pass metadata from one file to another

[Northlander]

Hi,

Im setting up a flow were the user in shortly submit an .AI file via a submitpoint, by javascript place it in a .ai printtemplate and save the printtemplate as a pdf. In this way, no metadata from the submit point is passed on to the new file. I´ve tried to solve this for a couple of hours now but do not succeed. Can anyone give me some clues (or a solution) for what I need to do?

Thank you!

[loicaigon]

Just made a quick test and submit metadata can totally survive even if the output file has nothing to do with the incoming file.
What did you try ?

[Northlander]

Sorry I was a little bit sloppy when I wrote the post. I also use a script that saves the printtemplate as a pdf into a specified folder, it is this file that I want to contain the metadata.

[Northlander]

I found a solution on this one. I modified my javascript so I could use it to open the incoming file. This enabled me to scrap the script I used to save the new file and use Switch builtin function for saving pdf which in turn saved the metadata from the submit point. Your answer made me think in another way so in some way you can take partial credits for the solution Thank you!

[loicaigon]

I think we are in a misunderstanding here.

Say you have incoming file, in.ai.
That file reaches the illustrator configurator with some submit metadata (ex. exp. date of delivery ).

Open command is set to automatic
Process is set to none
Save is set to script

Your script opens a new file (the print template) and places the incoming in.ai file then outputs that new file that was newly populated.
As the new file is copied to the $outfolder and its url defined in the $outfiles array. The metadata survives in the outgoing connection.

If the file is archived after that or during the script and doesn't keep submit metadata, that's pretty nromal because those metadata only survives during the flow execution. If needed, you can store submit info in the XMP metadata (in jsx or in script) so that the info remains even out of Switch.

But for that, you need to pass the relevant info as arguments in the script property.

But maybe I am all wrong, feel free to share more details.