BS Cloud Stream Plugin - Comet Templates
When creating InDesign documents using the Werk-II Comet plugins, it is possible to create page templates and product templates. The Contentserv Comet Connector automatically synchronizes these templates to the Contentserv server. They are registered there centrally as database items and stored physically as InDesign and XML files in the file system. This allows sharing of templates amongst multiple users.
With the Comet Templates Cloud Stream plugin, it is possible to transport and share such templates amongst multiple Contentserv instances or distribute them through the Contentserv marketplace.
Comet Template Types
The following template types are available in the Comet plugins:
“Page Items”, sometimes also called product or object templates, allow to group InDesign layout objects like text or image frames and reuse them.
“Page Templates” allow defining a page layout containing multiple page items.
Contentserv Template Locations
When the InDesign Comet client adds, updates or deletes templates, the changes are automatically passed on to the Contentserv server. All templates are stored as InDesign files with JPG and GIF previews in the Contentserv project at data/comet/project/*.
The following folders are created:
Folder | Files | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
data/comet/project/pageitems | data/*.indd | InDesign files containing one product template each |
data/comet/project/pageitems | preview/*.gif | GIF files that are used as previews for the templates |
data/comet/project/pagetemplates | data/*.indd | InDesign files containing one page template each |
data/comet/project/pagetemplates | previews/*.JPG | JPG files that are used as previews for the templates |
data/comet/project/actions | *.crpt | Custom cscript files for Comet actions |
data/comet/grids | preview/*.gif | Previews for Grid Layouts |
data/comet/xml | actions.project.xml | Custom action xml definitions for the cscript files in the actions folder above |
data/comet/xml | framerules.xml | Framerule definitions |
data/comet/xml | grids.xml | Grid definitions |
data/comet/xml | html2tagged.xml | Replacement rules for converting html code to the tagged text format |
data/comet/xml | html2tagged.[N].xml | Replacement rules for converting HTML code of a specific attribute with the ID [N] to the tagged text format |
data/comet/xml | pageitems.xml | XML file with the product template definitions |
data/comet/xml | pagetemplates.xml | XML file with the page template definitions |
data/comet/xml | placeholder.project.xml | Custom placeholder xml file |
Contentserv Template Database Objects
In parallel to the physical files stored in the data/comet/project folder, all templates are also stored in the Contentserv database as “Page Templates” and “Object Templates”.
These database representations are mirroring the templates in the XML files sent by the Comet plugins. They can not be created or deleted within the Contentserv GUI and are completely driven by the Comet XML files.
Available Stream Types
The following stream types are available:
Comet Page Templates - to stream page templates including the InDesign and preview files, XML definitions and database representations
Comet Product Templates - to stream product templates, including the InDesign and preview files, XML definitions and database representations
Comet Files - to stream all physical files in the table above except for the template related files, which are processed by the special stream types above
Streaming Comet Page Templates
To stream Comet Page Templates, use the “Comet Page Templates” plugin. This plugin allows selecting one or multiple page templates.
When the stream is received, the name of the template will be used as an identifier. If another template with the same name exists, it will be overwritten. If not, the template will be added with the name and ID of the sending system. If the ID is already in use by another template with another name, then a new ID will be used. This also means that the template ID can differ between the sending and receiving systems. The database objects for Comet Page Templates will automatically be updated accordingly.
Streaming Comet Product Templates
To stream Comet Product Templates, use the “Comet Product Templates” plugin. This plugin allows selecting one or multiple product templates.
When the stream is received, the name of the template will be used as an identifier. If another template with the same name exists, it will be overwritten. If not, the template will be added with the name and ID of the sending system. If the ID is already in use by another template with another name, then a new ID will be used. This also means that the template ID can differ between the sending and receiving systems. The database objects for Comet Product or Object Templates will automatically be updated accordingly.
Streaming Comet Files
All other files like action and cscript definitions or html2tagged.xml definitions can also be transported. The available files on the sending system will automatically be listed. They will overwrite the files when retrieving the stream. The template-related files can not be selected. They should be transported only through the other stream types above to ensure the InDesign and preview files' consistency, the XML files, and the database representations.