Template Setup Questions

[INGuser]

I am using FusionPro Desktop 5.8P1m to setup jobs on my PC. The current job that I am working on seems to be the most complicated I have done and I am not sure how I can use the data and template to create the job in FusionPro. I have attached my template, data file, images and what I am looking for as far as final output to make it easier to visualize. Any help would be great.

The template for the job in question will be 5 pages. The first page of each job will be an address page. Then pages 2-4 will be variable images based on a field in my data file. I am facing the following two dilemmas with this job.

Dilemma 1: In my data file each addressee has one address line per variable image that needs to be placed with the address page. The lines are tied together by a separate field in my data file called "Household Tag". Each mailing name has a different number. (I.e. each line for Amber R. is marked with a 1 and each line for Bill P. is marked with a 2 and so on for each person on the list) Is there a way to use this information to setup the job so that the address block pulls from one line but the images pull from the multiple lines?

Dilemma 2: Some of the records in my data file are formatted to produce three template pages while others are setup to produce five template pages. For the records that will produce less than five template pages how do I turn off he blank pages so they do not show in my data file?

This is also a long shot but after setting the job up as stated above is there a way to put a 2D barcode on the output? I am thinking that because each set will end up with a different number of sheets that this is not possible.

Like I stated before, any help or suggestion on an easier way to do this job would be appreciated.

Output.zip

[esmith]

Dilemma 1: In my data file each addressee has one address line per variable image that needs to be placed with the address page. The lines are tied together by a separate field in my data file called "Household Tag". Each mailing name has a different number. (I.e. each line for Amber R. is marked with a 1 and each line for Bill P. is marked with a 2 and so on for each person on the list) Is there a way to use this information to setup the job so that the address block pulls from one line but the images pull from the multiple lines?

You can accomplish this by using an external data file. The data file in your attachment would be the external data file and you would create a separate file with a list of household tags (1 record per tag). A record would compare the tag data (primary key) against all records in the external data file and assign any matching records to variables which could then be used to populate your template.

 

Dilemma 2: Some of the records in my data file are formatted to produce three template pages while others are setup to produce five template pages. For the records that will produce less than five template pages how do I turn off the blank pages so they do not show in my data file?

You could set all but the first page to unused and assign numbers as page names, then use the SetBodyPageUsage function in a loop to change the necessary number of pages to "true" based on the number of matches in your external data file.

 

This is also a long shot but after setting the job up as stated above is there a way to put a 2D barcode on the output? I am thinking that because each set will end up with a different number of sheets that this is not possible.

I don't have much experience with 2D barcodes, although assuming every page of a record has a common barcode (1 barcode per record), you could add the barcode to every page in your template. Since the unused pages don't print, the barcode will change after the last page of each record.

 

Alternatively, if you want to have a unique barcode on the last page of each record regardless of page count, you can search the forums as I know this was discussed in the past.

[esmith]

Here's my solution sans the 2D barcode.

New_Output.zip