By: Erik Vlietinck
Tue, February 05, 2008 - 6:15:00

http://www.softcare.de

SoftCare wasn’t too happy with the results of the Editorial Workflow comparison report we wrote earlier. They asked us to clarify how we got to our conclusion, which we did. After reading our comments, they checked and found that the files for installation their engineer was to provide us with included incorrect libraries, which in turn made the K4 test installation behave the way it did. The below is what SoftCare’s Product Manager said K4 normally should be capable of. I am reproducing his observations as I received them, with no editing and no comments added, as a technical brief of K4.

SoftCare K4 version 5.9 offers many new features and enhancements that make publishing workflows more efficient. The focus point is the support of the new functionality in Adobe InDesign CS3 to place a layout in a layout. Major areas of improvement include placing a layout more than once, layouts in layouts, improvements of the K4 File Manager so that you can check-in and check-out multiple objects simultaneously, replacing pictures with pictures (which are then moved to a configured path—if they are stored somewhere else, open a locally saved file of a checked out object by double clicking on it or using the “Check Out” button), and extended export functionality in K4 Admin for storing K4 objects in the local file system based on a publication query.

At the same time SoftCare releases the free-of-charge Adobe InDesign plug-in called “Content Activator”, for reactivating objects in an Adobe InDesign Document. This plug-in is mainly used in service bureaus to access text frames that were locked using Adobe’s InDesign story mechanism.

Using the K4 Layout View feature in InCopy, articles can be checked out in one window as you can in InDesign. This helps the editor-in-chief (or proof-reader) to close entire pages by opening all articles in a single InCopy window. Usually, InCopy users can open only one article at a time. In order to edit several articles connected to the same InDesign layout, they have to open each article individually, which requires multiple check-out procedures (lots of clicks) and generates a lot of traffic since the accompanying layout geometry has to be transferred multiple times, and of course results in a lot of open document windows.

With other systems, the editor-in-chief has to have a copy of InDesign or QuarkXPress installed on his computer just for that purpose. The problem is that using these applications he is also able change the geometry. He should not do it, but sometimes he does it accidentally. Therefore somebody has to approve the layout again after he has done the job. This costs a lot of time and resources at a time close to deadline, when time is most precious. Therefore, the K4 Layout View helps save cost for software licenses (no InDesign required), reduces network traffic and most importantly saves time during the final editing stages.

In K4, like in most integrated newspaper systems, article templates have a geometry that can be transferred to the layout when a stand-alone article is connected to a layout file. This is a very handy feature for producing articles that conform to standard layouts, typically in newspapers or some parts of a magazine, e.g. editorials. 

When using designed article templates, editors can write the article to fit before the layout has even been created. Article templates may also contain an XML structure and any kind of style information (character, paragraph, tables, object or colors) an editor needs for writing an article. This way the editor can concentrate on writing the text without worrying about styles etc.

Creating as many text objects as you like from within InCopy is a feature enabling the editor to add new text objects to an article and does not have to wait for the layout designer to create a new frame for him. Example: you have already created a headline and a body text for your article and now want to create a separate text object containing some background information for an info box.

Instead of asking the layout designer to create a new frame and assign the frame to the article, you just create another text object and key in the text. Later the layout designer can place the additional text object on the layout. This save time for both the editor and the designer and means less interruptions for the designer to deal with the editors’ requests.

Relative Queries

In K4, text objects can live as part of an article and are available for editing in InCopy without ever appearing on the printed InDesign page. An article in K4 is a collection of assets that are used to create the output that is requested for the various data channels. An un-placed text object can hold a text for a web teaser, an alternative web headline or a teaser for the table of contents, to name but a few.

This text will never be placed on a page, but will appear in the web version of the article. But instead of having different staff that writes up web-specific text, in K4 this can all be done by the same editor. This will enhance the quality of web material (because it is written by the original text author familiar with the subject) and streamline the production process. See also the SoftCare User Story on integrated print and web publishing at Business Week in New York.

The ability to have Relative Queries, like “current”, “next”, “previous issue” (later also introduced in SCE5) is not a unique feature of K4 any more, as WoodWing has introduced this into SCE5, but we like to point out, that this essential feature has been available in K4 since June 2002.

With a system like WoodWing’s SCE, a publisher is forced to upgrade their Adobe Creative Suite software in sync with SCE, because each version of SCE only supports one specific version of Adobe software. SoftCare always supports the latest two versions of the Adobe Creative Suite to support K4 customers in the transition process from one version to another. K4 version 5.9 is available for CS2 and CS3, while SCE5 is available for CS3 only.

Best practices for upgrading complex solutions like editorial workflow systems include procedures to upgrade only one part of the system at a time. Usually – especially in the USA – K4 sites will upgrade their K4 system, and afterwards migrate one title at a time to the new Adobe version. This allows for greater flexibility during the upgrade process. It is essential for enterprise sites with hundreds of users where it is impossible to migrate everyone at the same time, since upgrading to a newer version of InDesign and InCopy often also requires additional training. K4 helps a smooth transition and a clever allocation of IT and training resources.

K4 offers the following interfaces for external solutions to get integrated:

• SoftCare K4 Plug-in API for writing plug-ins to the K4 system as a very close integration to the K4 system, having access to the functionality built into K4. This interface is used for example for the integration of “MadeToPrint InDesign AutoK4”.
• Scripting of our plug-ins, for writing automation scripts which use our plug-ins. Mainly used for automated processes based on the functionality of our K4 plug-ins for customizing done at the customer side.
• PrimeBaseTalk scripting, for getting direct access to the K4 database. This is needed for accessing K4-objects in a way, which is not covered by our API for customizing done at the customer side.
• K4 Drop Folders for importing file objects, like pictures, on a high level from other systems into the K4 system, for example used for the integration of FotoStation Pro K4.
• XML Exporter to get K4 objects transferred to other systems, for example used as input for the integration with CoreMedia CMS or Scriba from PCI.