For BLOX Total CMS sites, that is handled with two different types of snippets:

• Page Design Snippets
• Design Element Snippets (also referred to in Page Tracker as Geometry)

Both types of snippets can be automatically applied to the page, though the techniques are radically different for each. 

Automatic Application of Page Design Snippets

This one is truly simple. And it's already in use at many sites!

Many ad layout systems support the use of a page type. In BLOX Total CMS parlance, it is converted to a Page Content Type. That is a generic name for what is to be placed on a page. The image below shows some examples:

Those content types need to match the ad layout systems names. But, because of some issues with BLOX Live e-Editions, the names need to be:

• lowercase
• Contain No Spaces
• Contain No Underscores (_)

Once both systems (your ad layout system and BLOX Total CMS) agree on the naming, then the next step is to export Page Design Snippets with those matching names. The only trick here is that the feature requires the snippets to be exported into folders for the publication code. The reason being that each publication code would more than likely have an 'opinion' page, but each would look unique. To prevent the ad layout system and the 'Page creation settings' from needing a uniquely named version of that page, a generic name is used and the snippets are just organized in a logical fashion. 

Once the setup is complete, as pages are created after using BLOX Total CMS > Documents > Advertising > Create Edition from Edition file... feature, the appropriate Page Design Snippets will be automatically applied.

This works for Distributed Production too, however, the Page Design Snippets are currently applied only in-office and then included when the page is first checked in.

Some additional generic information on Page Content Types can be found below:

Automatic Application of Design Element Snippets

This is both a new and an old feature.

It originated in client 5.35 in November of 2018. It was improved in client 5.36 the following January. But for those versions it required that the name of the snippet be typed in a special format into the asset's Print Notes field. 

Later in 2019 Snippets, as Geometry items, became available in the browser in the Publications accordion as shown in the collection below:

Initially that too allowed a snippet to be assigned and placed on a page automatically. But something happened in Page Tracker without notice to break that feature. 

It has been restored in the 5.56.00 version of the BLOX Total CMS client for Adobe InDesign in early 2022. 

When an article has Geometry specified, the page designer can draw any size text frame and then the corresponding snippet will replace the selected frame. The snippet is placed at the upper left hand corner of the selected frame and it remains the size of that the snippet was exported. It does NOT scale to the size of the drawn frame. 

Depending upon how the snippet was exported, it's main story, caption, or headline frames might get lengthened or they might stay as exported. That depends upon the Translation rulesets and how the snippets were exported. But the width of all the frames should remain as set.

To enable Geometry access, the template master needs to export the Design Element snippets and check the Export to Page Tracker option as shown below:

Note: When exporting a Design Element Snippet to Page Tracker, to allow the snippet to be used with ALL publications, both current and future, do NOT chose any publication codes. The Select All will mark it for all current publications. But having none of them marked will allow it to work with All current and future publications.