As a reminder, the software release of PageTracker, 1.16.0, included several ground-level requirements for the next major BLOX Total CMS product release, Distributed Production. For more information on Distributed Production, including how to start using some of these features, read our documentation here.

Distributed Production was developed to allow remote page designers to work free of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or remote desktop. Distributed Production is being developed in two phases, with Phase I now wrapping up beta testing. A full release for Phase I of Distributed Production is coming soon. Look out for full release notes. A webinar discussing Phase I or Distributed Production, along with a timeline for Phase II will be announced soon. 

• As TownNews moves closer to the full release of Distributed Production, one of the blocking options is our automation of Folio Text Variables. This has historically been handled via a custom script that the BLOX Total CMS team creates and installs in the site's Add-Ons folder. One issue with that method has been that it applies to all domains used by the site. Consequently, the logic involved can get convoluted. Similar to templates, output preferences and image toning, a web-service has been created to upload and download java files for folio text variables. (PAGETRACK-768)
• For disaster recovery purposes, the option to manually download the .zip file of the InDesign document has been added. (PAGETRACK-733)

This package installs the addition of a download button for .zip files on pagetracker>edition>pages, if a zip file is available for a page, the page edit window will now show a 'Download Zip' button, which when clicked will open a window and allow the download of the pages zip file. With this package the button will show, and the most recent zip file will be downloadable using the button. Without this package, there will be no download button.

AUTOMATED PRODUCTION

• Automated Production is the next product in development for BLOX Total CMS. Automated Production will expedite the page-building process for designers. This product, which will be rolled out in phases, will use budgeted assets — and assets with Page Content Types — as well as asset priority and other attributes to select which assets to place where automatically on the InDesign page by using the Automated Production feature added to the BLOX Total CMS menu. Eventually, the goal will be to have Adobe InDesign Server in the data centers. Since Distributed Production adds access to the templates, snippets, etc. everything would be accessible. The completed pages would be Checked In to Page Tracker the same way that Local and Remote users check pages in for Distributed Production. Initially, it would just be one version of the page. There has been discussions of producing multiple versions of the pages and that would only require some extra web-service and Page Tracker changes. Once built, any user can download the page and tweak it as necessary/desired. This release of Page Tracker includes a new feature to create application settings for placement priority hierarchy. (PAGETRACK-756)
  
• For sites using RPM, to avoid confusion, it will be renamed from tcms-indesign to Page Tracker. (PAGETRACK-793)

BUG FIXES