Split VDP PDF by Tray or Pallet

[rhd_ole]

Hello All -

I'm working on a new flow for our Roll Cut to Stack VDP jobs. Currently I'm splitting them by manageable stacks (4up - 200 card stacks) for the operators to be able to grab them and stack them into the trays.

As we progress, the goal it split the PDFs by Trays, T1, T2, T3, etc. I'm somewhat stumped. We are creating the VDP using XMPie and that output goes into Switch.

Any ideas?

-O

[laurentd]

Is there something specific on the page when you change trays?
You could then use Split PDF pages app

[rhd_ole]

Is there something specific on the page when you change trays?
You could then use Split PDF pages app

I went down that route originally, but I think it might be worth looking at deeper.

The data will have the tray/pallet information in it in some form. The data has like I mention in my post, the sequence will have T1 in sequence till the next tray start then it changes to T2 - this data comes from the presort with postal software that groups the mailings by routes.

Here is what the numbering would look like

0001T1, 0002T1.....00343T1
00344T2, 00345T2....00898T2.. and so on, the sequence stays sequential but the Tray number changes.

[laurentd]

You can write a script to parse the data you provide, and
• duplicate the file as many times as needed
• define the first and last page of each section, and the T1-T2-T3 suffix

Then you can use the Split PDF pages app as illustrated below.
If you provide an XML correctly formatted, no need to script, you can use the Variable XPath Repeater app to repeat the job n times, and define the needed private data.
.

Split pdf pages.png (26.02 KiB) Viewed 35650 times

[rhd_ole]

You can write a script to parse the data you provide, and
• duplicate the file as many times as needed
• define the first and last page of each section, and the T1-T2-T3 suffix

Then you can use the Split PDF pages app as illustrated below.
If you provide an XML correctly formatted, no need to script, you can use the Variable XPath Repeater app to repeat the job n times, and define the needed private data.
.

Split pdf pages.png

Sorry, I don't think I explained this properly. The file doesn't need to be duplicated, it needs to be split into multiple PDFs where some data within the pdf changes, in this case they trays, so when the sequesnce number in the pdf changes from T1 to T2, to T3, ect.

PDF that contains the mailing ( can be 10 pgs, could be 1,000,000 pgs).
Each page has the mailing address to who it goes to, and has a sequence number associated with each. The sequence that is part of the mailing address block as I mentioned in my previous post. It would be 1, 2, 3, ect. They also have the tray number at the end of the seqeunce to know where a new mailing tray should be used.

Basically the operator grabs the printed and cut cards in sequence and places them in a mailing tray till they see the next tray number, so all of T1 in a tray, all of T2 and so on. The quantity per tray varies based on location. My goal is to have our equipment start a new stack when there is a new tray to make this easier on the operator vs looking though stacks for the tray break.

[JimmyHartington]

Hi

I have previously used A PDF Splitter with execute command to split pdf-files based on content.
It worked create in my scenario, where I need to split a large file with a lot of invoices, which where 1, 2 or 3 pages.
http://www.a-pdf.com/content-splitter/index.htm

You can use the program to define the area, save a split file from the program and then execute it in the command line with Switch.

Is the sequence with T1 and T2 placed the same place in every file?

[rhd_ole]

Hi

I have previously used A PDF Splitter with execute command to split pdf-files based on content.
It worked create in my scenario, where I need to split a large file with a lot of invoices, which where 1, 2 or 3 pages.
http://www.a-pdf.com/content-splitter/index.htm

You can use the program to define the area, save a split file from the program and then execute it in the command line with Switch.

Is the sequence with T1 and T2 placed the same place in every file?

Thanks for the reply. The sequence is a variable text field in the PDF, so yes same location each time, just the page number changes where the next tray start will vary depending on the data. The variable is being done via XMPie Server.

my Switch runs on Mac, but I have a few VM's with Windows as well...

[JimmyHartington]

Perhaps another way could be to use find text with a Pitstop action where you find and log the selection.
Then use the XML-report somehow to split based on when the text changes from T1 to T2 etc.

Have not done it but could maybe be a path to take.

[freddyp]

Perhaps another way could be to use find text with a Pitstop action where you find and log the selection.
Then use the XML-report somehow to split based on when the text changes from T1 to T2 etc.

Have not done it but could maybe be a path to take.

There is no need to "use the XML report somehow to split etc.". That is exactly what the Split PDF pages app does when you use the strategy to use an Action List.

rhd_ole, can you share a small sample file so I can check if the criteria for determining a tray change can be put into an Action List?

[JimmyHartington]

Hi Freddy

Did not know the Split PDF pages app could do that.

[JimmyHartington]

I have now tried to use the Split PDF app with an action list, which logs the text "Invoice number:".
This text is on the first page of every invoice in a pdf with multiple invoices.
I need to split the pdf, so I can sort on number of pages per invoice. Invoices can be 1, 2, 3 or 4 pages.

This mostly works out of the box with the action list. Except if there are multiple 1 pages invoices after one another in the file.
The action list logs these pages as a range and so they are in there own pdf-file.

My work around is to add an empty page after every page before the splitting.
And then remove the empty pages of the pdf-files after they have been split.

Would just document it in this thread if it is of use to anyone.