PoINT Publisher
NG
Version
4.0
Build 243
©
PoINT Software & Systems GmbH 1995-2015. All rights reserved.
ReadMe
General
Information
The product "PoINT
Publisher NG" enables you to produce CD, DVD and BDs.
It consists of the components "PoINT Publisher NG - Server", "PoINT
Publisher NG - Control Server", "PoINT Publisher NG - Client",
"PoINT Publisher NG - Web Client", "PoINT Publisher NG -
ECR" (PoINT ECR) and the "Software Development Kit" (SDK).
Depending on your License
Key, one or more of the components will be activated for you.
"PoINT
Publisher NG - Server" writes discs according to the specifications of the
"Jobs".
A "Job" typically consists of a Disc Image and/or a Print Label and
additional options. To achieve highest productivity, "PoINT Publisher NG -
Server" processes multiple Disc Images and writes to multiple recorders at
a time if possible, and it supports autoloaders.
"PoINT Publisher NG -
Control Server" allows access to multiple "PoINT Publisher NG -
Server" installations using one "PoINT Publisher NG - Client". The
optional Load Balancing Service additionally provides advanced features like
load balancing, job splitting and failover.
"PoINT Publisher NG -
Client" can be used to create Disc Images and to define "Jobs"
(based on these images), which are sent over the network to "PoINT
Publisher - Server". "PoINT Publisher NG - Client" supports the
creation of Data, Audio, Video Images and Disc Copies. Additionally, already
existing Disc Images can be used for a "Job" definition. "PoINT
Label Editor" helps you designing print files for printing labels on the
media.
"PoINT Publisher NG -
Web Client" is a client user interface which runs in a web browser. It can
be used to start "Jobs" based on existing data images and to print
labels on media.
"PoINT ECR" is
intended as a tool for simplifying and automating the production of discs in a
network environment without the need of builder applications. "PoINT
ECR" offers network shares to which data can be copied. According to
certain configurable conditions "PoINT ECR" will instruct "PoINT
Publisher NG - Server" to produce the discs.
The Software Development
Kit (SDK) is an optional extension to the interactive versions of "PoINT
Publisher NG". The SDK adds batch processing functionality to "PoINT
Publisher NG", so that definitions including imprint file, number of
copies and order of jobs for "PoINT Publisher NG" can be controlled
by external programs.
Before you can install "PoINT Publisher
NG", the "Microsoft .NET Framework" Version 3.5 or 3.5.1 has to be installed and
enabled on the target computers.
"PoINT Publisher
NG" includes an interactive setup program to guide you through the installation
process. The setup program installs "PoINT Publisher NG" on a local
hard disk and creates a new program group.
Please also refer to
section Restrictions before installing the product.
The language which will be
selected during the installation process will be used by the user interface of
the installation wizard and as default language for all installed program
components. After installation, a different language can be selected by each
user which uses the software.
When
installing the "PoINT Publisher NG - Control Server" on the same
system as a "PoINT Publisher NG - Server", it will provide a global
registration service which allows clients to access different "PoINT
Publisher NG - Servers" by just connecting to the computer where
"PoINT Publisher NG - Control Server" has been installed.
To use the advanced features like load balancing, job splitting and failover,
the "PoINT Publisher NG - Control Server" and the "Load
Balancing Service" must be installed on a separate computer. To perform
this installation method, uncheck the option to install the "PoINT
Publisher NG - Server" and check the options "PoINT Publisher NG -
Control Server" and "Load Balancing Service".
The following settings must
be changed if PoINT Publisher NG is used with an active firewall.
On the PoINT Publisher
NG - Server computer, open the firewall settings and create an exception
for the following programs:
On 32 bit systems:
C:\Program Files\PoINT\PoINT Publisher
NG\CommSvr\CommunicationServer.exe
C:\Program Files\PoINT\PoINT Publisher NG\RegSvr\RegistrationServer.exe
On 64 bit systems:
C:\Program Files (x86)\PoINT\PoINT Publisher
NG\CommSvr\CommunicationServer.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\PoINT\PoINT Publisher
NG\RegSvr\RegistrationServer.exe
On the PoINT Publisher
NG - Control Server computer, open the firewall settings and create an
exception for the following programs:
On 32 bit systems:
C:\Program Files\PoINT\PoINT Publisher NG\ClusSvr\ClusterService.exe
C:\Program Files\PoINT\PoINT Publisher NG\RegSvr\RegistrationServer.exe
On 64 bit systems:
C:\Program Files (x86)\PoINT\PoINT Publisher
NG\ClusSvr\ClusterService.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\PoINT\PoINT Publisher
NG\RegSvr\RegistrationServer.exe
Please make sure to enter
your actual installation path to "PoINT Publisher NG".
The version 3.1 of
"PoINT Publisher NG" introduces a new version of the PoINT Label
Editor which provides the following new key features:
Due to the redesign of PoINT Label Editor, the
following functionality has been changed:
While the new PoINT Label Editor can import and
print files which have been created with previous versions, the layout may
slightly change. Therefore the previous version of the PoINT Label Editor is
still present and will be used to print existing label files. After loading and
saving files with the new PoINT Label Editor, whose rendering engine will be
used to print the labels.
If necessary, it is also possible to use the old version of PoINT Label Editor
to modify existing labels or to create new label files. To do this, start the
executable "LabEdit.exe" which can be found in the directory "LabelEditor" below the installation directory of
"PoINT Publisher NG".
"PoINT Publisher
NG" supports the following media types:
Please note that support
for a specific media type also depends on the recorder device.
If you plan to use
"PoINT Publisher NG" in a Client / Server environment or you plan to
use the "PoINT Publisher NG - Web Client", you must set the Temporary
Working Directory to a directory which is readable and writable by the user
account that the "PoINT Publisher NG - Server" is running on and
additionally for the SYSTEM account and the user ASPNET. This directory can be
specified after starting the "PoINT Publisher NG - Server" for the
first time or later using the commands Configuration → Settings →
Defaults.
PoINT ECR can be applied to
network environments with Apple Macintosh clients running "PoINT Publisher
NG".
Please observe the
following restrictions:
In order to enable printing
by the Label Editor "Bar Tender" from Seagull Scientific Inc. in
"PoINT Publisher NG" the following conditions must be fulfilled:
Printing of PDF files is
supported with Adobe Acrobat Reader XI, version 11.0.0. Other versions can be
used if they support printing through the command line.
Please note that printing
of PDF files is controlled by the XML file "CmdlineTab.xml"
which inlucdes a command line entry for Arcobat Reader which is automatically called by "PoINT
Publisher NG". Depending on your installation you may need to adapt this
command line entry. "CmdlineTab.xml" is
typically located under the following path:
On Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\PoINT\PoINT Publisher.
On Windows
If your computers are part
of a Workgroup (in contrast to a Domain), you are required to create Windows
user accounts on the server computer for the clients. The account(s) used to
work with "PoINT Publisher NG" on a client require the same account
on the server computer. The account name and the password must be the same on
both machines. The password must not be empty.
Also, in Windows XP, the
option "Use simple file sharing" must be switched off, in order to
permit "PoINT Publisher NG - Clients" to connect to the "PoINT
Publisher NG - Server". You can find this option in the Windows Explorer:
From the Explorer's menu select "Tools" → "Folder
Options", select the "View" dialog page to display the list of
options.
On Windows Vista, Windows 7
and above, the default settings prevent the computer from being visable to the network. Also, file sharing is disabled. For
client/server operation or use of ECR, these settings must be altered. On the
Windows Control Panel select "Network and Internet" and "
By default, "PoINT
Publisher NG - Client" prevents using the build-in recorders of the
autoloader for reading discs to create "Copy Jobs". These recorders
are not presented in the selection list.
WARNING: We
strongly discourage you from using the build-in recorders of the autoloader for
performing "Copy Jobs" in "PoINT Publisher NG - Client". YOU
MAY SERIOUSLY HARM YOURSELF if you put hands into the machine while it is
running in order to load discs in the recorders.
We recommend to use "PoINT Bulk Reader" for reading and copying
discs in the build-in recorders. However, the protectíve
default behavior of "PoINT Publisher NG -
Client" may be disabled by modifying a flag in the registry. Then, the
build-in recorders will be presented in the selection list. Please note that no
jobs must be executed in "PoINT Publisher NG - Server" at that time,
and that you can make only one copy at a time. The protective function can be
disabled by altering the following entry in the registry: At the key
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PoINT\PoINT
Publisher\4.0\CDserver\Settings", value name "ReportServerDeviceList" modify the value from 1
to 0. Then, restart both, "PoINT Publisher NG - Server" and
"PoINT Publisher NG - Client".
If PoINT Label Editor or
other print programs under Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 do not
(correctly) print text, this problem is probably caused by a printer driver
that is not fully compatible with these operating systems. To resolve the
problem, you need to install an up-to-date printer driver. Please contact the
manufacturer of the autoloader or printer.
Media Quality Check Jobs
are not supported when using the Control Server with Load Balancing.
In case that a printer
error (e.g. ribbon end) occurs and, simultaneously, the input bin becomes empty
on the same server and for the same job, the job does not fail over to another
server. Additionally, in case that the production server software is terminated
unexpectedly during execution of jobs, jobs do not fail over to another server
regardless of the settings in the control server.
If the printers of all
productions servers are disabled, the status value of an OIRequest
statement in the script file of an SDK job does not reflect the error. Furthermore,
values of OIRequest and OIFromServer
statements are not always cleared when the original condition changes.
The current version of Bulk
Reader does not support discs that contain audio tracks.
Image files can be created
by SDK jobs (CreateImageFile). This feature is not
supported for client SDK jobs (cdsdk.exe).
The creation of double
layer DVDs by DDP is not possible by "PoINT Publisher NG - Client" nor by SDK jobs.
On slow computers, the
services of "PoINT Publisher NG" sometimes do not start. This happens
when, at boot time, too many system services start simultaneously and the
system disk is temporarily overloaded. Particularly, antivirus software may
have this effect, since it causes additional system load.
The problem can be eliminated by increasing the time limit that Windows uses
for starting the system services by default. To do so, change or add the
following value in the registry of Windows:
Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
Value name: ServicesPipeTimeout
Value type: DWORD
Typically, the default value of Windows is 30000 milliseconds. Please enter a
value greater the 30000, e.g. 60000 milliseconds (decimal).
Please contact your dealer
for support and updates.
Give as reference the
following items:
You can find these item in the "About PoINT Publisher NG"
dialog box. Please add a description of your computer system (CPU, memory, type
of hard disks, type of SCSI host adapters, type of recorders, autoloaders, ...).
System Requirements
"PoINT Publisher
NG" can be installed on any INTEL PENTIUM based PC (or compatible PC)
which satisfies the following minimum requirements.
Supported 32 Bit
operating systems are:
Supported 64 Bit
operating systems are:
The optional Web Client
Server Components which are required to access "PoINT Publisher NG"
using a web browser can only be installed if the Microsoft Internet Information
Server (IIS) has been installed before installing "PoINT Publisher
NG".
To install IIS on Windows XP:
After installing IIS make
sure the Web Server is not blocked by your Firewall. When using the standard
Windows XP Firewall, make sure the Web Server (HTTP) is
checked in the Advanced Settings dialog of your Local Area
Connection.
To install IIS on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:
After installing IIS make sure the Web Server is not blocked by your Firewall. When using the standard Windows Firewall, follow these steps:
It is not necessary to
install "PoINT Publisher NG" components on a client computer to
enable access to the "PoINT Publisher NG - Web Client". The Web
Client fully runs in your web browser. The following browsers are supported
with "PoINT Publisher NG - Web Client":
The Web Client requires
that Cookies and JavaScript are enabled. Depending
on your web browser it is possible to enabled these
features selectively for specific web sites or servers. The "PoINT
Publisher NG - Web Client" also requires a Java Plug-in
for your web browser. Java Plug-ins for different browsers are
included in the Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE). The JRE 5 (Mac OS X) and 6
(Windows) are supported. However, it is recommended to install the latest JRE
which is available for your operating system.
Supported Autoloaders
Note: With many of the subsequently listed printer devices, no printer drivers had been available for Windows 8 when the present version of PoINT Publisher NG was released. Consequently, the printing functions could not be tested on these operating systems. Please check if the manufacturer of your printer device or autoloader, respectively, provides applicable drivers before you move to Windows 8.
"Individual Operating Modes" (2 or 3 input bins and 1 output bin) are
supported for firmware versions V6.04 or higher. PoINT Publisher NG was tested
with version "ALL-PRO-SOL" "CD-4" "V6.04".
For this printer manual alignment is required. The
following values are recommended:
Horizontal: 33.5 mm, vertical: 79.5 mm with portrait format.
To enter the values, use the menu function 'File →
Label Alignment' of "PoINT Label Editor" on the computer that the
printer is locally connected to. To start "PoINT Label
Editor", first start "PoINT Publisher NG - Client" and select
the menu function 'Tools → PoINT Label Editor'.
Note
Please note:
The printer driver of the "TEAC P-55 Disc Label Printer" should be
installed prior to configuring the autoloader in PoINT Publisher NG.
IMPORTANT:
For the proper functioning of the Maintenance Mode of the autoloader the
following must be obeyed:
When PoINT Publisher NG -
Server is running, the front power key is watched. If
it is pressed, the system is requested to shut down. You will see a
corresponding message on the front panel display as soon as the autoloader's
current activity will be completed and provided that Publisher is not paused,
i.e. the Pause button was not pressed. If the server is processing jobs, these
will be completed first. Then Publisher - Server terminates and the system
shuts down.
Please note:
The restart function (i.e. shutdown + restart) of the operating system does not
work properly. The hardware
unconditionally powers off after 5 minutes.
Note
To ensure that the printer driver works properly it may be necessary to adapt
the settings of the printer (e.g. mask settings). Please follow the
instructions enclosed in the shipment of the Cyclone autoloader.
Note
On Windows XP recording errors may possibly occur very often, which result in a
considerable amount of waste, because many eSATA
adapters do not work failure-free on this operating system. This applies e.g.
to the supported adapter. To get rid of the problem, you need an improved
driver or another adapter. Please contact ADR or the manufacturer of the eSATA adapter.
Note
When the hardware is put into operation, the order of switching on the various
parts is important. First, the printer should be switched on, BEFORE any other
components. Then the robotic part and the computer. If
you do not follow this order, the printer and consequently the total autoloader
will deny operation.
Regarding support for
further Autoloader manufacturers please contact PoINT Software & Systems
directly.
By default "PoINT
Publisher NG" searches for autoloaders at COM ports 1 through 3. If your
device is connected to a different port, it is necessary to adjust a registry
key so that "PoINT Publisher NG" includes that port in its search
algorithm.
To change these parameters, start REGEDIT.EXE with administrative rights and
open the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PoINT\Autoloader\General
Then create or modify the DWORD values MinComPort
and MaxComPort which specify the
first and last port number to search. Valid values are 1 through 8. Restart the
computer after changing these values.
Contact
Address:
PoINT Software & Systems GmbH
Eiserfelder Str. 316
57080
FAX:
+49 271 3841 151
E-Mail:
sales@point.de (sales and product related inquiries)
info@point.de (general inquiries)
WWW:
www.point.de
License Information
Possession, use, duplication or dissemination of this documentation as well as
the software described in this documentation is authorised only pursuant to a
valid written license from PoINT Software & Systems GmbH or an authorised sublicensor.
Disclaimer
PoINT Software & Systems GmbH believes the Information included in this
publication is accurate as of the date of publication,
it is subject to change without notice. PoINT Software & Systems GmbH is
not responsible for any inadvertent errors. PoINT Software & Systems GmbH
makes no representations that the use of its products in the manner described
in this document will not infringe on existing or future patent rights, nor do
the descriptions contained in this document imply the granting of licenses to
make, use, or sell equipment or software in accordance with the description.
Besides "PoINT Publisher NG" the production of a perfect Disc
requires a well configured System environment with a working Recording Device
and a flawless Medium. Therefore PoINT Software & Systems GmbH does not
warrant in any case that a Disc recorded with the "PoINT Publisher
NG" software is readable without errors. It is the obligation of the user
of "PoINT Publisher NG" to ensure correct recording by proof reading
techniques.