🚀 go-pugleaf

Thanks Peter, 

The workflow: 
Files are received from two sources. 
Source one is from Schools and Nurseries. 
Source two from the net. 

There are 25 schools each with pupils between 150 and 600. Tha't a lot of images. Nurseries (15) have only between 20-30 each. 

Once the photographer has taken the pictures, the pictures are dumped into a folder (folder name is the same as School or Nursery name, plus in brackets, a short version of the name -which my program can extract and insert before each picture's file name). 

From this folder (and from the other School or Nursery folders), order forms need to be prepared. My script places 4 images per page (I will need to add a condition that allow me to place less than 4 images per page depending on the condition), and next to each image is a text. The text ask the user to specify Size and quantity for each picture (8 package choices containing various sizes and quantities). 

Once the order froms been printed with the sample images, all order forms are taken back to the school and kids take them home to their parents. Eventualy, all order forms are picked up from the school, and printing begins on a Durst Epsilon 30+ printer. This takes 30" wide paper that's 80m long. 

From the order forms allready prepared in InDesign, I would like to create a database. Each page is a record. In a database, I would like to see the sample pictures, and fields next to them, where I can enter the actual order the kids parents requested. Once all orders are complete, send specific commands to the printer software. This includes a Package Maker. The Package Maker allows you to click a file name, specify the size, and the number of copies you would like. This is fine, but I want to automate. Hence the database. Once I have the sizes and quantities in a database, I could send this to the package maker which would print it. 

Source two for the images are from the internet. Specific clients, that request pictures to be printed. The difference is, they can specify the sizes and quantities when they send the files to me. 
They would upload the files to a file server. Each file is renamed by them to something like "DSC_0021 (George Price)(8 10x8) ( 6 5x7) (4 6x4).JPG". 

A script would parse the brackets for information. In one, there is a name, in the others the quantity flowed by the size. A database can collect this information, and print the images the same was as for the Schools. 

Once images been printed, I can use the same script I used for Schools to print order forms. The difference is, since the file name allready contains the orders, next to each image the text fields can be fild in with this information. And of course, this is a completed order form which is used as a receipt for the client. 

Image rotation comes in for the preview pictures for the order forms. In the database, and in the orders uploaded to a file server. A digital camera allways stores images in landscape format. Even if the image is portrait. When you look at them in a folder, all images are landscape. When you provided a preview, it would be advantages to provide the picture that is the right way up. If I receive files over the net, I can detect if the image is wider that tall, so I know which way is up. Alternatively, the file can be marked up. Say an extra bracket containig the rotation required (90R) for Rotate Right 90 degrees. 

So there it is. 

In summary:- the script would create order forms. It woud place between 1 and 4 image on a page, and rotate images as required (this is just preview pictures, that's why I don't need PS7, and because there are a lot of pictures, PS7 would slow it down). If the file name contains the necessary order info, fill in the order fields. 

Write a tab delimited text file to the hard drive that contains the page number, image file names on that page, order sizes and quntities if they're present. This will be used in a database. 
Of course, it would be best if it can write the information directly to a database (Access) and update records and fields as needed. 

So there it is. There is a bit more to it of course, like key-ring image generation. In this, all images will be printed directly from ID to the Epsilon printer. There are no order forms for this, and no Package Maker involved. The majority of the scripts are written, but I'm still having problems with one or two small issues. The database is nowhere in site, and I don't know how to save a file from the script amongs other things. 

Thanks Peter, 

Bill