Enfocus Power Switch

[LoriPrepress08]

Does anyone out there use Enfocus Power Switch and what do you think of it if so?
Looking at the product to automate various repetitive prepress tasks performed daily in Acrobat 7, 8 or 9.

 

[mattbeals]

Lori, I think I'm safe in saying that my partner Frank Loversky have done more installations in North America than anyone else. Feel free to call me on my cell any time if you have questions. I just came back from yet another PowerSWTICH installation last week for one of Bowne's customers.

 

[LoriPrepress08]

Enfocus Power Switch

Hi Matt,
thanks I will call you when I get closer to having to analyze this product. Right now we have Pit Stop server and Asura by One Vision but not feeling they are robust enough to perform certain daily repetitive tasks. I haven't heard too much about Enfocus Power Switch so researching where I can. Can you tell how some
print and prepress shops are using this tool or how this past installation you just did for Bowne's client is using the tool? Thanks

 

[mattbeals]

Everyone uses it differently, yet the same, if that makes any sense.

The last install I did it was pretty straight forward. Take in PostScript and PDF. PostScript goes to Distiller and gets routed to Callas pdfToolbox. PDF's go straight into pdfToolbox for preflighting and conversion to PDF/X-1a:2001. Inside the workflow there is a load balancer to take advantage of the number of processors and the number of preflight instances. InDesign jobs can be taken in, converted to PDF and preflighted as well. There's a few other tricks in there too.

Other installations take in InDesign, Illustrator, PDF's, PostScript, Quark and convert everything to a PDF and preflight it all. Which isn't very different than above.

All the conversions/normalizations are the same everywhere. It's what happens before and after that is the key difference. Some people use Elpical Claro to adjust the images before InDesign, others wait until after the PDF is made.

Some people run the heck out of PhotoShop, Apple Core Image Processing, ImageMagick. At the core of what customers are doing it's all the same as I said. Before and after the PDF creation and preflight stages it's completely different. Some people use it as a web to print gateway.

 

[Topstep1]

How about this? How can I configure a connector to filter a folder by "PDF Output Intent"? I'm thinking you have to use "Define condition with variables" (I don't know any scripting for define script expression).

The PDF files have an output intent embedded. I want to have that output intend read; and used to move the PDF to a specific folder

So "Input" folder with "X" number of connectors to different output folders (one for each output intent)

OR

can PowerSwitch SEARCH within 'Comments' of a PDF file and extract the information from there? (the profile name will be called out in a pdf note/comment).

Each connector would be looking for a differnet string, i.,e., someprofilename.icc and only accepting PDFs with that string.


any takers for help with this?



Best Regards,

Topstep1

 

[mattbeals]

Top, answer to question 1, yes that's how you do it. Number 2, no, I don't think so.

 

[Topstep1]

Matt thanks.

Knowing that the condition with variables is the starting point, what I was/am asking is 'which' GROUP and VARIALBE [of that group] will read the PDF Output Intent [within a PDF file]?

For instance, there is an IMAGE group with an ICC PROFILE variable; but it says 'Photoshop only' (I guess they mean PSD files) so I don't think that will read the content of a PDF file.


Thanks,

Topstep1

ps. as people start to see more real world examples of SWITCH in action, I can see more people using it.

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

I have had Powerswitch for almost two years. I love it. One of the main things I do with it is to get my preflights ready. I had a script written that runs inside of a very complicated PS. In essence, I throw in one folder with 10,20,30 sitx files. It unstuffs, takes the original sitx file name and renames each font folder and puts all folders into one font folder. Then, it puts all of the indd and quark files into one originals folder and duplicates them into the art folder. Then, the cool part. It starts putting the art into one folder. If it encounters two pieces with the same name it looks at the modification date. If they are the same it throws out one. If they are different it picks up the name of the original folder (ie, replyA) and renames the first piece: (example) homelessman_replyA_eps, and homelessman_replyB.eps.

Then, when you go and hook up to art in INDD it shows you something is missing. If you are preflighting reply a then of course you use homelessman_replyA.eps.
This has cut down our preflighting by 10 hours per week minimum.

Now, understand this. PS is as powerful as YOU make it. If you cannot script, or do not know someone who scripts then it is like owning a ferrari and living on gravel in the country. You have the power that you really cannot use.

If you can script or are willing to pay Enfocus to write a script (I believe $600 per day but that might be old information) then it is the greatest piece of software ever written.
Do not get me wrong. If you are using plugins (callas, pitstop server) then it has plenty of punch under the hood without scripting.
You can get a 30 day trial I am pretty sure. Have Frank Loversky or Matt show it to you via a webex.

 

[Topstep1]

kaiserwilhelm Thanks.

I guess it's like Matt said, "Everyone uses it differently". For me I just want to know if some of that punch under the hood, as you called it, can read the PDF Output Intent from a PDF so it can sort by that. If not, I'll have Apago's PDFspy extract the information for it. But no use of reinventing the wheel if it can.

Matt said YES it can (see previous reply) but he's not replied yet with which GROUP and VARIALBE [of that group] will read the PDF Output Intent [within a PDF file]

Mat siad NO. POWERSWITCH cannot do a test search inside of a pdf file. (I was hoping it could do a plain text search and pick up the name which would be inside of a pdf note/comment, in addition to where ever the Output Intent info is stored.


Best Regards,


Topstep1

 

[mattbeals]

It's in there, use the "define conditions with variables". But first you'll need something like Callas pdfToolbox Server or PitStop Server to preflight it and append the report as metadata. Once you have that you need to define the metadata path you want to look into and come up with a matching string, or part of a string that matches the OI.

But... If you are simply looking to see if a file *is* PDF/X compliant then that's already in there by examining the metadata of the job.

But on another note; Tools4Media (Frank Loversky is who I work with) has not sold or supported SWITCH since December of 2008.

I only know of one active reseller; Earl McGhee. Everyone else on the list is a "catalog reseller", or doesn't push it. It's not like PowerSWITCH is a product you can just order out of a catalog and expect to use with any sort of proficiency... Sad... We were the number two reseller in the world; and it was just the two of us...

 

[the_brain]

kaiserwilhelm Thanks.

I guess it's like Matt said, "Everyone uses it differently". For me I just want to know if some of that punch under the hood, as you called it, can read the PDF Output Intent from a PDF so it can sort by that. If not, I'll have Apago's PDFspy extract the information for it. But no use of reinventing the wheel if it can.

Matt said YES it can (see previous reply) but he's not replied yet with which GROUP and VARIALBE [of that group] will read the PDF Output Intent [within a PDF file]

Mat siad NO. POWERSWITCH cannot do a test search inside of a pdf file. (I was hoping it could do a plain text search and pick up the name which would be inside of a pdf note/comment, in addition to where ever the Output Intent info is stored.


Best Regards,


Topstep1

As Matt says you will need to preflight the file first. Both PitStop Server and ToolBox can output XML versions of the preflight report. In PowerSwitch, if you choose to process data with log during preflight. The XML log is add as a dataset (read: extra info) to the job. The information can than be read in any condition with variable as part of the metadata group.

Now if you just need to know if the PDF file has an output intent, a simple preflight will define this.

As an answer to your search for comments question. PowerSwitch is able to integrate external hot folder apps or CLI apps that do the trick. That way you can make sure your job continues the switch after it has been processed by the external app.

If you need more info or have more questions feel free to send an email [email protected].

Cheers,
Bert

 

[mattbeals]

In PowerSWITCH, conditions with variables, you can look in the metadata group at the text I think it is and explore the path of a sample job. In that path there if you drill down in the XMP you find an area that shows you the PDF/X keys.

If it's a PDF/X file it has an output intent. If it doesn't, it's not.

It's much the same procedure if you are looking at a set of metadata from a preflight profile. Except instead of looking at a jobs internal metadata you will be looking at an external dataset. Just make sure the preflight output has data and log for the output connection.

There... Now it's time to go explore and tinker. All the info that you need is here now. So grab that compass and a flask of Scotch and go exploring. Worst thing that happens, you learn what NOT to select. Best result, you learn how to achieve your goal. Either way you learn...