DIM PDF Plugin Setup

DIM PDF Plugin Setup

Overview

The PDF Plugin allows customers running the Data Integration Manager (DIM) to save PDF files of Sent Forms to a specified file location. There are limited customize-able options for this plugin. The following options are available:
The filename of the PDF based on static text or Form Region data
The folder location where the PDF will be saved on either a local machine or on a network share
Note: Before proceeding, it is assumed that the person doing this setup is familiar with the DIM and already has version 2.2.1 (or newer) installed and running. For more details on the Data Integration Module, see the article Data Integration Module (DIM) User Guide.

Installation

Note: If you are running version 6.5 or higher of the DIM (Data Integration Module), this file has automatically been installed and you can skip this section.
The installation involves downloading and copying the PDF Plugin and its support libraries to the machine running the DIM service. 
  1. On the machine running the DIM, stop the DIM Service by opening up the DIM Admin Utility and stopping the Service or by opening up Windows Services and stopping the Service directly.
  2. Save the following ZIP file locally on the machine:  DIM PDF Plugin
  3. Extract and save these files to the DIM Program Files folder. The DIM Program Files folder will be one of the following depending on your machine's operating system:
    1. 32 Bit: C:\Program Files(x86)\F2B Data Integration Module
    2. 64 Bit: C:\Program Files\F2B Data Integration Module

Configuration

Before configuring your DIM project, make sure all of the required elements for setting up a PDF Plugin DIM Project are known:
  1. The eForm will be rendered to a PDF. (required)
  2. The Filename format of the PDF generated. (required)
  3. The Folder Location (on the local computer or out on a network share) where the PDF will be stored. (required)
  4. The PDF Plugin can be configured to only render specific pages in the PDF instead of all pages (the default). Page ranges (1-4) and multiple pages (1,3) can be set. (optional) 
Note: If a DIM Project already exists for this eForm, it is recommended you contact F2B Technical Support about the best option to prevent duplications from occurring.

To set up a DIM PDF Plugin Project

  1. Open up the DIM Project Manager Utility.
  2. Enter your Company and DIM Login Credentials. If you are running version 6.5 or higher of the DIM (Data Integration Module), this log-in is done automatically and you can skip this step.
  3. Select the File Menu and click New.
  4. Select the eForm for the project. (You may need to load the form before this step.)
  5. Select Custom Code.
  6. For the Class, select Browse then select the  WritePdfPlugin.dll file.     
  7. Enable the Project. 
  8. Save the Project.
  9. Go to the Jobs folder in the DIM Program Files folder:
    1. 32 Bit: C:\Program Files(x86)\F2B Data Integration Module > Projects  or
    2. 64 Bit: C:\Program Files\F2B Data Integration Module > Projects
  10. Open the.XML file that corresponds to your eForm Name.
     11. Update the <processPlugin> tag from a self-closing tag to a block.
            From       <processPlugin class="Field2Base.Integration.Plugins.WritePdfPlugin,WritePdfPlugin, Version=1.0.6785.29100, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null"/>
            To           <processPlugin class="Field2Base.Integration.Plugins.WritePdfPlugin,WritePdfPlugin, Version=1.0.6785.29100, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null">

    12. Add the following lines below that block:
            <fileName>Filename.pdf</fileName>
            <destinationFolder>C:\</destinationFolder>

      13. Update the <fileName> and the <destinationFolder> tags with the values for your intended use.
      14. To render specific pages (optional), the following line needs to be added just below the
             <destinationFolder> tag:    <pages>1</pages>
      15. Make sure to add a closing tag </processPlugin>. The processPlugin block should now look like this:

            <processPlugin class="Field2Base.Integration.Plugins.WritePdfPlugin,WritePdfPlugin, Version=1.0.5955.30601, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null">            
                 <fileName>Filename.pdf</fileName>           
                 <destinationFolder>C:\</destinationFolder>            
                 <pages>1</pages>      
            </processPlugin>
       16. Save the file.
Note: If you open a DIM Project in the DIM Project Manager that was edited directly in the XML file using a text editor, those edits will be lost once you click Save in the Project Manager and you will need to re-apply them directly in the XML file again.

Configuration Notes

Using Region Names in the Configuration

Regions can be used in the <filename> and <destinationFolder> tags using the format: {Page1@RegionName}

destinationFolder AutoCreate Option

By default, folders will be auto-created if they don’t already exist. If this is not desired, then the auto-Create flag can be set in the <destinationFolder> tag like this:

      <destinationFolder autoCreate="false">C:\</destinationFolder>

If this flag is set to false and the folder does not exist, then the Service will record an error and not process the Form.

Writing PDFs to Network Share Locations

If the PDF being generated is saved out on a network share folder location, the DIM Service needs to have the ability to write PDF’s to that location. If that folder location is not a public folder, then the DIM Service will need to be updated with a User Account (usually a Domain Account) with the privileges to write to that folder. The Service can be updated by doing the following:

Go to Windows Services.
  1. Select the F2B Data Integration Service.
  2. Stop the Service.
  3. Right-click then select Properties.
  4. Go to the Log On tab.
  5. Change the “Log on as:” option to "This Account".
  6. Enter the User Account to use.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Start the Service.

If the Service times out, then the User Account most likely does not have sufficient privileges to access the folder location and another account will need to be used. 


Testing

Note: Do not proceed with Testing until all changes to the DIM Project have been saved and the file has been closed.
The testing is a combination of running the new Project with the DIM service and confirming the Project works correctly.

1. On the machine running the DIM, start the DIM Service by opening up the DIM Admin Utility or by opening up Windows Services and starting the Service directly.
2. Go to the DIM Admin Utility’s Logs section.
3. Filter the Logs to view today’s date.
4. Confirm the newly created Project loaded correctly. The log will look like:
      04/19 10:13:00.01 AM -4 Info : Added job: PDF Plugin Form

5. Wait a few minutes for the Project to start processing Forms.
6. Confirm the PDFs are being generated correctly. The log will look like:
      04/19 10:13:18.99 AM -4 Info : Processing dispatch 12, Ref# 200
      04/19 10:13:19.00 AM -4 Info : Saving eForm PDF to C:\Test_12.pdf

7. Open up a File browsing window and go to the location of the PDF.
8. Open the PDF and confirm all Pages are rendered correctly.


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