PLANPOINT 7.0
About this documentation
This user documentation covers introduction, configuration and use of PLANPOINT 7.0.
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Getting started
Getting started with configuring PLANPOINT is following a few simple steps. The complexity of the products that are to be configured adds to complexity and number of items, of course.
In order to create and plan a newspaper or magazine in PLANPOINT, a number of configuration tasks must be performed in a specific sequence. The following text is intended only as a rough outline of these steps.
Please consult the individual work steps in the corresponding chapters of this manual for a more detailed explanation of each function, menu and tool mentioned in the list.
Set up the page layouts in the Page Layout editor menu. This function applies to all products to be planned and paginated. The page layout defines the size of the page, margins and number of columns.
A new Product (newspaper, magazine) is defined. The product defines the title from bookingsystem with zones and sections to be available for planning. You may also add values for the same product to integrate to the editorial system where values may differ from booking system.
When the Product has been created, all the product specific data is entered into other Administration menus:
Editorial Department, defining page folio attributes to be brought to the editorial system.
Departments, defining the parameter for each type of page, unique or for a number of pages. You would probably need a department describing “Frontpage” as unique, another department “Real Estate” used for a number of pages in the newspaper. The department defines which placements is designated for page, desired maximum ad filling percentage, placement algorithms and Indesign template. Finally a default Editorial Department is added to the department.
Classified category, defines which classified placements and subplacements belong to a classified section. The preferred sort order and the classified headers are defined.
After you have input the base data, you can Create Publication for one or more
days in the Product panel menu. Here you can assign the required Publication Zones and Sections for the intended publication date or select a previously saved Publication Template to start planning quicker.Now you can begin working on the pub dates available in the Product panel.
If you have not assigned a pre-configured Template to the publication date, upon selecting the issue date you want to work with, you then begin assigning the necessary Departments and/or Editorial Departments.
After the pages are defined with their corresponding placement information, you can start placing ads. PLANPOINT does not stipulate a mandatory sequence therefore you can autofloat or manually place ROP ads or classifieds pending availability in the respective tab panels.
If you need to create variations (adding or removing pages) on the planning to accommodate breaking news events or late arriving ad materials, then once again from the Product panel you Create from current plan different Product versions which stores a history of the plan possibilities with Restore points should the page count ultimately not change.
Throughout the course of your planning, you perform a number of Release plan functions to transfer the designated news pages to the editorial department for further editing.
Starting the Application
Login
Access to PLANPOINT is provided through an Internet URL address. This address should be provided by your system administrator and entered in the address field of your web browser.
The address points your browser to the PLANPOINT server. First time you access the server, the browser will automatically start downloading the PLANPOINT application to your computer.
Installing Java
PLANPOINT requires Java to run. Java is a set of instructions that expand the capabilities of your web browser. In most cases PLANPOINT will install the correct version of Java automatically. However local security rules and issues may prevent this. If you experience problems installing Java please contact your system administrator.
You can read more about Java here: Java Runtime Environment
Login window
Once all application codes are loaded, a login window, similar to the window shown below, will appear.
Use the Name and the Password fields to enter a correct identification.
User Name
Enter a valid username here.
Password
Enter the associated password here. For security reasons, the password will be displayed as dots when typing.
If the checkbox “Remember Password” is shown you can check this and your password will be auto completed at next login.
Hit the Login button or press [Enter] to activate the login procedure. If the username and password is correct PLANPOINT proceeds to the main workspace window. Otherwise, the user is informed that there is an error in the entries.
Logout
Closing or exiting PLANPOINT is only a matter of navigating to the General menu in the upper left-hand corner of the application and selecting Close ADPOINT or mouse-clicking the [ X ] in the upper right-hand corner of the window as is standard functionality in most programs.
Workspace
This chapter explains how the PLANPOINT module has been laid out to provide fast and accurate tools for optimal productivity.
Panels
Product panel shows the products and productions that are currently in the planning phase.
Page panel shows the pages of the selected production/zone/section. This is the active working panel for a PLANPOINT user.
ROP panel shows the “run-of-paper” ad bookings for the publication date. The selection of ads varies according to the selections you make in the other panels and in the Filter Modification controls.
Classified panel shows the available classified ad bookings for the publication date. The selection of ads varies according to the selections you make in the other panels and in the Filter Modification controls.
Fillers panel displays the available and administrated filler material.
Dashboard panel provides a calculated report of all imported ROP and classified ad bookings for the active publication date.
Each of the above mentioned Panels is described in greater functional detail in forthcoming chapters.
Order panel ROP
Booking data is displayed as text only or as icons with a larger preview – each booking represented by one row. In list view you can click on the column header to sort list on this column, click again to toggle descending/ascending.
As in ADPOINT user can access different column definitions, showing the data that is relevant to the immediate workflow focus.
Order panel Classified
Booking data is displayed as text only – in the classified tab the bookings are grouped by classification and subclassifications.
Filler panel
Fillers are non booked assets that can be placed on pages to add information or as, the name of tab suggests, to fill space between ads. Fillers can be presented as a list or as icons with larger preview in the same way as ROP.
Navigating plans
When Planning module is open the production panel will show coming productions by default grouped on product. Production will show up with publication date, a name may have been added to this as well.
Clicking on the production unfolds the zones and the sections that are configured for the selected production. The Pages panel populates showing the pages of each section/zone in individual rows. The scroll bar allows you to scroll to the end.
When you select a section in the production the pages format differently, showing the pages of the section in as many rows as requires – depending on zoom level.
Zooming is handled with the little slider just below the scrollbar.
Folio/Absolute/Both:
Shows page number restarting with 1 for each section (folio) or the the absolute page number in productionShow the editorial department on/off:
Editorial department is used as info to planner and can also be sent to editorial system to trigger folio information on page.Show the Planner on/off
Pages can be locked for a designated Planner – only planner can make changes to page.Show Separation icons & action on/off
Separations xtender has more function, Shows color available on page but also hold a button to enter into page details view and an arrow up to reset advanced filteringShow Note on/off
Notes for planners infoShow release time on/off
Timestamp when individual page was last released to editorial.Show preview
Shows/hides preview of adsShow Iconbar
The iconbar over each ad shows information about ad status ready or not, if a premium placement, if ad has placement instructions, if insertion is killed after ad placed on page and if ad is awaiting financial approvalRelease time
Last release time to editorial. If followed by a star not all pages are released.
Selecting pages
Select a page clicking anywhere on page. Multiple pages can be selected by dragging mouse over the desire pages. Pages can only be selected in pairs in this way. You can also select individual pages by pressing Control and selecting the desire pages.
Commands and functions
The commands and functions available at any given time is depending on the selection made – and where the mouse is placed on page. You access available commands with right click:
Right click on page
Lock page(s) will lock content and page from editing
Clean page(s) clears all content on page
Repositon opens a submenu allowing you to choose a placement algorithm to and reposition ads with this
Autofloat ROP and classified – see more about autofloat in separate forthcoming description
Create reserved are changes cursor to a drawing tool, draw a reserved area to block ads from placing and for info.
Justify column will distribute ads to fill the entire column.
Right click on placed ad
Unplace selected ad(s)
Lock ad on page locks the individual ad(s) on page and prevent repositioning
Free place allows you to place ad not snapping to columns
Right click below page in “status area”
This open a very long list of commands related to the production you are working on. A number of these are greyed depending on configuration and state of plan/selection.Release plan will send current plan to editorial system for the selected page(s)
Open to print. Will send a pdf registered form Indesign to page to preconfigured target(s).
Start work and lock is set when you open the page in Indesign. Can be done manually as well
Lock pages, prevents editing
Set departmen, opens a dialog from where you can set department on selected pages
Insert page(s), before or after. Opens a dialog to specify insert of first and following pages.
Save publication templates, opens a dialog where you can save new or override existing publcation template.
Change planner, opens a dialog with available planners to set for page(s)
Float ROP and classified, see section about autofloat.
Function Menus
To facilitate your work with PLANPOINT, various keyboard commands are available as default settings and identified below where applicable.
Important to mention is that the main Menubar is shared with the ADPOINT and OUTPUTWORKFLOW applications. However, some menus are added or changed when the PLANPOINT module is in focus. Please refer to the ADPOINT documentation for the shared menus.
Please note, that some menu points may not be available to you depending on your access level in PLANPOINT.
General menu
Command | Description | Shortcut |
Tooltips enabled | When you hold the mouse over a field, a button or a header a small tip is shown. You can disable this. |
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Clean caches | Cleans temporary files stored on your computer. These files may become obsolete or corrupted. After cleaning ADPOINT fetches the needed information from server again. |
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New tab | Opens a side menu with available modules, Ad Tracking, Ad Production, Assets and Monitor. Choose one to open a new tab with selected module. |
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Close module | Closes the active tab. | [Ctrl]+W |
Close AdPoint | Closes ADPOINT and saves your workspace. Next time you login ADPOINT will have the same setting, tabs, views and sorting as when you left it. | [Ctrl]+Q |
Always on top | Enabling this shows ADPOINT in front of other windows. |
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Restart ADPOINT | Executes an automatic logout and login of the complete application. |
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Language menu
Choose Language | Chose the language you prefer from list defined in your PLANPOINT installation. | [Ctrl]+[Shift]+E (English), [Ctrl]+[Shift]+D (Danish) etc. |
Admin menu
This menu is primarily for use by Super-Users and System Administrators and is described in detail elsewhere.
There are a few menu points for non-administrators:
Edit User setting | Advanced user settings – for system administrators | [Alt]+S |
Filter administration | Here you can delete the filters you have created and you can define who have access to them. |
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| Placement administration | Contains an auto-filled list of ad booking placement codes and values as provided by/imported from the ad order entry system |
Changes menu
Commit page planning | Save changes to the database (although most changes/updates/modifications are saved automatically) |
Discard planning | Completely delete planning from the database |
Release plan | Export planning results to downstream systems for further editing (e.g. editorial system) |