uDirect – What’s New

See also uDirect release notes

Version 12.1 (March 30, 2022)

New PDF/VT-3 output format

PDF/VT-3 is a new variable data output format that is now available.
As new printers and RIPs that support this new format come onto the market, XMPie customers will be able to immediately take advantage of this new format.
Video training

Tag a dynamic document before linking to a data source 

This new ability allows you to start working on your document and make it fully dynamic before connecting to a data source. You design your document as usual, create content objects, variables, etc, and connect to a data source at any later stage, if needed. For example, use this option when preparing a document for uStore, where all input comes from customization and there is no need for input data at all.
To use this ability, start by selecting Manual Definition as the input data type.
Read more

Improved user interface 

The user interface has significantly changed to improve usability.

  • It is now possible to highlight in the document only selected content objects, to help you identify where one or more content objects are located in the design. 
  • Dynamic page or spread visibility configuration is now also available by right clicking the page on the InDesign Pages panel. This new ability allows you to select multiple pages and apply dynamic properties to them at the same time. This is similar to the functionality added to the Layers panel in the previous version.
  • The creation of new content objects, variables and input data fields has been redesigned to facilitate and simplify the process of creating these objects. In addition, it is now possible to create several connected objects at the same time. For example, an input field and the content object that references it can be created in one go.
  • The task of editing a rule now has its own dedicated rule editor, allowing you to focus on rule editing only. 
  • You can now set the output resolution of a PNG and JPEG proof jobs in connectivity mode, enabling you to configure uStore product proofs without the need to go through the uProduce dashboard.
  • New advanced capability to embed and extract a plan into or out of the InDesign document. 
  • Ability to sort table records by the primary field configured in the plan.
    Activate this ability in the Preferences dialog. 
  • Additional UI improvements:
    • The panel can be resized to the full height of the screen.
    • The panel can be scrolled using the mouse wheel.
    • The dial indication automatically moves to the variable when a dial content object is turned to a variable.
    • Improved organization of the Preferences dialog.
    • Ability to turn a link content object into a variable.
    • Ability to select the save location for the document structure file.
    • Clickable large button to start adding dynamic content to the document.
    • Improved icon design.

Video training

Version 12.0 (November 17, 2022)

Support for Adobe CC-2023

This version supports Adobe CC-2023 only.

Support for macOS Ventura

PersonalEffect 12 supports macOS Ventura (version 13) for desktop products.

Version 11.4 (November 17, 2022)

Watch the What’s new video

Final support for Adobe CC-2022

This is the last version that supports Adobe CC-2022.

Support for macOS Ventura

PersonalEffect 11.4 supports macOS Ventura (version 13) for desktop products.

Version 11.3 (September 29, 2022)

Improved user interface

The uCreate Print user interface has significantly changed to help improve usability.

  • The new Dynamic Content menu has been added to the menu bar. It incorporates XMPie-related tasks, such as linking to a data source, setting the assets folder or generating VDP output.
  • The uCreate Print panel has been renamed to Dynamic Content panel, and contains only menu options relevant to managing content objects and variables.
  • The Dynamic Content panel now reflects the data source structure by making all fields (column headers) available as input data fields. You can edit the data schema or input data fields directly from within the panel, similarly to what previously could have been done only in uPlan.
  • The right-click context menu has been renamed to Dynamic Content, and has been redesigned for improved usability.
  • A right-click menu has been added to InDesign’s Layers panel, enabling you to set visibility not only to single but also to multiple layers at once.
  • In InDesign’s Layers and Pages panel, a new sub menu has been added to the Options menu, enabling you to set visibility not only to single but also to multiple layers or pages at once.
  • InDesign shortcuts for XMPie actions are better named and grouped in the InDesign Keyboard Shortcuts window.

Document structure analysis

A new analysis method that analyzes the full structure of the document has been added. The result of this analysis is an XML file that accompanies the document in its full life cycle. This file is used internally by XMPie to facilitate capabilities that require knowledge of the document structure.

The document structure information includes a list of the ADORs used in the InDesign document, ADORs per page, location of the ADORs, fonts, etc. If you wish to access the document analysis, select Advanced > “Save Document Structure XML” from the Dynamic Content menu.

Version 11.2 (May 8, 2022)

Page numbering run information

The ability to use run information in page numbering has been added. For example “Run Page Index” and “Run Record Index”. This is useful for post-printing error detection.

Typekit fonts

PersonalEffect now supports Adobe’s Typekit fonts in both uCreate Print and uProduce production.

New QLingo functions

  • Fetch function
    The Fetch function allows you to make HTTP requests to a server, such as Rest API calls.
    Read more     |     Video training
  • AsJsonArray function
    The AsJsonArray function takes multiple comma-separated expressions and returns a JSON array containing the values of the expressions.
    Read more

Version 11.1 (January 9, 2022)

PNG proof when working in uCreate Connectivity

When working in uCreate Print Connectivity mode, it is now possible to create a proof in PNG format to streamline uStore product creation. 

Enhancement of uCreate Print panel

Options in the uCreate Print panel right-click menu have been modified to allow you to easily carry out common tasks.

For example, multiple ADORs can be marked as Campaign Dials with a single click.  

Version 11.0 (November 28, 2021)

Support for Adobe CC-2022

This version supports Adobe CC-2022.

Support for Apple Silicon

This version supports the new Apple Silicon (M1) CPU.

The M1 processor is  a powerful replacement for the Intel CPUs, and is used in Apple’s newest Macs. 
Intel-based Macs are still supported.

Support for macOS Monterey

PersonalEffect 11.0 supports macOS Monterey (version 12) for desktop products.

 

Support for Windows 11 operating system

PersonalEffect 11.0 supports Windows 11 operating system.

Version 10.2 (October 1, 2021)

Enhancement

This version significantly improves the Page Numbering feature. 
See release notes

Keyboard shortcuts

It is now possible to create keyboard shortcuts for XMPie actions via InDesign’s keyboard shortcut option.

Create keyboard shortcuts for quick access of XMPie actions that you frequently use. This will save you a huge amount of time while you work, as you will not need to use the mouse.  

For example, if you often use the “Save on XMPie Server” or “Dynamic Print” actions, create shortcuts for them.  Video training

Version 10.1 (June 30, 2021)

Page numbering

A new Page Numbering feature has been added, which enables you to create design
elements that incorporate page numbering information.

The page numbering information can be formatted using JavaScript logic to display
as text or barcode, or control visibility.

Read more in English  Deutsch   Français      |     Video training

Version 10.0 (November 4, 2020)

Support for Adobe CC-2021

This version supports Adobe CC-2021.

Version 9.8 (June 28, 2020)

Watch the What’s new video

PDF page and layer selection

uCreate Print now gives you the ability to select which page and layer of your PDF document will be used in your design.
When placing an asset ADOR in your InDesign document, you can specify the required page or layer.
For example, if the PDF contains several layers per page, such as art, dieline and bleed, you can choose the specific layer to be used.
During production, only the defined page and layer are considered.  

Video training

QLingo functions

New QLingo functions:

  • IsAssetExist
  • GetAssetPath
  • GetAssetWebURL
  • GetPDFAssetPageCount
  • Rectangle (dynamic color style)     |     Video training
  • Web.URLContentAsFile     |     Video training

Read more

Version 9.7 (January 19, 2020)

Support for Adobe CC-2020

This version supports Adobe CC-2020.

Support for MacOS 10.15

PersonalEffect 9.7 supports macOS 10.15 Catalina for uCreate Print.
(Versions earlier than 10.14 are no longer supported.)

Version 9.6.2 released September 1, 2019

Table row styling enhancements

The following enhancements have been made to the table row styling feature:

  • It is now possible to choose whether to apply copy fitting to a table within a story.
  • It is now possible to choose whether to apply the suppress trailing spaces feature to a table within a story.
 
 

Version 9.6 released July 22, 2019

Table row styling

Table row styling allows you to control the way a data record of a dynamic table is presented.

Using this feature you can define, for each data record, the background color, font and other style attributes, as well as the layout and dynamic content. You can also dynamically span a data record over multiple styled rows, or omit a data record altogether.

For example, you can create a table with two designs: blue for debit and green for credit.  In the data source, in the “XMPieDesignSelector” column, you will assign each row the required design.

This feature is available for InDesign composition only. 

Read the help in  English   |     Video Training

Version 9.5 released May 19, 2019

PDF password protection

A personalized PDF can now have password protection. This increases the security of documents intended to be shared online.

The password is provided as an ADOR. The output is single PDFs, each protected by the password provided by the ADOR.

This capability will also be available via PDF on Demand in Circle in the future.  Read more

Dynamic PDF placement box selection

When adding an image box and placing an image ADOR in it, you can select which box will be cropped out of the PDF (in case the ADOR resolves to a PDF) to be placed in the image box.

The crop options include bounding box, art, trim, bleed and media. Read more

Increased composition performance

PersonalEffect composition throughput increased for documents with table autoflow with visibility ADORs.

The performance is up to 20% faster with complex documents.

 

 

 

 

Version 9.4  released November 2018

Support for Adobe CC-2019

This version supports Adobe CC-2019 version 14.0.

Important!

 

Support for macOS Mojave 10.14

PersonalEffect 9.4 supports macOS Mojave (10.14) for desktop products.