XMpie Question

[Joe2950]

Trying to help a client. They have 150,000 variable records they are going to output to a PPML file. That many records creates a file too big for the HP RIP. They need to create in batches of 10,000. They are under the impression someone has to sit and make 15 different PPML files with 10,000 records each.

My question is when they create the PPML is there a setting in XMpie that allows them to "batch" every 10,000 records in its own file. I am very familiar with Fusion Pro and that lets you create batches so you don't need to have someone make each file.

Thanks
Joe

 

[kansasquaker]

That option exists on the server version of XMPIE, but to my knowledge it doesn't exist on the desktop version. If it does, somebody please let us know! We are under exactly the same impression . . .

 

[macphenom]

That option ONLY exists on the server version.

 

[michaelejahn]

Yep. Server version only. Sorry to say, when you get into professional sized jobs, you need the professional size tools.

 

[kansasquaker]

Yep. Server version only. Sorry to say, when you get into professional sized jobs, you need the professional size tools.

Yes, well unless your professional sized jobs contain mac postscript fonts. In which case using the professional size tool is a huge PITA. We have both the server and workstation solutions. It often isn't worth the risk and effort of getting a mac based indesign file to run properly on the server. Manually batching the output from the workstation is often easier than screwing around with fonts.

 

[michaelejahn]

what is a Mac PotsScript font ?

what is a Mac PotsScript font ?

Yes, well unless your professional sized jobs contain mac postscript fonts. In which case using the professional size tool is a huge PITA.

Who supports - or uses "Mac PostScript fonts" ? What is that anyway ? Are you meaning that someone is trying to use Type 1 fonts ?

We used InDesign Server - perhaps that was why we never used PPML and used PDF-VT

 

[kansasquaker]

Yes, type 1 fonts are still used regularly. I'd say perhaps 30% of our jobs. It's very difficult to control what customers submit. They either don't know, don't care or don't have time to worry about what happens to their files after they're submitted. So we have to deal with whatever we get. I don't see why it's a lot to ask for that feature in XMPie. FusionPro is what 500 bucks? I don't see why batching the output from workstation version of XMPie, which is something like $3000, is so out of line.

The two products really are for different kinds of jobs anyway. The server interface is too clunky and time consuming for smaller one-off jobs. It's great if you're regularly running the same file with new data, but not so much for other types of work. In particular, large one-off jobs aren't usually convenient to run on either platform. So it's not just a matter of getting the 'professional' version.