no configuration assets are assigned to the box.

Solution

Create a group for all boxes in the template in which you are placing assets. Assign suitable configuration assets to the groups and boxes. Doing this, you can precisely control how users can edit groups, boxes and the placed asset.

Tip:  Boxes with images or texts will only then not appear in the task list if images or texts are not saved as assets in censhare. In this case, there is no option for editing boxes and content placed in the Wizard.

Further information

  • Assigning boxes to a group (introduction)

  • Assigning boxes to a group in a layout (practical instructions)

Task window remains empty in the "Create layout" step

Symptom

In the "Create layout" step, no task list will appear in the right window next to the layout window. However, corresponding groups and boxes are defined that should be visible there.

Cause

In the template layout there is a group whose configuration contains a mistake. This happens, for example, if a layout-box / layout-group asset has been deleted that was selected as a configuration asset in a group.

Solution

Open the layout in the Desktop Client. Check the configuration of the group for every box, one by one. To do so, select the box, click the "Group actions" button in the censhare palette and select the entry "Edit group attributes of boxes". Check the entries for the configuration assets.

Further information

  • Assigning boxes to a group (introduction)

  • Assigning boxes to a group in a layout (practical instructions)

"SAVE & CLOSE" doesn't save all changes

Symptom

A user saves the status of his/her layout with "SAVE & CLOSE" in the "Create layout" step. When doing so, not all changes of a user are saved in this step.

Cause

For performance reasons, the Editor for InDesign Documents integrated into the Wizard doesn't send every change made by the user to the Adobe InDesign Server. This always happens when the user presses the button "Update" in the layout window of the Wizard.

The Adobe InDesign Server then carries out the changes from the user in the layout document and updates the preview. If the user presses "SAVE & CLOSE", the Wizard saves all changes that the Adobe InDesign Server had saved up to that point. All other changes will be lost.

Solution

The user presses the button "Update" before saving the Wizard. The layout document will then contain all of the changes. Then the user saves his/her work with the button "SAVE & CLOSE".

Asset placement doesn't appear as its own step in the Wizard

Symptom

The layout-group asset contains the feature "Selectable in Wizard". Still, the Web-to-Print Wizard doesn't create its own step in a structure asset for placement in the associated group of the layout.

Cause

So that the Wizard creates its own step for the placement of a structure asset, two features need to be available in the associated layout-group asset. On the one hand, it needs to possess the "Selectable in Wizard" feature. On the other, the "Asset query" feature needs to be available and possess the resource key of the desired search.

Solution

Add the missing "Query asset" feature in the associated layout-group asset and enter the resource key for the desired query.

Further information

  • Configuring layout-box and layout-group assets (introduction)

  • Configuring layout-group assets (practical instructions)

  • Defining searches (introduction)

  • Defining searches (practical instructions)

Selected snippet is not placed

Symptom

A user wants to place a snippet in the "Create layout" step. He opens the associated dialog and selects a snippet. This still doesn't appear in the layout.

Causes

  1. No group is defined in the selected snippet. In order to place boxes defined in a snippet in the Editor for InDesign Documents, they need to belong to a group.

  2. The snippet has been successfully placed in the layout document but isn't visible. This happens, for example, if the layout window only shows the right side of the double page. However, for a printed sheet with multiple pages, the snippet is always placed on the first page in the upper left. It is therefore not always immediately visible.

Solutions

  1. Create the snippet again. To begin with, create the boxes for a group and configure them accordingly. Then create the snippet on the desktop, import it as an asset and assign it to the layout template.

  2. Move the group to the desired location.

Further information

  • Snippets (introduction)

  • Creating snippets (practical instructions)

No entry is possible in a dialog for formula fields

Symptom

A dialog for editing fields for a box only shows the labels for it. The input fields themselves are not available, although HTML templates are defined throughout in the associated layout-box-tag assets.

Cause

One or more HTML templates use typographical quotation marks instead of straight ones. These are not allowed and are therefore processed differently.

Solution

Open the different layout-box-tag assets that are used for the fields of the box. In the master file, check whether the HTML template uses typographical quotation marks and correct them if necessary.

Further information

  • Fields (introduction)

  • Creating fields in boxes (practical instructions)

  • Configuring layout-box-tag assets (practical instructions)

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