RBA rule to create a pageset

[joaodaffonsojr]

Hi !
I´m new to Prinergy RBA, I´m trying to make a rule that the file is inputed than refine (this I could do it),then create a pageset based on the number of pages that has in the pdf.
Is there a way to create this pageset automatic based on the number of pages of the pdf file ?

thanks !

[Joe]

Hi !
I´m new to Prinergy RBA, I´m trying to make a rule that the file is inputed than refine (this I could do it),then create a pageset based on the number of pages that has in the pdf.
Is there a way to create this pageset automatic based on the number of pages of the pdf file ?

thanks !

Yes...you get the number of pages via Array Length. It works well until your customer throws you a curve ball and uploads a single page file. You get a one page pageset. Or better yet you have a 16 page job and they upload 16 single page PDF's. Then you get 16 one page pagesets.

[joaodaffonsojr]

Thanks Joe!
I was using the "create pageset" after the refine and you use the split event that´s correct ...
as far as I receive just 1 file for the book (just inside part not the cover) it will work ?
sorry because I´m really new to this!
and I´m learning by myself.

[DCurry]

Wouldn't it be easier to create a Refine ticket that creates the pageset as part of the refine? We use this all the time.

[joaodaffonsojr]

thanks DCurry !
I´ll try both !

[Joe]

Wouldn't it be easier to create a Refine ticket that creates the pageset as part of the refine? We use this all the time.

As long as you are sure they are only going to upload the correct number of pages in one upload. The great majority of our customers are really fond of doing single page uploads. And of course not at the same time.

[DCurry]

As long as you are sure they are only going to upload the correct number of pages in one upload. The great majority of our customers are really fond of doing single page uploads. And of course not at the same time.

True, but according to your earlier post it still wouldn't work with multiple uploads the other way. Unless I'm missing something?

[Joe]

Yes correct. That is how customers always foil my best laid plans.

I built that rule for a job that we used to do that had 8 separate versions. As long as they uploaded one file only with the correct number of pages for that particular version it worked fine. But for example if they uploaded two different versions as 2 PDF's with the correct number of pages for each version it would create one pageset with the number of pages in it equaling the total of both PDF's. Or if for example they uploaded 16 different single page PDF's for one version I'd get actually one pageset with one page because when it would try to create the other 15 page sets with the same name based on the naming scheme of uploaded PDF's it would fail at creating the additional 15 pagesets.

So the rule I created worked well if customers followed my strict uploading procedure. And we all know how well customers follow instructions. Over the last couple of years they reduced their number of versions down to 1 so it isn't an issue anymore.

[DCurry]

They do always find a way to thwart us.

[joaodaffonsojr]

First I´d like to thank Joe and Dcurry!
the refine and create pageset worked like a charm!
But in life nothing is easy ... I´m stucked again.
I´m trying to create a Rule to automate book imposition.
It´s all the same size 140x210mm but they have different number of pages.
In the rule editor I tryed several configurations but none worked, most of them says that a "part"  must be a number or something related to the number of pages.
Since they will use the same Preps template, what will be the best way to do this rule ?


https://ibb.co/xqZFb1B
https://ibb.co/mNvb4L1
https://ibb.co/nfHwgWH

[Joe]

One question before I dive into this. How can they use the same template for different number of pages?

But a hint as you will need to get the number of pages by the same method I posted in post #2 in this thread via 'pages' 'array length'.

[DCurry]

I haven't found a way to make it know how many forms to add in the sig based on a varying unknown page count, but I am not too knowledgeable about RBA in general.

Instead what I do is have a different impo to import for each page count possibility. So let's say I have a job every month that sometimes is 8pages, sometimes is 16, and sometimes 24. I would build 3 different Preps jobs (1 for each page count), then use the RBA to import the one that is needed. So it will say if page count equals 8, import this 8-page impo, else if page count is 12, import the 12 impo, etc.

This screenshot shows a little bit of that. Note this is not for bound books, but the concept is the same. It is looking at the page count for 15, 16 or 17 pages and importing the desired impo. I have other criteria in there, too (page size) but I don't think that applies to your situation.

[joaodaffonsojr]

I don´t know if it is possible but i was thinking like Preps do.
after you populate the pagelist on preps, you choose the template
than you can use "Auto Select" to let him calculate the number of signatures based on the number of pages that was populated.

[Joe]

So the imposition will, for example, use a 16 page template however many times it needs to so in this example the page count would always be in multiples of 16. That is how it will always use the same template with differing page counts, correct?

[joaodaffonsojr]

YES !
That´s it.
It must just add signatures as necessery to make the signatures full.
like a 64 page book will have 4 signatures.

Is that possible ?