ESKO AutomationEngine and FileMaker

[chevalier]

Anybody out there integrating these two? I know there a number of commercial printers and design agencies using Filemaker but what about packaging operations?

 

[PrepressDan]

I have in the past. Both via XML as well as JDF

 

[Simon Ivarsson]

I've used FM and AE very much for packaging etc and it works very well.

 

[PrepressDan]

I'm looking forward to AE14, there are a lot of new features in there for connecting to external stuff (webservices, data mapping, external databases etc....).

 

[StillWaiting]

I'm looking forward to AE14, there are a lot of new features in there for connecting to external stuff (webservices, data mapping, external databases etc....).

It's funny that they are skipping right over AE13… must be a lot of bugs...

 

[Jose Gonzales]

Hi Chevalier,

What do you want to integrate? What kind of information do you want to share? If you can export your FM records to an XML file you can do nice integration between the two. Depending on the modules you have different scenario's are possible. You can either work with Workflow parameters (drive you workflow based on WFP smartnames). This integration works standard for any AE config. You simply send an XML from filemaker to a hotfolder to automate specific tasks. Without working in a job context.

If you want to work in a job context on the other hand using the job management module you might wanna use the Auto job creation module. This module allows you to create a job folder based on jobtemplates (fill in jobparameters) and if your FM XML contains the proper information you could even start workflow directly from FM once the job has been created.

 

[PDL]

It's funny that they are skipping right over AE13… must be a lot of bugs...

The major version changes are numbered by the year of release.

 

[PrepressDan]

I have done the integration and setup workflows for a few companies on consulting jobs. FileMaker integrated with AE is very powerful. Like Jose said, you can do basic XML integration or utilize the Auto Job Creation Module (if you have it) or the JDF Job creation module (if you have it). A company that I set up had me create workflows to move the basic pre-press task upstream to their CSR's. Like proofing and preflighting. They were able to do this by triggering a workflow via Filemaker. If you need some idea's feel free to drop me a message.

 

[chevalier]

Thanks for the responses, sorry for the delay. I have AE under a service contract (currently running 12.2). I don't have these modules Automated JobCreation, iCut Automate, Layout, and Reporting & 3D Module. Sounds like I possibly need Automated JobCreation and possibly Reporting & 3D Module.

I'm looking to do as much as possible really. I'm very new to FileMaker but I see near endless possibilities. Do any of you have a FileMaker Developer that has ready-to-go solutions or demo solutions that I can review?