Create Output

The Create Output task generates Print output in a format specified by a Connect Print Preset and sends this output to the appropriate target location.

See also: About printing.

This task can be added as an Action task (see Action tasks) or as an Output task (see Output tasks). Adding it as an Action task enables the process or branch to continue after this task. An Output task is always located at the end of a process or branch.

Note: When added as an Output task, the Create Output plugin works asynchronously to the Workflow process.

Tip: Drag-and-drop an Output Creation Preset from the Connect resources in the Configuration Components pane on a process to add this task.

For more information about Output Creation Preset files see Output Creation Preset in Connect's Online Help.

Input

The task requires a valid Job Metadata file, normally output from a Create Job or Merge Jobs task.

Note: The All In One task only outputs a Job Set ID, not the full Job Metadata structure, if output creation is skipped (with Output Preset set to 'None'). If you want to use the All In One task in combination with the Create Output task, place a Retrieve Items task in between. The Retrieve Items task can retrieve the items (and thus the metadata) using the Job Set ID.

Processing

The job is sent to the OL Connect Server for processing.

Output

Depending on the options set, either a simple metadata file with information about processing is returned, or the actual output file created by the server.

Properties

The Create Output task properties are as follows:

General Tab

  • Output Preset file: Select which Output Preset to use to generate the output. To be used in this dialog, a preset must have been sent to Connect Workflow using the Package File function in PReS Connect.
    • "%o": Select to use a dynamic preset name. Click on %o to change the expression that determines the name of the preset to use. The preset name must be available in the list below.
    • Preset Names: Select the appropriate preset to generate output.
  • Output Management group:
    • As defined by Output Preset: Select to send the output of the job to the location set in the Print Preset (file, printer, etc).
    • Through Workflow: Select to replace the current job file with the output produced by the server. Every option in the Output Preset is still used, except for the output location.
      Note that when the output is separated, the current job file is not replaced with the actual output files but with a CSV file that lists the paths to the outputted files (e.g. “C:\Users\Administrator\Connect\filestore\3836.2859982401376467470\template_0001.pdf,C:\Users\Administrator\Connect\filestore\3836.2859982401376467470\template_0002.pdf,…”).
  • Wait for completion: Check this option to make Workflow wait for confirmation that the output creation task was processed, either successfully or unsuccessfully. Otherwise Workflow will only wait for the confirmation that the job was submitted correctly to the Output Engine.
    When Output Management is set to "Through Workflow", Workflow always waits for completion of the output creation task.

OL Connect Proxy Tab

This tab is common to all OL Connect tasks and defines where to process the jobs sent through these tasks. When these fields are empty, they use the defaults set in the OL Connect preferences.

Note: Defaults are not used unless the configuration is sent to the Workflow service.

  • OL Connect Proxy Address: Enter the machine name or IP Address where the OL Connect Server resides.

  • Port: Enter the port to use to communicate with the OL Connect Server. Default: 9340

  • User name: Enter the user name expected by the OL Connect Server.

  • Password: Enter the password expected by the OL Connect Server for the above user name.

On Error Tab

For a description of the options on the On Error tab see Using the On Error tab.

Miscellaneous Tab

The Miscellaneous tab is common to all tasks.

It contains a text area (Task comments) that lets you write comments about the task. These comments are saved when the dialog is closed with the OK button and are displayed in The Task Comments Pane.

Check the option Use as step description to display the text next to the icon of the plugin in the Process area.

The tab also provides an option to highlight the task in The Process area with the default color, set in the Preferences (see Colors), or the color selected or defined under Highlight color on this tab.
To revert the selected highlight color to the default color, open this tab, turn the Highlight option off and close the dialog with the OK button; then turn highlighting back on.
Highlighting can also be turned on and off via the task's contextual menu and with the Highlight button on the View ribbon.