Can a MarcomCentral template pull a graphic from an external server?

[EricC]

I have a template with several hundred graphics.

 

The graphics change on a regular basis, so I placed all of the graphics on an FTP Server so my client can update the PDF files himself. He is careful to overwrite the current PDF file with the new PDF file (so there's only ever one "version" of each PDF file on the FTP Server)

 

Now ... In my MarcomCentral store, I have a versioned item that uses (as a graphic resource) those PDF files sitting on my FTP Server.

 

Can a versioned item on MarcomCentral access these graphic resources on my FTP Server? (as an external resource).

 

Otherwise, each time my client updates a PDF file on my FTP Server, I will have to remember to upload it to the Library in the printable Manager.

 

Thanks.

[ThomasLewis]

I asked a similar question a few months back about hosting an external data file on a remote server. Apparently there is no way to host remote files with MarcomCentral due to security concerns. It sure would be handy though.

[Andre Globensky]

Hello EricC, here is a starter, i know that this works

in your graphic rule :

pic = CreateResource("http://yoursite/" + Field("***") + ".eps" , "graphic" , true );

return pic

BUT... there is no way to test if the file is on server or if the server is up and running.

[ThomasLewis]

Interesting that external graphic resources work but text resources do not. It sure would be useful to have clients maintain lists as well as images outside MarcomCentral.

[jwhittaker]

We have a couple of clients that would love to be able to manage their own images and list as well. It is a pain to upload every time they make a change.

[jwhittaker]

Just following up on this to see if this has changed. I am using the

 

pic = CreateResource("http://yoursite/" + Field("***") + ".eps" , "graphic" , true );

return pic

 

I have a client that has a huge amount of images on a ftp that are used in a few different versioned and variable templates. Currently we do these off line but I want to be able to put on the store.

The excel list has all the versioned data as well as the image names. I login to their ftp using a ftp username and password. I pull the images down and then add them to my templates.

I would love to be able to put these templates on the store to eliminate having to do these manually on my desktop.

Is there anyway yet to be able to pull a graphic from a ftp using a specific username and password?

I was thinking of something like this: (but it's not working)

 

var frtname = "ftp://username:Password@yoursite/folder/" + ToLower(Field("image1")) + ".eps";

var frt = CreateResource(frtname);

return frt;

[Dan Korn]

Just following up on this to see if this has changed. I am using the

 

pic = CreateResource("http://yoursite/" + Field("***") + ".eps" , "graphic" , true );

return pic

 

I have a client that has a huge amount of images on a ftp that are used in a few different versioned and variable templates. Currently we do these off line but I want to be able to put on the store.

The excel list has all the versioned data as well as the image names. I login to their ftp using a ftp username and password. I pull the images down and then add them to my templates.

I would love to be able to put these templates on the store to eliminate having to do these manually on my desktop.

Is there anyway yet to be able to pull a graphic from a ftp using a specific username and password?

I was thinking of something like this: (but it's not working)

 

var frtname = "ftp://username:Password@yoursite/folder/" + ToLower(Field("image1")) + ".eps";

var frt = CreateResource(frtname);

return frt;

Only URLs starting with "http://" work in the current versions of FusionPro and MarcomCentral.

[jwhittaker]

Hey Dan

Thanks for the response. Is there a way to use a HTTP:// but login as a specific user and password? If not is this on the drawing board?

[Dan Korn]

Is there a way to use a HTTP:// but login as a specific user and password?

No, not unless it's part of the URL. There's no way to log in to a site to get access to content, like in a web browser.

If not is this on the drawing board?

There's nothing I know of like this on the drawing board for FusionPro. As for MarcomCentral, that would be a question for your BRM.