DeskPack Dynamic Marks?

[StillWaiting]

I see that the new AE 12.2 has added the Task "Add Dynamic Marks" from Illustrator.
Need to know if Dynamic Marks in Desk Pack are as easy to use and buliding like in PackEdge. (Well not easy building)
We currently have about 4 set of Marks that were built in PackEdge. And would love to get rid of PackEdge. And license is about to expire, and we only use it for tweaking the Marks.
I know, Unified PDF editor is coming, but I'm not holding my breath that long.
Most worried about using Ink order with the Dynamic Marks. We set Ink order in our original Illustrator file. Then it is used down the line in a Step & Repeat WF. See Attachment.

Thanks.

 

[chevalier]

Why not download the trial and give it a shot?

I have 12.2 installed (this ticket was in 12.1 as well) and can test for you if you don't have 12.x.

 

[PrepressDan]

Ive played around with Dynamic Marks a bit. yes, they are simple to use. Basically you create or select an object in illustrator and convert it to a mark. It also comes with some prebuilt marks as well. Whats nice is that the plug in also allows you to apply them in illustrator so you have a nice live preview of what the workflow will do.

All this being said, I did not try to make any complicated mark sets.

 

[StillWaiting]

Why not download the trial and give it a shot?

I have 12.2 installed (this ticket was in 12.1 as well) and can test for you if you don't have 12.x.

Is there any way to make a Custom Mark "Repeat to Fit"? Similar to thier Standard Marks library?

 

[StillWaiting]

In AE 14.1. Is there any way to make a Custom Mark "Repeat to Fit"? Similar to thier Standard Marks library?

 

[chevalier]

Yes, it's actually fairly straight forward. The elements are symbols in an Ai file called "DynamicMarks_AI18.ai" located on a Mac in /Users/Shared/EskoArtwork/DynamicMarks. Draw the element(s) you want create a symbol through the Illustrator Symbols palette and then use it your dynamic marks set. I have a Gradation strip of 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% instead of the provided 40,80,100; 5% step and 10% step.

Additional note: That Ai file with the symbols can easily be edited by loading a marks set then clicking the drop down in the upper right of the Dynamic Marks palette and clicking "Open Symbol Library".

I STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST EDITING THE STANDARD ONES.

 

[StillWaiting]

Yes, it's actually fairly straight forward. The elements are symbols in an Ai file called "DynamicMarks_AI18.ai" located on a Mac in /Users/Shared/EskoArtwork/DynamicMarks. Draw the element(s) you want create a symbol through the Illustrator Symbols palette and then use it your dynamic marks set. I have a Gradation strip of 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% instead of the provided 40,80,100; 5% step and 10% step.

Additional note: That Ai file with the symbols can easily be edited by loading a marks set then clicking the drop down in the upper right of the Dynamic Marks palette and clicking "Open Symbol Library".

I STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST EDITING THE STANDARD ONES.

Okay maybe I'm missing something here. When selecting a customer Mark there is no option to do a Repeat to fit.
What I need to do is have the custom mark, one that I have made, start in the middle of the layout and then repeat its self to both the right and left of itself until it reaches the trim box.

 

[chevalier]

Perhaps you're hung up on what's really custom ad what's really standard. You have to create a custom-standard mark. A bit mind-melting of a concept I suppose.
See attached screenshots and steps:

1. Add a markset (I used Esko's "Mark Set 1" for this example), You can have a blank one but you have to have one assigned
2. On the dynamic marks palette click the drop down and choose "Open Symbol Library". This will open the "standard" "DynamicMarks_AI18.ai" marks Ai file that I mentioned.
3. Draw your new item(s) and make them symbol(s). Work in GRAYSCALE only - 0 - 100% black. I created the starburst one and Graduation_25%_Step one's for example.
4. Save it. Do not save as or save it somewhere else. You must overwrite this file and use it where it's located.
5. Go back to your original Ai file you want the mark placed upon.
6. You have two options you can rework an existing mark or on the dynamic marks palette click the drop down and choose "Add Standard Mark"
7. Go to the Dynamic Marks PROPERTIES Palette and click the set symbol button.
8. You'll see all of the symbols in that "DynamicMarks_AI18.ai" including the new one(s) you've created
9. Choose the one you want
10. Change the width setting to "repeat to fit"

 

[chevalier]

Let me know if you're still hung up. It's a damn shame Esko only allow fit to width and not both fit to width and fit to height.

 

[StillWaiting]

Perhaps you're hung up on what's really custom ad what's really standard. You have to create a custom-standard mark. A bit mind-melting of a concept I suppose.
See attached screenshots and steps:

1. Add a markset (I used Esko's "Mark Set 1" for this example), You can have a blank one but you have to have one assigned
2. On the dynamic marks palette click the drop down and choose "Open Symbol Library". This will open the "standard" "DynamicMarks_AI18.ai" marks Ai file that I mentioned.
3. Draw your new item(s) and make them symbol(s). Work in GRAYSCALE only - 0 - 100% black. I created the starburst one and Graduation_25%_Step one's for example.
4. Save it. Do not save as or save it somewhere else. You must overwrite this file and use it where it's located.
5. Go back to your original Ai file you want the mark placed upon.
6. You have two options you can rework an existing mark or on the dynamic marks palette click the drop down and choose "Add Standard Mark"
7. Go to the Dynamic Marks PROPERTIES Palette and click the set symbol button.
8. You'll see all of the symbols in that "DynamicMarks_AI18.ai" including the new one(s) you've created
9. Choose the one you want
10. Change the width setting to "repeat to fit"

Will this work in AE12.2? and DM 12.1.3

 

[chevalier]

I cannot confirm as we were using DeskPack DynamicPanels instead of DynamicMarks when I had 12.X installed. Esko has since depreciated DynamicPanels and given licenses of DynamicMarks to replace it. I'm using DeskPack 14.1.1b227 and AE 14.1.1b598. I'm absolutely willing to test something for you if it help. Just PM me.

 

[StillWaiting]

No go in AE12.2 with DM 12.1.3. "Add Standard Mark" only brings up Esko's default ones.

 

[chevalier]

Add a standard one and start at Step 7. That's where you use your custom-standard mark.

 

[StillWaiting]

Add a standard one and start at Step 7. That's where you use your custom-standard mark.

Okay. I think I'm almost there. How do I get my custom-standard mark in Registration Color.

I have the Black Registration Bar underneath the Custom mark and then I need the Custom mark in Registration Color and scaled to fit from center point outwards.

 

[chevalier]

Looking at the image you posted it looks like you want that mark to scale (width only) automatically and be in registration. I don't believe that's going to be possible.

On the brighter-side: It looks like what you want to achieve might be possible if you wrote an Applescript or Javascript. I don't think Actions is robust enough to achieve this.

 

[StillWaiting]

Looking at the image you posted it looks like you want that mark to scale (width only) automatically and be in registration. I don't believe that's going to be possible.

On the brighter-side: It looks like what you want to achieve might be possible if you wrote an Applescript or Javascript. I don't think Actions is robust enough to achieve this.

Nope. That mark is 1.125" in length and need it to repeat both left and right along the Black bar which is a separate mark.

 

[mewhitenoise]

How were you getting on with this, did you manage to get it to work? I've been playing lots with dynamic marks the last few weeks and might be able to help? Do you need the mark to repeat along the whole length of the base bearer bar?

 

[StillWaiting]

How were you getting on with this, did you manage to get it to work? I've been playing lots with dynamic marks the last few weeks and might be able to help? Do you need the mark to repeat along the whole length of the base bearer bar?

Waiting to upgrade to AE 14.1 to get it to work. Yes, I do need the mark to repeat the whole length of the bearer bar. This can be done in PackEdge but not with Dynamic Marks.

 

[mewhitenoise]

Okay, am I correct in assuming that the mark you want to repeat is in between and including the white T either end, the black underneath is your bearer? You can do this, you need to open the AE symbols palette (called DynamicMarks_CS6 in my case) and add it in there (with clear space either end if you require it), then once that's done, add a standard mark, choose gradation strip, then once that's added, go to 'set symbol' in the dynamic marks properties palette and change it to your desired mark. I've had to make bearers with a repeating knock out, at a set size and distance and it's worked. From looking back it's a fixed size yep? Shouldn't be a problem (he says confidently!)

 

[StillWaiting]

Okay, am I correct in assuming that the mark you want to repeat is in between and including the white T either end, the black underneath is your bearer? You can do this, you need to open the AE symbols palette (called DynamicMarks_CS6 in my case) and add it in there (with clear space either end if you require it), then once that's done, add a standard mark, choose gradation strip, then once that's added, go to 'set symbol' in the dynamic marks properties palette and change it to your desired mark. I've had to make bearers with a repeating knock out, at a set size and distance and it's worked. From looking back it's a fixed size yep? Shouldn't be a problem (he says confidently!)

My mark can't be made into "Registration Color" in DynamicMarks_CS6. It only comes into Illustrator as Black. Everything else works good just not showing up on every color plate.