PDF Snake Enfocus Switch App

Introduction

Enfocus Switch is an automation platform for streamlining print and file processing workflows. It integrates with various systems (MIS, web-to-print, imposition tools) and automates tasks like file sorting, routing, and processing. It features a drag-and-drop interface, modular design, and supports Node.js and JSON for API integration.

PDF Snake's Switch App enables you to add imposition steps to your Switch flows.

Goal

The steps in this tutorial will teach you how impose documents using PDF Snake's Enfocus Switch App.

1: Complete the Command Line Tutorial.

PDF Snake's Enfocus Switch App requires the PDF Snake Command-Line Interface (CLI).

Please complete the PDF Snake CLI Tutorial before continuing to the next step. It's impossible to complete this tutorial without first completing the PDF Snake CLI Tutorial.

2: Install PDF Snake's Switch App from the Enfocus Appstore.

Install the App from Enfocus's Switch App Store.

3: Add PDF Snake to your flow.

Properties

Steps.json File Path

Choose the imposing steps that you downloaded in the Command Line Tutorial.

CLI File Path

Choose the PDF Snake command-line tool you downloaded in the Command Line Tutorial.

Key File Path

Leave blank until you purchase a subscription.

Overrides

Override values in Steps.json with variables from your Switch flow. Let's look at an example with the following Steps.json:

[
  {
    "kind": "Shuffle",
    "pageRange": "2 * all"
  },
  {
    "kind": "Overlay",
    "filePath": "address-list-Shuffle-Crop.pdf",
    "leftPadding": 216,
    "topPadding": 144,
    "blendMode": "normal",
    "repeat": false,
    "opacityPercent": 100
  }
]

Now imagine we want to change the Overlay filePath in Steps.json. Here's how we do it:

/steps/1/filePath=E:/overlayfiles/[Job.NameProper].pdf

Let's break it down:

/steps/1 tells PDF Snake to update the first imposing step. Wait, isn't Overlay the second imposing step? Well, computers start counting from 0, so what looks like the 2nd step to us is actually the 1st step to the computer. The 0th step is Shuffle, and the 1st step is Overlay.

/steps/1/filePath= tells PDF Snake to override the filePath property in the first step.

/steps/1/filePath=E:/overlayfiles/[Job.NameProper].pdf tells PDF Snake to override the filePath property with the value E:/overlayfiles/[Job.NameProper].pdf. Note that [Job.NameProper] is a Switch variable, so it will be replaced with the Job's name.

List as many overrides as you need, one per line. A detailed definition of the path (everything before the = symbol) syntax is describe in RFC 6901.

4: Two methods to pass imposing steps to PDF Snake

Method A: via a property

As in Step 3 above, choose the imposing steps file for the property Steps.json File Path. Use overrides as described above to customize Steps.json for each job.

Method B: via a folder

Leave Steps.json File Path blank. Then, instead of dropping files into the input folder, drop a folder containing both a Steps.json file and the documents to be imposed. PDF Snake will apply the steps listed in Steps.json to the documents in the same folder. The benefit of this solution is that the imposition steps can vary between jobs.

PDF Snake Switch App