censhare uses transformations to process content efficiently on the basis of XML. With version 4.8, contents from an asset structure, such as product information, may be targeted for placing in boxes of a layout area in Adobe InDesign. Here, censhare obtains additional information on the boxes from the layout.
The world of content is becoming more complex and multifaceted. There is no one format in which content arrives at a company, just as there is no one medium for the publishing of all content. At the same time, companies have to structure their communication and information processes efficiently. censhare resolves this dilemma by using XML as the central format for the transformation and processing of content. Here, among other things, contents are converted into XML and then transformed into the output format. In this way financial figures, for example, may be converted directly into a table of an Adobe InDesign layout. censhare constitutes the central hub for all content processes, automatic or manual. With version 4.8, the software expands its capabilities further, for the targeted transformation of contents to be placed in Adobe InDesign. Here, censhare obtains additional information on the particular position for the placing, in order to select the content for the corresponding box of a layout area. If the user, for instance, drags a product asset structure into a layout area, censhare automatically places images, text and tables in the correct positions.
In this way censhare can save the layout expert a lot of work in placing. The layout expert now only has to drag the product asset structure into the right area. The necessary data are collected together in an asset structure.
In, for example, the production of a bilingual magazine, the two text versions are arranged in two adjacent columns in the layout. Each image has a bilingual caption. An article asset now contains the text and image captions in both languages, as well as the images. During placing, the layout expert drags the asset into the desired layout area. censhare takes care of the rest. This also ensures that the language variants always appear in the same text area.
censhare makes full use of its capabilities for this to function so simply. The entire content, whether images, text, tables, audio or video files, can all be collected together in one object, in one asset structure. This object may be a product or an article for different countries or media. Here, the advantage is also that all data can be found in one central location.
In addition, the metadata index, asset-search and placing category may be defined for every box in a layout area. Asset search allows the precise selection of one or more assets within the asset structure. In addition, the asset search can evaluate whether a desired placing category is set in the results. If, for example, the asset search finds more than one image, then the first image is always used in the case of several boxes with the same search. But if the boxes have different indices, censhare chooses a different image each time from the results of the asset search. This is possible since, with censhare 4.8, the metadata remain accessible during the transformation. In addition, censhare uses XSLT to convert the asset into Adobe’s ICML InDesign format for the particular box.
XML is the central format for the transformation of content in censhare. All objects or assets in censhare may be described with the help of XML. Here censhare provides a powerful tool for modifying any content, e.g. in placing, with XSL transformations.
Product images and information represent a typical application case. Product images may be made available by means of a collection folder. This may then contain, among others, all assets of the product images needed for a supermarket’s special offers of the week. The layout template is configured in such a way that censhare knows exactly which image goes in which box when a user drags the collection folder onto the group with the boxes in the template.
Alternatively, the information may also be deposited in asset structures in censhare. This could be an asset such as the product information on a mountain bike with photos, tables of technical data and descriptive text. With asset structures, the numbers on the boxes help to select the correct asset in the structure for placing. The user simply drags the asset structure onto the layout group in Adobe InDesign. The selection and transformation of the correct contents for the individual boxes takes place automatically.
For each box, various parameters can be defined to specify which content of an asset structure goes into the particular box. These include, among others, the index of the box, the placing category and the group name. With censhare 4.8, these are also available in the transformation for the placing of the contents. censhare can differentiate between the individual boxes by using the index, even if the same transformation is always applied.
If a text asset is converted into ICML, the index allows differences in placing, even with the same transformation. For example, the product text for the mountain bikes are captured in XML with the article editor layout-neutral (content first). This allows the text to be used directly for the catalog, online or an IPad app. Here, there is a text item with the highlights and another with the detailed description. For placing in the catalog, the two text items should receive different style templates and the highlight text should also be made to stand out with a frame. With the different indices on the two text boxes, censhare can apply the appropriate style templates and other layout effects in each case.
In order to determine the right asset in a structure, a search in the asset structure may be defined in the placing metadata of a box. The selection is further qualified by the placing category.
censhare transfers the placing metadata - category, index or priority and group name - as parameters in the REST (Representational State Transfer) URL. The data are appended the end of the URL as matrix parameters separated by “;” They may be used in an XSL Transformation, in addition to the asset ID of the target document.
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