Design & Print: output changes for files

[sinus]

Hi Mario
I am not sure, if this is intended or if I do something wrong.
If I create a template and finally make an output as a file, I do set carefully some variable and other stuff.
In short, I use the full power of IMatch. 

In this case (see attachement) I speak specialy from the variable for the folder and file-output.

But if I now take a completely other template, the same output-pathes are here, although I created with that template another path for the Output-folder.

This means, I have to change always "by hand" the output, and if these are complex variabels, it is quite tediously.

If this is not possible to "store" all this somehow inside the templates for the outputs, it would be nice, if there were at least several outputs fields where I could write in some pathes and then I could just click on an output variant for each template.

[Mario]

I'm not sure that I know exactly what you are trying to achieve.

But, it seems you are using {File.Folder} in the output file name. Which file should this be? One of the files currently selected in the active file window when you are printing? I'm pretty sure this cannot work or at least produces random results. There is no "file context" anymore when you print the output. This phase is performed in the background, in a queue. No File variables can be used here.

Use a plain output folder name / file name and you're good.

[sinus]

I'm not sure that I know exactly what you are trying to achieve.

But, it seems you are using {File.Folder} in the output file name. Which file should this be? One of the files currently selected in the active file window when you are printing? I'm pretty sure this cannot work or at least produces random results.

Thanks for your answer.
This works perfectly.  At least you made it, that variable works, and they works simply like they should (like for example the renamer variables does).
Yes, the output folder in this case is the wished target.

There is no "file context" anymore when you print the output. This phase is performed in the background, in a queue. No File variables can be used here.

Use a plain output folder name / file name and you're good.

As I wrote, you gave us the possibility and it simply works. It works, depending what file is selected.

I guess, you have not made the effort for "File Name Mask" and variables and it works not. No, in contrary, you made everything very fine, it works as it should!

But even if you do not use variables, the problem is, if you chooses a folder for a template, fine.
If you use then another template, the same folder, what you have choosen is now for all templates activ.

This means, we have to change for every template the folder again and again, if the output - folder is not the same.

In other words: a template stores everything, but NOT the output folder or "File Name Mask".
And this is a bit akward, if you have templates for webfiles and for prints and for flyers and you have usually not the same folder for this all ... you have to choose every time the wished folder again, because it is not stored with the template in "Print to image".

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Not a big problem for me, I will simply have to change the folder every time. Not a big deal, but a bit akward.

[Mario]

If you use then another template, the same folder, what you have choosen is now for all templates activ.

This is the intended behavior. You select a template and then choose where to produce the results. This setting is global, not per template.

[sinus]

If you use then another template, the same folder, what you have choosen is now for all templates activ.

This is the intended behavior. You select a template and then choose where to produce the results. This setting is global, not per template.

Thanks.

[Mario]

Have you considered using per-template document variables?
You can define your own document variables and then use these to define the output file name.

For example, if you create document variables

OutputFolder=...
OutputFileName=...

you can use these as

{Print.Property.OutputFolder} and {Print.Property.OutputFileName}

Such variables are per-template, and do not depend on whatever file (if any) is currently selected when you run a print job in the background...

See https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/#impexp_print.htm?dl=h-37 for details.

[sinus]

Have you considered using per-template document variables?
You can define your own document variables and then use these to define the output file name.

For example, if you create document variables

OutputFolder=...
OutputFileName=...

you can use these as

{Print.Property.OutputFolder} and {Print.Property.OutputFileName}

Such variables are per-template, and do not depend on whatever file (if any) is currently selected when you run a print job in the background...

See https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/#impexp_print.htm?dl=h-37 for details.

Thanks, Mario, hmmm, that could be a very good idea. Because I worked also with these kind of variables, I know, that they work.
But in this context I have not thought at it! 

Thanks for thinking about it  - I will tray it tomorrow.

[Mario]

At least these variables are defined when the template is printed or saved to image files.
{File...} variables at that stage are purely random.

[sinus]

Have you considered using per-template document variables?
You can define your own document variables and then use these to define the output file name.

For example, if you create document variables

OutputFolder=...
OutputFileName=...

you can use these as

{Print.Property.OutputFolder} and {Print.Property.OutputFileName}

Such variables are per-template, and do not depend on whatever file (if any) is currently selected when you run a print job in the background...

See https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/#impexp_print.htm?dl=h-37 for details.

Mario, I have tried this out.

It works not in this case.
I use such document-variables (as you can see in my attachement, they are great!), but if I try to do so here, put the names of the variables (output-folder and output-filename, like in the document-variables), it works not, the printer takes this real name. It creates a file with the name "output-filename".

I think, at this stage IMatch does not more "look back" to the template with the document-variables.

For outputs "Print to Printer" I think, there is nothing else possible, because Windows takes the part for choosing folder and so on (I think).

But if I choose "Print to Image", IMatch offers the window, what I talk about, where we can enter filename and folder and sharpness and so on (what is great, btw).
So variables does not help here.

As you can see, I made FOR ME a short remark in the "Filename-Mask" what calls in my case "(für Übersicht: Ordner: Statistik und filename: _overview)".
This remark helps me and I will "copy-x" it every time, if I print something and puts then again in.

What would help a lot, would be a field, like I have entered red in the attachement, where we could add some remarks, like foldernames and filenames, but also saturation or sharpness and such things).
If such a field would there, I would simply add some variables for the different outputs.
Variables direct written here in the output-window, works, but IMatch does not "look back" for other variables of the document.

But finally, Mario, such a "remarks-field", I think, would help only me and maybe very few others, hence you can see this post here simply as some information for you. 
No need to think more about it for you.

Thanks for your input wiht the variables, was a nice idea, what I should have had before! 

At the end I keep wondering what cool things we can create with "Design & Print", really, like my attachement 3, we use such outputs for statistics and control-stuff.

[Mario]

I just checked and my suggestion works, at least here and for my use case...

This is what I did:









I don't really understand what you want from me with the "remarks field", though.

Can't you just add a "no print" page at the front of your template where you add all the notes you like?
I do it that way and I also did that for some of the sample templates.

[sinus]

I just checked and my suggestion works, at least here and for my use case...

This is what I did:

Oh, super, Mario, in this case, I will look again, then I made something wrong.
Thanks really for your effort!

I don't really understand what you want from me with the "remarks field", though.

Can't you just add a "no print" page at the front of your template where you add all the notes you like?
I do it that way and I also did that for some of the sample templates.

If your suggestion above with the variables, it is not necessary anyway. 
Yes, I work also with such "no print" pages ... but if a template is finished, I let run it from a favourite, then you will not see the template, it opens directly the output-window.
That's why I can't see such "no-print-pages".

I will try, what you tried and write here, what happend ... looks good, your examples!

[ubacher]

A comment that fits this topic:
Every time I open D&P Print it defaults to Print to Printer.
It would be more convenient to default to the last used option.

[Mario]

A comment that fits this topic:
Every time I open D&P Print it defaults to Print to Printer.
It would be more convenient to default to the last used option.

Please add a feature request if you want a change or a new feature. I don't monitor the "General Discussion" board for posts which may contain feature requests.

[sinus]

I just checked and my suggestion works, at least here and for my use case...

Mario
all solved!

Thanks a lot, your suggestion works fine and perfect.
I did so before, but made stupid typos (for example filenname instead filename).

GREAT, this was a very good idea of you and it works super.
With such variables I can choose different names and output-folders for different templates!

[Mario]

Sounds great. Well done.

With such variables I can choose different names and output-folders for different templates!

Yes. These user-defined document variables allow you to control many aspects of a template, from one central place. That's why I've invented them