Creating an input hot folder

To create a new input hot folder, click the New Input button in the Inputs window. The New Input window dialog is displayed:

Enter the required information:

State
You can click , the Enabled button, or , the Disabled button, to switch between the two states.
Name
Enter the input hot folder name in the designated field.
Description
Enter a short description for the new hot folder.
Keep orders together
Enable this option if you want all the jobs to be ready for batching when all the jobs/parts within the same order are complete.
Click Make jobs batchable only when all jobs/parts are complete to enable the Keep orders together option. If there are any jobs in a Waiting for Files state, all the other jobs containing print files are set to a Waiting for Files state. The jobs cannot be batched until all the jobs from the order are complete.
Default Due Time
Specify the number of days, hours and minutes to set the default due time for all the jobs received through the input hot folder.
Input Type
Select the input type from the list. These are the possible values:
  • PDF/Postscript. The input hot folder can receive orders containing only files in PDF format.
    Note: You can add a .zip file containing multiple files in PDF format to a PDF/Postscript input hot folder. The system creates an order containing a job for each .pdf file from the .zip package. The name of the .zip file is used as the order number.
  • XML/Control File. The input hot folder can receive orders containing both XML files and the print files referenced in the XML files. The XML file associated to an order contains one or more job references to print files present in that order.

    If one or more print files are not found in the received order, the missing jobs are set to Waiting for files state.

    If jobs that are not present at the location where the print file is specified, they are set to Waiting for files state.

    The order XML file can use http:// type file references. This file reference points to an URL on a web server.

    Important: The XML files received must have one of these extensions: .xml or .jdf. The .jdf file extension is processed by the TotalFlow BatchBuilder system as a standard XML file and must match the TotalFlow BatchBuilder internal schema.

    You must use an XSL mapping file to transform other XML type files to the TotalFlow BatchBuilder internal schema.

  • JMF over HTTP. The input folder can receive jobs via the URL, resulted by concatenating the system’s specific Target URL and the generated Target Device, as MIME packages. The MIME package contains a JMF message, a JDF file, and a PDF job file. The JDF file is converted into the TotalFlow BatchBuilder job settings based on the provided mapping file.
    Note: When the state of a job received from an JMF over HTTP type input hot folder is set to Printed, the TotalFlow BatchBuilder system send a status update notification to the Management Information System (MIS).
  • CSV. The input hot folder can receive CSV files containing one or multiple orders. You can configure the TotalFlow BatchBuilder system to convert the CSV files to XML files.
  • In case the PDF/Postscript format does not contain valid information, TotalFlow BatchBuilder cannot retrieve the page count and size. You must insert manually the required information.
  • TotalFlow JMF over HTTP. The input folder can receive jobs via the URL, resulted by concatenating the system’s specific Target URL and the specified Target Device, as MIME packages. The MIME package contains a JMF message, a JDF file, and a PDF job file. The JDF file is converted into TotalFlow BatchBuilder job settings via Ricoh JTAPI library.
Note: When the input type is PDF/Postscript, the TotalFlow BatchBuilder does not process incoming jobs where the file name starts with ".", the period character.
Input Location (Directory Path)
Type in the path or click Browse… to select the folder location. If the specified folder does not exist, a new folder is created.

To select an existing folder or create a new folder manually, click Browse…. The Batching System Directory dialog appears.

Navigate through the existing local or external drives, select the folder you want to use and then click OK.

To create a new folder, click New Folder… in the menu bar.

To modify the name of an existing folder, right-click the folder and select Edit Folder Name.

To delete an existing folder, right-click the folder and select Delete Folder….

Note: You can drag and drop folders to re-order or to move them from one parent folder into another. You can only drag and drop empty folders and within the same network drive.

To add a new network location, click Map Network Drive… in the menu bar. The New Mapped Network Drive dialog box appears.

Select the Drive Letter from the list and enter the folder path in the Folder field. You have the option to enter a user name and a password.

Important: If the computer where you want to map the new network drive, and the folder you want to connect to are on different domains, you must specify the remote host in the Username field.

Example: <remote_host\username>

Click OK. A confirmation message is displayed and the new drive is added to the list.

If you want to edit an existing mapped network location, right-click the network drive you want to modify and select Edit Mapped Network Drive…. The drive selection dialog box is displayed.

You can change the drive letter and edit the folder path. To save the changes, you must enter the password again and click OK. The system displays a confirmation message that the changes have been saved.

If you want to disconnect a mapped network location:

  1. Right-click the network drive and select Edit Mapped Network Drive…. The drive dialog box is displayed.
  2. Click Disconnect. You can also right-click the network drive and select Disconnect.

    A confirmation window is displayed.

  3. Click OK to disconnect the drive or Cancel to cancel the action.

Mapping File
The XSL mapping file transforms the attributes of incoming orders and jobs into TotalFlow BatchBuilder order and job attributes. Using the XSL mapping file, the input hot folder is configured to transform received orders to the TotalFlow BatchBuilder internal schema. This option is available only when the input type is XML/Control File, JMF over HTTP, or CSV. The default mapping file is inputJDF.xsl when the input type is JMF over HTTP.
Target URL
Specifies the folder location where an Input System sends the MIME package containing a JMF message, JDF file, and PDF file. You must copy and paste the specified URL to your MIS system.
The Target URL is read-only and contains a Unique Input ID generated by the TotalFlow BatchBuildersystem.

Click , the Expand/Collapse button, to open the General section.

Keep orders together
Enable this option if you want all the jobs to be ready for batching when all the jobs/parts within the same order are complete.
Click Make jobs batchable only when all jobs/parts are complete to enable the Keep orders together option. If there are any jobs in a Waiting for Files state, all the other jobs containing print files are set to a Waiting for Files state. The jobs cannot be batched until all the jobs from the order are complete.
Default Due Time
Specify the number of days, hours and minutes to set the default due time for all the jobs received through the input hot folder.
Input Location (Directory Path)
You can edit the path or click Browse… to select the folder location. If the specified folder does not exist, a new folder is created.
Important: If you map a network drive with a read only root directory, make sure the specified folder location on the selected network drive has write access.
Mapping File
The XSL mapping file transforms the attributes of incoming orders and jobs into TotalFlow BatchBuilder order and job attributes. Using the XSL mapping file, the input hot folder is configured to transform received orders to the TotalFlow BatchBuilder internal schema. This option is available only when the input type is XML/Control File, JMF over HTTP, or CSV. The default mapping file is inputJDF.xsl when the input type is JMF over HTTP.
Target URL
Specifies the folder location where an Input System sends the MIME package containing a JMF message, JDF file, and PDF file. You must copy and paste the specified URL to your MIS system.
The Target URL is read-only and contains a Unique Input ID generated by the TotalFlow BatchBuilder system.

Click , the Expand/Collapse button, to open the File References - Inbound XML Files section.

When the incoming order XML file contains file references for job files that are located on another machine, you must provide a new file path.

To replace the file path:

  1. In the XML Order File Path field, type the file location provided in the received order XML file.
  2. Click Browse… and select the file location from a mapped network drive or another drive.
  3. Click OK.

Note: You can replace multiple file references from an order XML file:
  • To add a new file reference, click the add file reference button.
  • To remove a file reference, click the remove file reference button.
  • To rearrange the file references, click the drag and drop button.

Click , the Expand/Collapse button, to open the Default Job Attributes section.

In the Default Job Attributes section, you can specify the default job properties for the input hot folder.

Important: The TotalFlow BatchBuilder system uses the following sources for the properties of the incoming jobs:
  1. The XML order file.
  2. The job properties specified in the Default Job Attributes section or in the default hot folder properties file.
  3. The job properties retrieved from the PDF job file.
If the information is not found in the first source, TotalFlow BatchBuilder uses the next available one.

Important: If you map a network drive with a read only root directory, make sure the specified folder location on the selected network drive has write access.

Click , the Expand/Collapse button, to open the Send Job Properties in Inbound File Names section.

When the input hot folder type is set to PDF/Postscript, you can configure TotalFlow BatchBuilder system to read specific job properties from the name of the job file received.

Click the Extract from Filenames checkbox to use the Send Job Properties in Inbound File Names option. The system extracts the values from the file name and adds them as job properties for each job.

To separate the values from the file name, you must select a separator type from the list. The available separator types are:

  • _ Underscore, the default value
  • - Hyphen
  • + Plus
  • = Equals
  • % Percent
  • $ Dollar sign
  • ~ Tilde

Each row specifies a segment from the file name and the job property represented. To add a new attribute, click , the Add a row beneath this one button. To remove a attribute, click , the Delete this row button.

Click , the Expand/Collapse button, to open the Preflight section.

In the Preflight section, you can click to enable the Preflight process. The system performs PDF Preflight checks and fixes on the incoming jobs using the Profiles and Actions Lists.

Preflight Settings
Select the type of Preflight Settings you want to use. You can either use the Preflight Filters defined in Admin ⇒ Features ⇒ Preflight tab, or create and use Custom Preflight Settings.
Apply Profile
Click Browse… to open the Select Profile dialog. In the Select Profile dialog you can select a Preflight Profile from the list of Available Profiles. Click , the Refresh button to update the list of Preflight Profiles from the Preflight database.
Click OK to save the changes and close the Select Profile dialog.
To clear the current selection, click , the Clear button.
Action Lists
From the menu, select the Action List you want to apply to incoming jobs. Click to open the Select Action Lists window.
In the Select Action Lists window you can edit an existing Action List or create a new one. Click , the Refresh button to update the list of Available Action Lists from the Preflight database.
You can specify a unique Name for the new set of Action Lists, if the name is not specified.
Click OK to save the changes and close the Select Action Lists dialog.
To delete the selected action list, click , the Clear button.
Note: To run a Preflight process, you must specify a Preflight Profile and/or a Preflight Action List.

To create the new hot folder, click OK.

To close the New Input panel and discard the entered information, click Cancel.

Note: You can also create a new input by duplicating an existing input hot folder.

To create a copy of an existing input hot folder:

  1. From the list of input sources, select an input hot folder.
  2. Right click and select Duplicate. An edit window with the copy of the existing input is displayed. All input properties are copied including mapping attributes, file references and default job attributes.
  3. Edit the input properties and click OK.

PitStop Server Folder
When switching from internal to external Preflight, you can reconfigure your input Preflight settings.
Select a Preflight hot folder from the list. All incoming jobs are sent to the selected Preflight hot folder for the external Preflight process.

Note: If inputs with Preflight are currently setup in TotalFlow BatchBuilder, they become disabled if you run the script to switch to or from internal TotalFlow BatchBuilder Preflight to an external PitStop Server.

For the first switch from internal TotalFlow BatchBuilder Preflight to an external PitStop Server, you must enable again the Preflight in the Admin section and adjust setup and filters.

To enable the input again, you must change the Preflight settings.

Parent topic: Managing Objects