pdfToolbox Server integration in automation systems (Switch, FileTrain)

Instead of using pdfToolbox Server in hot folder mode, it can also be used integrated in Enfocus Switch or Laidback Solutions FileTrain. This article provides an introduction to how pdfToolbox can be used in such tools.

Laidback Solutions FileTrain

FileTrain from Laidback Solutions is an automation tool that allows automation of manual tasks such as file moving, renaming, moving from and to FTP servers, database access, etc... It also has a built-in integration of pdfToolbox Server. After installing pdfToolbox Server or CLI on the same machine as FileTrain, FileTrain's built-in pdfToolbox action allows running preflight profiles or process plans on files in a "station" (the name for FileTrain automated workflows).

On the screengrab above, you can see the main FileTrain window and the pdfToolbox action used to run pdfToolbox in a larger automated workflow:

  1. The list of FileTrain "stations" (automated workflows).
  2. The pdfToolbox action editing window.
  3. The profile used in this particular workflow; all pdfToolbox profiles and process plans can be used.
  4. FileTrain offers a convenient interface to generate multiple preflight reports in different versions.
  5. The "Dynamic values" tab allows passing on variables to the selected pdfToolbox preflight profile or process plan. This enables each file to be treated differently, for example based on information that has been extracted from a database (FileTrain has a built-in action to do database access).
  6. FileTrain allows very fine-grained selection of where the result file will be generated in the "Result file" tab.

Enfocus Switch

Switch from Enfocus is a modular automation solution that can automate manual tasks; it includes both built-in tools (for FTP, renaming, grouping and ungrouping...) and connects to third-party tools. From the start, Switch has had a number of pdfToolbox configurators (the Switch name for the plug-ins that create a connection to a third-party tool).

  1. The list of flows (the Switch terminology for a workflow that automates a series of tasks).
  2. The list of built-in tools and configurators; at the top in the favorites section, three of the pdfToolbox configurators.
  3. A workflow featuring two pdfToolbox configurators to automatically merge PDF files into a single file and subsequently impose them using the imposition engine built into pdfToolbox.

pdfToolbox provides the following configurators for Switch:

  • Actions: runs one of the pdfToolbox actions (roughly equivalent to the functionality available in the Switchboard).
  • Profiles: runs a pdfToolbox profile or process plan.
  • Compare: compares two incoming PDF files and determines whether they are visually the same or different.
  • Impose: runs the pdfToolbox imposition engine.
  • ConvertColors: runs a color conversion using pdfToolbox.

Steps to integrate callas pdfToolbox with Enfocus Switch

Open Enfocus Switch

Go to “Help” => Manage configurators…:    

Open “Web” and search for callas:

Select the configurators you want and install them (there will be different versions of the configurators; select the ones for the callas application(s) you are using:  

Finally restart Switch:

Using the optional extension “Distributed processing” of callas pdfToolbox, jobs can be processed on other machines (Satellites). The distribution of jobs is handled by the Dispatcher. This allows to distribute the load to selected machines.

For an optimal distribution of jobs within Enfocus Switch it has become figured out, that some additional settings should be done. The “Number of slots” in the pdfToolbox Configurator is important.

First “Allow advanced performance tuning” in the properties Flow should be set to “Yes”.

Additionally the “Number of slots” in the pdfToolbox Configurator should be set to “0”. This setting gives the Dispatcher the exklusive control of the distribution ob jobs in the network and the distribution normally done by Enfocus Switch will not take place.