October 19, 2005

 

Hello - last night we released updates for the ROES Client and Template Tool and have officially released our ROES Consumer System.  Details on this system and the new features/attributes in the Client and Template Tool software are below, along with an update to the ROES DP2 Server related scripts/macros and some tips and reminders.  

 

Also, if your ROES Server is getting bogged down with busy season starting, please ask us about licensing additional servers to help share the load.  We have a small Java application that will move order files from your incoming FTP location to other designated folders, which can then be specified as the ROES Search Folders in each server running.

 

Support alerts:

 

Duplication of square products in DP2 encountering issues with Pager:

We have encountered 2 labs who have duplicated square products in DP2 that are now encountering issues receiving Pager-modified products based on them.  In each case, a 10x10 base composite item was used as a source to be offer 5x5, 8x8, and even 12x12 products through ROES.  In a standard order scenario, these have worked fine, even though the item is listed as a 5x5, the bounds are still showing 10x10 in the templates file - the composite nodes simply match up regardless of the product size.  However, when a node is moved or added via Pager, the new nodes are being given locations based on the 10x10 bounds - and in the case of using the item as a 5x5, ending up off the page completely and causing the order to error out.

 

Fuji PIC Pro and Stand Alone Rendering System Labs Composite Node ID's and Rendering:

For labs using the ROES Fuji Server or the Stand Alone Rendering Server, if you offer composite items be sure the id field on each node in a product is different.  While DP2 layouts automatically fill this field with the node id listed in the text file, for other back end systems be sure that this field is listed and distinct - start with 1 for the first node and work your way up as needed.  This will aide in rendering the multiple images in the correct locations on the product.  

 

 

New Consumer/Kiosk Offering!!

We are proud to announce a new ROES system offering 2 new client interfaces for use as a resource to capture consumer business.  Our ROES Consumer System comes with:

 

Its' own ROES Server license including Base and MultiNode capabilities. 

A highly configurable and brandable home-use client that runs inside of a web browser.

A kiosk client application interface that runs inside your storefront on a PC - or even at a remote location - scanning card reader, CD, or USB drives for image files! 

 

Demo launches of these can be seen via www.softworksroes.com/ROES/labs/ConsumerClientDemo/appletlaunch.html (for the browser version) and www.softowrkssystems.com/ROES/labs/KioskClientDemo/index.html (for the kiosk application).  The kiosk version will clear all customer data upon transmission of an order and can also be set to automatically print an order report upon completion.

 

Licensing for the ROES Consumer System is $3000.00 per year plus $.25 cents per order (the per order charges will be billed monthly).  The ROES add-on modules are not available for use on this version of ROES.  Please contact us at sales@softworkssystems.com if you would like more information or call to discuss adding this system on.  A new page on the web site with screen shots will be online shortly.

  

 

New ROES Features/Attributes:

 

New Drag and Drop Sorting of Items in Review Order!!

Now when in the Review Order screen, studios can arrange the order items simply by clicking anywhere in the item's area and dragging it up or down to a line between other items and releasing the mouse to place it in a new location.  This should be especially helpful for album orders, where an album cover, even if added to the order at the end, can be dragged up to the top, sliding the other items down.

 

Multi-Up Rendering Using New LinkNodes!

Primarily designed for our Stand Alone Rendering Systems, this new feature allows you to display a wallet or other multi-up unit in its' true form.  Once all 8 wallet nodes are linked, for example, dropping an image into one of the nodes will automatically render the same image into the other 7 spaces.  Any zoom or image rotation will occur to all the nodes at once.  This new capability is listed in the newly released Template Tool and will add as an item onto the product selected.  In the supplied u_id field, enter a comma-separated list of the 7 remaining nodes' u_id's.  For nodes that aren't the same size, the attribute of noderotation can be added and set to 90 or -90 as needed.

 

Updated Sizes Palette Attributes

The ability to alter the view of the products in the Sizes palette are now available in the Template Tool attributes list for use on template groups/folder to control the particular group, or we can still set them globally in the client configuration.  So you could have small icons & text on the right for standard sizes or single node products with the following attributes and values:  sizespaletteiconlayout="grid" sizespaletteiconsize="20" sizespalettetextposition="right".  For more complex products or products that should get a preview in the palette (like greeting cards or memory mates), large icons with text underneath can be set using: sizespaletteiconlayout="flow" sizespaletteiconsize="64" sizespalettetextposition="bottom".  If the sizespaletteiconlayout value is set to grid, then the ui_columns attribute works in that group, so you could have them arranged in a single column if desired by setting the ui_columns to 1.

 

Expansion/Contraction of Items in Template Tool

A new ability to quickly expand or contract a catalog, templates group or option list has been added to the Template Tool.  When clicking on the parent item, holding the ALT key will fully open or shut all hierarchy below it.

 

Updated Help in Template Tool

The Help - Help definitions area in the Template Tool has been updated for all active list items. 

 

 

Reminders for ROES DP2 Server Scripts/Macros:

 

Exportimages Scripts

The ExportImages scripts for DP2 v7 and DP2 v6.1.46 are both available from the web site at www.softworkssystems.com/Downloads.htm .

 

RollFrameForNode macro to alleviate 'none' entries in the image designation

We have a DP2 macro available for use at the lab to remove the 'none' designation that can be returned when printing image names on proof pages and such.  It is available for download from the web site at www.softworkssystems.com/Downloads.htm.

 

Macro to remove ROES-added image indices

A DP2 macro is available to remove the image indices added at the client (the -1, -2, etc. added to the image name).  It is available for download from the web site at www.softworkssystems.com/Downloads.htm.  Note: If you have had us place the image indices in as a prefix, we will need to remove this before you can use this script. 

 

 

Tips/Reminders:

 

Use tooltips on products 

If you want to be able to convey additional information about a product to studios, try adding an attribute of tooltip to the item and enter text you want them to see pop-up when they mouse over the product in the Sizes palette.  This could be used to add reminders to look at mounting, sprays and other upsell options, to inform customers if an item is Pager editable, or available quantity discounts.

 

Using links in templates files

Remember that you can use a link to easily replicate products or options where a price remains the same per selection or there is no price at all.  This can be handy on adding image tone changes, strokes, or masks where the jobtext is consistent through the options.  Click on the product, group, or catalog where you want to add the link and select Add - Link.  Then enter the u_id of the source item in the field provided.  This can allow you to make changes to just the source in the templates file and avoid searching for other locations the same item may appear.

 

Addenabled attribute

Be sure to add the addenabled attribute on multi-image proof sheets (set to true) and informational/advertisement products used as the first template in a group (set to false).  For the proof sheets it will allow customers to add the item to an order with empty nodes (whereas before they had to hold the ALT or OPT key to Add with Empty).  For the informational items it will prevent the item from being added and causing an error upon receipt at the lab.