Creating Run External Application Activities

To process a job with an external application that uses a command-line interface, you must create a Run External Application activity and add it to the workflow.

To create a Run External Application activity:

  1. Log in to TotalFlow Production Manager as an administrator.
  2. In the menu bar, click Operations.
  3. In the objects pod on the left side of the page, click Workflows.
  4. Select the workflow that you want to edit, click More, then Editor and Properties....

    The workflow is displayed in the Editor pod.

  5. In the Default section of the Activities pod, select the Run External Application activity and click Copy...
  6. In the Copy Activity dialog, set values for all required properties.
      Note:
    1. If you use Run External Application activity to transform a PostScript or PCL job into PDF, use one of these commands in External command field:
      • To transform PCL files: 
        copy ${getFileName(print,pdf,read)} ${getFileName(print,pcl,write)}
      • To transform PostScript files: 
        copy ${getFileName(print,pdf,read)} ${getFileName(print,ps,write)}
      For more information see Transforming PostScript and PCL Jobs to PDF Using an External Transform Application.
    2. For help with specifying file names in the External command property, see Specifying File Names in Symbol Notation.
    3. For help with specifying job attributes in the External command property, see Using Job Attributes Symbols in Commands.
  7. Click OK.

    You see the new activity in the Custom section of the Activities pod.

  8. Add the new activity to the workflow where you plan to submit jobs for processing with the external application.
Parent topic: External Activities