XMPie Output by Fields Name

Started by Slappy, February 23, 2020, 08:13:29 PM

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Slappy

Back story: We've been doing an excessive number of EDDM drops for a customer and for some reason, many of the variable elements were created as images (signature, associate's phone #, unique message) mostly because the client was sold on them being truly hand-written. So they had to be well, written, then scanned & colorized TIFs, placed manually etc. Madness.

Got the approval finally to do all of it as a custom font so I can get it composed through XMPie, but I need a way to export every PDF Record based on at least 2 field variables: AssociateName and TargetNeighborhood. That's the ONLY way the digital dept will know exactly how to match the output Qty to the defined mail drop. (They also have to match to a pre-printed offset shell, unique to each Associate.

We're using uCreate Print, hoping it's not going to take an expensive add-on module or plug-in to get this done. I saw something called Audiences in uCreate - is that a potential tool?
A little diddie 'bout black 'n cyan...two reflective colors doin' the best they can.

pabney

Not sure I am exactly understanding what you are needing. But I can tell you that we use Audiences in uCreate all the time.
It is certainly possible to create an Audience that matches two fields and only output those records.

Without looking at some examples, I don't think I can explain what needs to be done.

Slappy

Yeah, it was a bad explanation. I'll try to do a dummy version & post it - should be clearer.

In the mean time, I think I asked this before somewhere or searched it 'cause I found a very similar post on the PP boards with some links to utilities to do what i want.
Rather not buy another app if I don't have to, but we'll see.
A little diddie 'bout black 'n cyan...two reflective colors doin' the best they can.

DigiCorn

Believe it or not, I believe you can do it through InDesign mail merge. You do have to have a specific location for the images, and then compose an Excel file detailing the callback locations. I tried it out once to see how it worked, and it was a little convoluted, but I got there.
"There's been a lot of research recently on how hard it is to dislodge an impression once it's been implanted in someone's mind. (This is why political attack ads don't have to be true to be effective. The other side can point out their inaccuracies, but the voter's mind privileges the memory of the original accusation, which was juicier than any counterargument ever could be.)"
― Johnny Carson

"Selling my soul would be a lot easier if I could just find it."
– Nikki Sixx

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
― Ernest Hemingway

Slappy

Iv'e got all that set up, finally. Any idea if you recall how to output files based on a particular field name though?

I may go poking around the InDesignSecrets forums later too, see if anybody's done it before.
A little diddie 'bout black 'n cyan...two reflective colors doin' the best they can.

DigiCorn

"There's been a lot of research recently on how hard it is to dislodge an impression once it's been implanted in someone's mind. (This is why political attack ads don't have to be true to be effective. The other side can point out their inaccuracies, but the voter's mind privileges the memory of the original accusation, which was juicier than any counterargument ever could be.)"
― Johnny Carson

"Selling my soul would be a lot easier if I could just find it."
– Nikki Sixx

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
― Ernest Hemingway

Slappy

So I was pointed to this thread, which is an INSANE amount of work, but...

The same guy who wrote that whole process also has - a Free script!!
And, it's awwwwwesome. Ihe also has a Pro version for $15 which I'll gladly buy even if it does nothing more than the Free one, that alone is a huge #win for now.

It as also suggested to look at MyDataMerge which also does the trick, but with a LOT more stuff and a price tag of $169-350 depending on which version is purchased.
If it could do Hot Folders In-Out then I'd consider it, to save any real user intervention but I'm sticking with the Script route for now.

:banana: :banana: :banana:
A little diddie 'bout black 'n cyan...two reflective colors doin' the best they can.