User Manual

1.2 Customize Report Templates

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The included Report Templates are based on Adobe InDesign templates and can be modified and adapted to fit the users needs.

In the following description, we describe the steps needed to create and use a Custom Report.

Report Templates are based on the 2017 version of Adobe InDesign CC.

These templates can also be edited using newer versions of the software.

1. Accessing Templates

To edit Report Templates contained in the Workflow, the first step is to locate and download the required files from the Workflow server:

  • Establish a network connection with the Workflow server (the login data for this can be obtained from your system administrator) and navigate to the drive/directory of the Workflow which contains a folder named "PMS_DATA" (default: D:\PMS_DATA).
  • Open the Reports folder
  • Here you will find the following directories:
    1. InkCostsTemplate_HF
    2. InkCostsTemplate_QF
    3. PrintItemReportTemplate_HF
    4. PrintItemReportTemplate_QF

InkCostsTemplate and PrintItemReportTemplate stand for Ink Cost Report and Approval Report.

The suffixes_HF stand for portrait (vertical) format, _QF for landscape (horizontal) format. These two options determine in which format the Print Item will be displayed within the Report. You can use Print Items with all sorts of proportions with all Report Template combinations, the preview area is only optimized for the _HF or _QF variants.

We recommend having both versions available to your customers, _HF and _QF to be able to display Print Items in both landscape and portrait format.

If previous versions of the Workflow have already been installed, the Reports folder contains all templates delivered with the previous versions of the Workflow in addition to 4 new templates.

The corresponding folders are named as follows:

  1. InkCostsTemplate_HF-<version>
  2. InkCostsTemplate_QF-<version>
  3. PrintItemReportTemplate_HF-<version>
  4. PrintItemReportTemplate_QF-<version>

<version> stands for the Workflow version number of the template. You have access to all versions installed so far, select the most current version number (= without version number) or the version number corresponding to the Workflow installation (you can find the version number of the Workflow under System status > Overview > ZuniComm version).

In order to include other information such as: units/input-fields in your Reports that are not included with the standard Report, please refer to the Article User-defined reports.

After you have selected the desired template, we recommend that you copy the entire folder to your local workstation and then work locally on a copy of the Report Template.

2. How Report Templates are structured

The following description refers to the template PrintItemReportTemplate_HF delivered with Workflow version 1.7.3 and above.

To generate dynamic reports, it is necessary to manage all elements with a predefined structure. The reports are created with the interaction of several different source files and technologies, whose organization is explained in the following paragraphs. Please familiarize yourself with how these files are organized, as the application of certain steps described later will be easier to understand when the internal file structure is at least somewhat familiar.

Figure 1: Below we see the contents of the Report Templates folder PrintItemReportTemplate_HF.

PrintItemReportTemplate_HF

InDesign users will be familiar with parts of the Report folder structure. It's the same with fonts and external references such as images, which is almost identical to how InDesign organizes data in a hierarchal way.

[1] Document fonts: Contains the fonts used by default. If you want to use your own fonts in your Report, you must copy the associated files into this directory and transfer them to the server later. Please make sure that you have the necessary licenses. We support fonts with the following formats: TrueType and OpenType.

[2] export2pdfChip_ppd.jsx: This is the export script used by InDesign. DO NOT CHANGE!

[3] folderStructure.txt: This is a short introduction and description of the included files and the hierarchy used. DO NOT CHANGE!

[4] Links: According to the way InDesign organizes files, all elements used in the layout are stored here. Strictly speaking, you can use images from any path, but if you manage all the elements in the template in this folder, you will always find the entire package on the server in the future. This means links will always be up to date.

[5] PrintItemReport_Library.indl: This InDesign library contains all the fields available in the Report for convenient placement in the InDesign document using drag & drop. DO NOT CHANGE!

[6] PrintItemReportTemplate_HF_htmlOut: This folder is created by the export script and used in the Workflow for the  creation of Reports. DO NOT CHANGE!

[7] PrintItemReportTemplate_HF.indd: The actual InDesign template to be edited. Make your changes and additions here.

[8] Resources: Contains files used by the export script. DO NOT CHANGE!

3. Editing the Template

To edit the template, open the InDesign file [7] PrintItemReportTemplate_HF.indd and the InDesign library [5] PrintItemReport_Library.indl.

Figure 2: Below we see the opened InDesign Report Template and the INDL library.

Custom Report Template - 1.7.6

[9] PrintItemReportTemplate.indd – The name of your currently opened template.

[10] The layout of the supplied template.

[11] The Scripts panel* displays all installed Scripts. The export script is installed and executed here.

[12] PrintItemReport_Library – This panel* displays all items contained in the library.

[13] All Layers* contained in the supplied template.

[14] Paragraph Styles* contained in the supplied template.

* The respective panels can be found under the InDesign "Window" drop-down menu.

Customizing your template

To design the template (i.e., adding your own logo, font changes, etc.), you can leverage all the "normal" design tools that are available in InDesign.

There are a few caveats that should be noted:

  1. Leave existing objects and new objects created from the library on the InDesign layers already assigned.
  2. Create new elements on the following layers: footer or header.
  3. Leave the contents of the input fields as they are. The "Dummy Text"fields for example will be replaced by the Workflow when a Report is created.
  4. Allow ample space for all elements in the layout.

In the following example we will show you how:

  • Include your own logo in the report
  • Rearrange existing elements
  • Include new elements in the report
  1. Change the logo [15]
    • Select the Durst logo on the top right corner of the layout.
    • Delete the logo
    • Copy the desired logo into the directory Links [4] and import it via InDesign: File > Place or using the shortcut CMD + P
    • Scale and position the logo according to your wishes (make sure to the logo is placed on the header layer!)
  2. Rearrange design elements [16]
    • Select the Spot Colors at the bottom left and move the group up.
    • Select the brown Preview Frame and the magenta colored Winding group in the upper right corner and move them to the lower right below the Spot Color group.
    • Move the Unit group above the layout with the dimensions to the bottom of the layout.
  3. Add a new object to the Report [17].
    • Search in the PrintItemReport_Library for the article_External-ID entry (at the top of the list)
    • Drag and drop this entry into the workspace in InDesign.
    • Move the Process Colors and Technical Colors groups a little closer together and upwards.
    • Position and scale the article_External-ID group into the free space in the lower right corner.
    • Assuming the article_External-ID is very important, let's increase the size of the text fields in the layout.

The template should now look something like this:

Figure 3: The modified and extended template (InDesign representation with guide lines and visible bounding boxes and frames).

*PrintItemReportTemplate_HF.indd @ 50% [GPU Preview] [Converted]

We could also make additional changes. Here the color of the Header and Footer has been changed [18] and some texts have been highlighted with a different color [19]:

Figure 4: After adding additional customization to the template (If you are looking for InDesign support click here).

*PrintItemReportTemplate_HF.indd @ 50% [GPU Preview] [Converted]

Save the InDesign document under a new name. You can select the format (here we are using the InDesign CC 2019 document format) according to your requirements.

Figure 5: Saving the edited template in InDesign CC 2019 document format (the format is not relevant for subsequent use on the server).

Name the document exactly as you want the Report to be called later on, in the Workflow. We use the name my_Custom_Report-HF.indd [20] (the name suffix -HF is retained, since a portrait format variant was used as the original template and the preferred format in the Workflow uses Print Items which generally have a vertical format. We strongly urge Workflow users to semantically name their templates as they are much easier to remember at a later date).

Saving a Custom Report Template - 1.7.6

4. Creating Templates on the Workflow Server

After all desired changes and additions have been made to the InDesign Report template, you must export the Report for use in the Workflow and activate it on the server. Please follow these steps:

4.1. Install the export script

To use the export script, you must first install it in InDesign.

Proceed as follows:

  1. In the Scripts panel (InDesign: Windows > Utilities > Scripts), select the Application folder.
  2. Select [21] Show in Finder/Explorer in the top right corner of the Scripts control panel menu to locate the Scripts sub-folder.
  3. The Scripts folder will open. Open the Scripts Panel folder contained in it.
  4. Copy the script export2pdfChip_ppd.jsx [2] to the Scripts Panel folder.
  5. Switch back to InDesign, the script will be displayed in the Application folder within the Scripts panel.

Figure 6: The Scripts panel with the Installed Export Script [22].

InDesign > Scripts panel

For more information about InDesign Scripts, click here.

4.2. Executing the Export Script

To execute the export script, just double-click on the script [22].

While the script is running, InDesign may be "unresponsive" for a short time (a spinning beachball on a Mac for example). If no error occurs, the task - depending on layout, images, performance, etc. - is usually completed after a short time and the export is therefore complete. You can now close the Report Template or make further variants as needed.

The export process creates all files required by the Workflow and stores them in the folder <name_of_template>_htmlOut [6].

In our example, the folder my_Custom_Report-HF_htmlOut is created.

Important! Leave this folder in place after exporting, do not rename it and do not change the content or structure within it!

4.3. Setting Up a Report Template on the Workflow Server

Custom (Edited Templates) and exported templates can be implemented on the server as follows:

4.3.1. Copying a Template to the Server

Naming templates

In this article, the template PrintItemReportTemplate_HF from workflow version 1.7.3 was edited by adapting the InDesign document [7] PrintItemReportTemplate_HF.indd and saving it using a new name my_Custom_Report-HF.indd [20]. The export script then creates the directory named my_Custom_Report-HF_htmlOut.

We recommend that you name the folder in which the InDesign document is located identically, i.e. my_Custom_Report-HF.

Figure 7: Rename the folder in which the InDesign Report template is located so that the name is identical to the created _htmlOut folder [25], without the suffix "_htmlOut" itself:

[23] PrintItemReportTemplate_HF --> [24] my_Custom_Report-HF

PrintItemReportTemplate_HF

If desired, you can clean up the folder by deleting the original template and the _htmlOut folder PrintItermReportTemplate_HF.

You should check that all images and logos or fonts used in the Links or Document fonts folders have been copied. You can also remove all unused images from this folder.

How you manage your InDesign/Layout data is of course completely up to you...

The above procedure is intended to ensure that all files (layout, script, export) required for creating Report Templates can be reliably found in a central location, i.e., the reports directory on the server.

Figure 8: The finished Report Templates folder my_Custom_Report-HF [26].

Make sure that the name of the parent folder corresponds to the name of the _htmlOut folder [27]!

my_Custom_Report-HF

The Report Templates folder can now be copied to the Report directory on the Workflow Server.

To do this, establish a network connection with the Workflow server (the login data can be obtained from your system administrator) and open the Reports folder within the Workflow working folder titled "PMS_DATA" (default: D:\PMS_DATA\reports).

Copy the entire folder my_Custom_Report-HF [26] as shown in Figure 8 into the Report directory on the server.

4.3.2. Setting up a Share for the Report

In order for a new Report Template to be available in the Workflow, the folder <report_name> containing the template must be defined as a Share.

To do this, proceed as follows:

  1. In the Workflow, change to Administration > File Management [28].
  2. Select Localhost under the Hosts panel [29].
  3. Create a new Share under the Shares list by clicking on the "+ New" icon [30].
  4. Select the uploaded fodler <report_name> in the Reports fodler under PMS_DATA [31].

Figure 9: Setting up a Share for the new Report my_Custom_Report-HF.

PMS WebGui :: File Management

Further information can be found here regarding Shares.

4.3.3. Creating a Report Definition in the Master Data

The final step in activating a new Report Template is to create a database entry in the Master Data.

Proceed as follows:

  1. Navigate to Administration > Master Data [32].
    (if Master Data is not available, first activate extended mode under Administration > Settings > General Settings > Extended View)
  2. In the table selection search window [33], type Report Definition and select it [34].

Figure 10: Selecting Report Definition in the Master Data.

PMS WebGui :: Master Data

You can create a new entry or proceed using the original template:

  1. Select the Template used from the list [35].
  2. Duplicate the record [36].

Figure 11: Duplicate the Report Definition using the Master Data.

PMS WebGui :: Master Data
  1. Double-click the duplicated entry to edit it [37].

The Edit Report Definition dialog appears:

Figure 12: The Edit Report Definition dialog with the duplicated Report Definition [38].

PMS WebGui :: Master Data
  1. Change specific parameters of the Report Definition [39] – [44]:
    • Name [46]: Specify the name of the template as it will be used later in the Workflow. For the sake of clarity, we recommend that this name be the same as the InDesign document or the folder name of the template.
    • global_path_id [47]: Select the Share created under section 4.3.2.
    • Report data type key [48]: Select Print Item Data or Print Item Data and Ink Consumption depending on the template desired.
    • locked [49]: This checkbox must be deactivated. Just System-Reports are »locked«.
    • Version [50]: Here you can define a version number for your templates, all characters can be used.
    • Report Template [51]: Here you can select the original template.

Figure 13: The edited Report Definition [45].

PMS WebGui :: Master Data
  1. Save the Report Definition my_Custom_Report-HF [52].

The creation of the report definition is now complete and the report can be selected and created in the Workflow.

4.3.4. Test and use the Report

As a result of the previous steps, the report template my_Custom_Report-HF was stored in the Workflow and is available to you as a template when you create the Report.

  1. Open an Article or an Order
  2. Select your desired Print Item
  3. In the action bar, click Process > Create Ink Consumption Report
  4. The Create Ink Consumption Report dialog box appears.

Figure 14: The Create Ink Consumption Report dialog with the Custom Report my_Custom_Report-HF [53]:

Clicking on Download [54] creates the Report on the server and downloads it as a PDF file from the browser.

Figure 15: The downloaded Custom Report.

Woman 03 236 x158_my_Custom_Report-HF_report.pdf

The report as shown in Figure 15 can be downloaded as PDF file below:

Woman_02_236_x158 (Best match [LFP]) ink-repor.pdf
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