Apogee X Archiving Trick

Started by DigitalCrapShoveler, February 07, 2013, 11:56:16 PM

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DigitalCrapShoveler

We are getting away from AGFA and going full Kodak workflow via Prinergy.

One of the biggest hurdles we faced was not being able to access archived jobs due to Apogee X's proprietary arching format.

I asked Kodak and Fuji both if they had any methods or utilities for getting these .arch files open. Both claimed their top engineers could not crack them open. This was a SERIOUS problem. If I can't access old jobs, I would have to keep Apogee X running JUST for unarchiving old files.

I cracked it.

Here is how to do it:

This is what they look like after a file has been archived through Apogee X:



As you can see, the runlist is contained within the .arch file. This is what you would access through Apogee X to bring a previously printed job back into production.



In the "gr_hotfolder_1_1" folder you will see a file called "Document" usually proceeded by a numerical value. This can be opened using the Mac's built in compression software, or Stuffit.



After the file decompresses, you have a series of additional folders that become available to browse. You want to keep opening each folder until you get to a folder called "wunKeyInput." Within you will see 2 files. Both named similarly, but one with an extension ".properties." Ignore this and open the other file with Acrobat.

BAM! Done. You now have the original PDF you used to create the job.
Member #285 - Civilian

Joe

Can't keep a good hack down can they? :laugh:
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

DigitalCrapShoveler

It was a serious detriment to my workflow change decision. I actually put off getting Prinergy or XMF until I figured out a way to get these open. I figured if there were any other shops out there thinking they were locked in with AGFA due to this problem, it would be nice to know they don't have you by the balls.

So there, AGFA!

My old Manager liked to drop PDFs directly into Apogee X without creating an archive through me. He was under the assumption we were never leaving AGFA, so he would always be able to access archives through Apogee X. Usually, all files come through the operator who then creates a folder that gets archived with all native jobs. Because he did this, I didn't have a comprehensive archive of EVERY job. Certain jobs can only be accessed through Apogee X. Not anymore.
Member #285 - Civilian

Joe

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on February 08, 2013, 12:09:19 AMIt was a serious detriment to my workflow change decision. I actually put off getting Prinergy or XMF until I figured out a way to get these open. I figured if there were any other shops out there thinking they were locked in with AGFA due to this problem, it would be nice to know they don't have you by the balls.

So there, AGFA!

My old Manager liked to drop PDFs directly into Apogee X without creating an archive through me. He was under the assumption we were never leaving AGFA, so he would always be able to access archives through Apogee X. Usually, all files come through the operator who then creates a folder that gets archived with all native jobs. Because he did this, I didn't have a comprehensive archive of EVERY job. Certain jobs can only be accessed through Apogee X. Not anymore.

It is a good feeling when you get to stick it to the man isn't it?
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

frailer

When we Archive jobs from XMF, (an optional thing, which I gather would be the case in any vendor's workflow), it creates what I assume to be some sort of proprietary file; I suppose a compressed Windows-compatible format. Would be the same for us I suppose, if we were to change, though I'd have no fingernails left after the attempt to get XMF away from me.
Guess they may be similarly crackable.   :undecided:
Forgotten good guys: Dennis Ritchie, Burrell Smith, Bill Atkinson, Richard Stallman
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Now just an honorary member.

DigitalCrapShoveler

Quote from: Joe on February 08, 2013, 12:31:18 AM
Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on February 08, 2013, 12:09:19 AMIt was a serious detriment to my workflow change decision. I actually put off getting Prinergy or XMF until I figured out a way to get these open. I figured if there were any other shops out there thinking they were locked in with AGFA due to this problem, it would be nice to know they don't have you by the balls.

So there, AGFA!

My old Manager liked to drop PDFs directly into Apogee X without creating an archive through me. He was under the assumption we were never leaving AGFA, so he would always be able to access archives through Apogee X. Usually, all files come through the operator who then creates a folder that gets archived with all native jobs. Because he did this, I didn't have a comprehensive archive of EVERY job. Certain jobs can only be accessed through Apogee X. Not anymore.

It is a good feeling when you get to stick it to the man isn't it?

Absolutely.
Member #285 - Civilian

Joe

Quote from: frailer on February 08, 2013, 03:52:03 AMWhen we Archive jobs from XMF, (an optional thing, which I gather would be the case in any vendor's workflow), it creates what I assume to be some sort of proprietary file; I suppose a compressed Windows-compatible format. Would be the same for us I suppose, if we were to change, though I'd have no fingernails left after the attempt to get XMF away from me.
Guess they may be similarly crackable.   :undecided:

Prinergy (5) archiving just creates a standard Windows .bkf backup file that can be unarchived by any backup application that can read Windows .bkf files (like the Windows Backup application).
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

frailer

Would be worth asking our tech sometime what the XMF Archive file is.
Forgotten good guys: Dennis Ritchie, Burrell Smith, Bill Atkinson, Richard Stallman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now just an honorary member.

DigitalCrapShoveler

Indeed, it always helps to know your options... just in case.

I was really close to signing up with Fuji. Price was really good, but when I informed Kodak that was the deal breaker, they matched Fuji's price. I am super-impressed with their J-Press. I'm talking with them now about maybe getting one sometime in the near future.
Member #285 - Civilian

frailer

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on February 08, 2013, 05:09:21 PMIndeed, it always helps to know your options... just in case.

I was really close to signing up with Fuji. Price was really good, but when I informed Kodak that was the deal breaker, they matched Fuji's price. I am super-impressed with their J-Press. I'm talking with them now about maybe getting one sometime in the near future.

I hate that kinda shit.   :punchy:  And they don't blink. "Well, we can do it for that; just that we weren't gonna".  :shrug:  My fists start clenching, like really... :grumpyoldman:
Forgotten good guys: Dennis Ritchie, Burrell Smith, Bill Atkinson, Richard Stallman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now just an honorary member.

Joe

Quote from: frailer on February 08, 2013, 05:33:30 PM
Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on February 08, 2013, 05:09:21 PMIndeed, it always helps to know your options... just in case.

I was really close to signing up with Fuji. Price was really good, but when I informed Kodak that was the deal breaker, they matched Fuji's price. I am super-impressed with their J-Press. I'm talking with them now about maybe getting one sometime in the near future.

I hate that kinda shit.   :punchy:  And they don't blink. "Well, we can do it for that; just that we weren't gonna".  :shrug:  My fists start clenching, like really... :grumpyoldman:

It's like that everywhere though. When you go buy a car they will always come down if you are ready to walk out the door. Unless you are being unreasonable. :laugh:
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

DigitalCrapShoveler

I do, too. I wanted to go with Prinergy to begin with to match my CTPs. I used Fuji to manipulate Kodak. It's a game I don't like to play, but I am a master at it.
Member #285 - Civilian

frailer

#12
Quote from: Joe on February 08, 2013, 05:41:59 PM
Quote from: frailer on February 08, 2013, 05:33:30 PM
Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on February 08, 2013, 05:09:21 PMIndeed, it always helps to know your options... just in case.

I was really close to signing up with Fuji. Price was really good, but when I informed Kodak that was the deal breaker, they matched Fuji's price. I am super-impressed with their J-Press. I'm talking with them now about maybe getting one sometime in the near future.

I hate that kinda shit.   :punchy:  And they don't blink. "Well, we can do it for that; just that we weren't gonna".  :shrug:  My fists start clenching, like really... :grumpyoldman:

It's like that everywhere though. When you go buy a car they will always come down if you are ready to walk out the door. Unless you are being unreasonable. :laugh:

I naïvely expect different when your employer is about to spend a quarter mill. ...'naïvely' being the operative word. But yeah, some in the vendor ranks are no better than white-shod car sales grunts.  /rant (maybe)
Too old for the 'walk out the door' charades, I guess.  :shrug:  And I do stress 'some'.

(Basing the quarter mill on the Full Monty at the time, including 'setter'). But then it's even more obscured.

Yeah, DCS, a Fuji guy here said that they had new stuff coming out post-DRUPA (J-Press?). I guess that's what he was referring to. Must have a look.
Forgotten good guys: Dennis Ritchie, Burrell Smith, Bill Atkinson, Richard Stallman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now just an honorary member.

DigitalCrapShoveler

Do, Captain. It is a VERY impressive machine. More or less a variable data/image offset/digital press. The best of both worlds. They gave me a calendar printed on it, all muscle cars. You would never know it was printed digitally. Even under a GIANT loupe.
Member #285 - Civilian