Any ApogeeX 6 Users?

[Skinflint]

I'd like to know how you find ApogeeX to be. How do you compare it to other workflows you have used. What do you use for imposition?
I have specific questtions but will wait to see if I get a reply to this post.

Thanks

 

[DCurry]

I've been using it since January. It's okay - a little quirky sometimes, and not always as easy as it should be if you want to stray from pre-determined job plans. It gets the job done.

Compared to other workflows I've used, I feel it is better than Brisque, PS/M, and Xitron Xenith (though I can't compare to newer Xitron offerings), but nowhere near as nice or well-thought-out as Prinergy.

For imposition I use Preps 5.3.3.

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

We have used Apogee since series 2, we have used preps for imposition, but are looking forward to Apogee 7 with the new imposition module (as I understand all our preps templates will still be available)

 

[mjoep123]

By far the weakest element of Apogee is Preps. I have used Esko with FastImpose in the past, which blows Preps away!

Kodak Preps integrated with Agfa Apogee has always been a frustration with us, can't believe Agfa took so long to develop their own imposition program. For Agfa's first release, I am not expecting much!


Thats my rant

 

[Hopkins Printing]

We have used Apogee since series 2, we have used preps for imposition, but are looking forward to Apogee 7 with the new imposition module (as I understand all our preps templates will still be available)

Indeed. If you have the Template Manager license, you will be able to continue using it as well as the Apogee Impose. One thing to mention though (if you didn't already know) is that the Imposition Editor will only be accessible in the Windows client. My understanding is that the Imposition Editor will never be implemented into the Mac client.

 

[Hopkins Printing]

I'd like to know how you find ApogeeX to be. How do you compare it to other workflows you have used. What do you use for imposition?
I have specific questtions but will wait to see if I get a reply to this post.

Thanks

Unfortunately, I really don't have a fair base for comparison as I have been using Agfa workflows for the last 7-8 years. Prior to that we had been using Rampage. We are currently using Preps for imposition. However, if we find the new Apogee Impose to be better (which I am confident that it will be), we will likely get away from Preps.

Cheers,
Jon morgan
Hopkins Printing

 

[DCurry]

IOne thing to mention though (if you didn't already know) is that the Imposition Editor will only be accessible in the Windows client. My understanding is that the Imposition Editor will never be implemented into the Mac client.

That's a problem. Big time.

I disagree about Preps integration being the weakest point. While it could be better, to me the overall interface needs to be improved and simplified. I would like to be able to edit a job's plan without having to click the Edit Job button. Since I can see the plan in the job's Plan Tab (next to the Pages tab), I want to be able to make changes there on the fly.

Seems like they make things overly complex and make you change settings in 2 or 3 places to get it to happen. The help file sucks, too.

 

[Hopkins Printing]

That's a problem. Big time.

Yeah, I was pretty bummed about that myself as I have Mac's at all my workstations. Agfa's answer is virtualization.

Rather frustrating,
Jon

 

[destryer]

Apogee 6

Apogee 6

That's a problem. Big time.

I disagree about Preps integration being the weakest point. While it could be better, to me the overall interface needs to be improved and simplified. I would like to be able to edit a job's plan without having to click the Edit Job button. Since I can see the plan in the job's Plan Tab (next to the Pages tab), I want to be able to make changes there on the fly.

Seems like they make things overly complex and make you change settings in 2 or 3 places to get it to happen. The help file sucks, too.

We've used AP6 for about a year and it's worked well. The new Adobe print engine has reduced the amount of gotchas from the workflow. Crashing has been pretty much eliminated.
Clicking edit job on a submitted job is a safety feature to prevent accidental editing by click happy techs, I wouldn't want Agfa to change that. I prefer clicking Edit Job on submitted jobs without changing parameters on the fly.

Preps is solid in Template Manager in Apogee and makes Preps a joy to use compared to using it as a RIP but Preps interface is junk and has been since I started using it, it's still buggy and crash prone. ImpoStrip has a good easy to understand interface but I doubt they have the horsepower of Preps.

 

[Chris]

We were told that a plugin called P2A - Preps to Apogee is implemented into 7 for the seamless transfer of Preps Templates into Apogee - we have literally thousands of templates that we need. Just finding out about the Windows client and the Edit Impose - we are 100% Mac-based and would HATE to have to run a Windows client just for Imposition!