GTB Plate Generator 1
1. Overview 1-1. About Plate Generator PlateGenerator is a batching processing software to generate the inner and outer sides color plate data (1 Bit TIFF image) from job files that contains plate design and image splitting information, which are the instruction information of making a plate. For the files that PlateGenerator can read, besides PPW operation file generated by PlatePlanner, there is PJTF file, which is made with Facilis J-Plate. * Option functions of PlateGenerator with version 1.30 or above can deal with PJTF that is made with Facilis J-Plate. PlateGenerator monitors the specified folder (monitoring folder) at a certain intervals and if a job file is input, it will process it automatically and make a plate data file in a specified folder (output folder). Accordingly, efficient use can be realized by using PlatePlanner with multiple client computers to operate plate s surface design and image splitting operation only and making plate data by processing them with PlateGenerator on the server computer. (Client 1) Plate Planner Surface design/image Splitting (Client 2) Plate Planner Surface design/image Splitting (Server) Plate Generator To generate plate data Job (PPW) C Plate Y Plate M Plate K Plate Monitoring folder Output folder 2
1-2. Folder setting Folder setting is a series of necessary setting information from specifying a folder to monitor the jobs, an output folder for the generated plate data, plate rotation, to for this program to execute jobs that is input into the monitoring folder. In this program, you can make several folder settings. For example, if you want to separate the output folders of the generated plate data to deal with several CTP output machines, 2 folder setting is necessary. Plate data generated from the jobs that is input into the monitoring folder specified by the 1 st folder setting will be sent to the output folder specified by the 1 st folder setting and plate data generated from the jobs that is input into the monitoring folder specified by the 2 nd folder setting will be sent to the output folder specified by the 2 nd folder setting. In this case, the program will monitor these several folders and execute jobs that are input into those folders in turn. Furthermore, there is no folder setting upon shipment of this program. Therefore, to monitor jobs and execute plate generation processing at this program, first of all, you must make an appropriate folder setting. 1-3. Priority setting information at PPW In folder setting, setting information may be repeated with the information that is saved in PPW with setting operation at PlatePlanner. In PlateGenerator, for the following repeated setting information, settings specified at folder settings should have the priority. * Output folder and file name when a generated plate data is written out as a 1 Bit Tiff file. * Compression format when a generated plate data is written out as a 1 Bit Tiff file. * Rotation setting when a generated plate data is written out as a 1 Bit Tiff file. * Negative/ Positive setting when a generated plate data is written out as a 1 Bit Tiff file. 3
1-4. About positions of page images & mark images For PPW generated with PlatePlanner, positions of the split page images and mark images are saved in the path. If these paths are in the local computer when PlatePlanner is launched, PlateGenerator will not be able to find pages and mark images. Furthermore, it is the same if split images in PlatePlanner are moved to other places. In such cases, for PlateGenerator, neglect the places that are set in PPW and prepare a setting in order to specify new folders of page and images. 1-5. About names of generated plate data file Names of plate data file that is generated in PlateGenerator are defined according to the following rules. (Besides, it is changed from the specification of Version1.10 or earlier, please be notified.) PPW Base name+ PPW Base name + Underscore word + Plate number + Underscore word + side ID words + Underscore words + color reference name + TIFF file extension name PPW base name is the part that excludes PPW file s extension name (.ppw). Underscore word is [_]. In side ID word, [F] for outer side and [B] for inner side. Color reference name is set with PlatePlanner. TIFF file extension name is [.tif]. 4
1-6. Files to deal with * Job file (File extension name:.ppw) It is made in PlatePlanner to monitor and execute object files. * Plate data file (File extension name:.tif)) Plate data file generated in PlateGenerator. * Setting file (HfProperty_PG.def) A folder to save the content of a generated folder setting. PlateGenerator s program file will be made in the same folder. * HTML Log File (PlateGenerator.html) It is for the purpose to use client computer s WWW browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape) to monitor this program s operation status. For details, please refer to [HTML Log File]. * Executing Log File (Date + PlateGeneratorLog.txt) Executing log file is for the purpose of writing out a text file for a complete operation record of the jobs in a day. For details, please refer to [Executing Log File]. 5