Download PDF Version

DocBridge Mill is used to convert documents and spooled print output, even modify and optimize it, then output it to practically any output. DocBridge Mill can electively perform multiple processes including separating, changing the content, classifying, indexing, converting, and distributing, making it easy to present, print, and archive.

Summary

• Automatic separation, splitting, merging, or filtering of input batches and documents (e.g. for COLD application)
• Automatic classification and indexing
• Additional options for processing page layout such as the automatic rotating of misaligned pages
• Support of many input formats and conversion into a wide range of the supported output formats
• Support of several batch types, including many input formats supported by the most commonly used document management systems
• Extensive support of AFP resources
• Many control options via a flexibly configurable control profile

Architecture

DocBridge Mill is constructed from a number of modules which can be combined in many different ways. This modular approach enables customers a cost effective option to only use what they need, while also allowing development flexibility for Compart to continually increase functionality. All modules are written as operating system independent code and function on all platforms in the exact same way.

All the key functions are implemented in a single base module. All objects in an input document together with their attributes are converted to an independent intermediate format via a format-specific input filter. This makes it possible to create all the necessary processing functions required to configure, use, and convert to the required target format.

External user profiles provide the instruction for all the document processes DocBridge Mill is called to do. The user profiles are comprised of flexible scripting functionality based on JavaScript extensions or can also be created and edited with DocBridge Mill Profiler’s graphical user interface. Any profile can then be used on all the supported platforms without change.

Restructuring Source Material

Input documents and their structures can be processed by DocBridge Mill in the following ways::

• Separating spools into single documents
• Splitting/collecting documents according to predefined criteria (e.g. zip codes)
• Merging documents or batches into a single batch or sorting them
• Filtering-out of documents or individual pages according to predefined criteria (e.g. payment slips)

Changing Page Content

Additional parameters can be configured in DocBridge Mill to change information related to the page setup including:

• Adding text, OMR marks, barcodes, overlays, and images
• Changing the page size and repositioning page content
• Deleting text or areas
• Main text alignment recognition and the automatic rotation of misaligned pages

Classification and Indexing

Once DocBridge Mill has separated and identified documents they can be classified and indexed. The criteria for assigning document attributes and processing document separation are determined by JavaScripts inside the controlling profiles. Expressions in the profiles for each class can be used to set the following variables:

• For AFP (Advanced Function Printing) attributes in the datastream such as NOPs or TLEs (Tag Logical Elements)
• General attributes such as page number (e.g. page groups) or overlay names
• Text elements that can be retrieved from a predefined area
• Terms matching definable search criteria
• Barcodes in raster image documents can be read by a barcode recognition

Data generated in this way can be stored in separate files and sorted as specified in the control profile.

Converting Document Formats

A core function of DocBridge Mill is the capability to export processed documents or batches to another format. The following formats and formatting options can be handled for both input and output:

Compart Conversion Matrix

The matrix shows the possible print file conversions of different formats to another format, e.g. AFP to PDF, PDF to AFP, VIPP to AFP, AFP to IJPDS, Metacode to PDF, PCL to AFP, PostScript to AFP, PDF to IJPDS.

Mixed-object formats:

• AFP (incl. AFP mixed-mode)
• ASCII/EBCDIC line mode
• PCL (Printer Control Language)
• PDF (Portable Document Format) incl. PDF/A
• SAP GOF (Generic Output Format) from SAP (only as input format) with its subformats OTF (Output Text Format) and ALF (ABAP List Format)
• Application specific formats such as MS Office (input only) via DocBridge Application Renderer
• LCDE/DJDE (input only)
• Metacode/DJDE
• PRESCRIBE
• XPS (input only)
• IJPDS (output only)
• IPDS (output only)
• PostScript
• RTF (input only)
• SVG
• WMF (input only)
• ...

Raster formats:

• BMP, GIF, IOCA, JPEG, PCX, PNG, TGA, and TIFF

Output in these raster formats may include the following additional options:

• Page rasterizing with a scale-to-gray function
• Reducing color images to monochrome

Supported Batch Types and Their Conversion

DocBridge Mill can process document batches in which the attributes such as indices or information about associated pages can be organized as follows:

1. Datastream oriented batch types in which all pages and attributes are collected together in one file:

• AFP and MO:DCA-P datastreams with TLEs and page groups generated with IBM ACIF
• IBM ImagePlus VALIN files (MO:DCA)

2. External referenced batch types structured with all pages or documents stored as single files and in which attributes and references to these files are located in a separate file:

• Fixed record files with configurable record layout
• Freely definable attribute file
• CSV files (comma-separated value files)
• XML file
• FileNet import file
• EASY Archive import file
• ISIS Web archive format
• IXOS import file

The support of these batch formats is achieved using special drivers. They can be adapted to customer requirements.

Because of DocBridge Mill’s ability to manage all the relevant batch format information it can also be used for converting the import/export formats of one manufacturer to the import format of another manufacturer and therefore for transferring the content of one document management system to another.

Resource Management & Color Support

Resource management in DocBridge Mill supports easy integration into an existing infrastructure. The following standard type fonts can be embedded:

• TrueType fonts
• PostScript Type 1 fonts
• PostScript Type 3 fonts
• AFP raster fonts
• AFP vector fonts

Many of these font resources can be created “on-the-fly” when generating output documents, very much simplifying the configuration of these types of application. For AFP input documents, the following resources are supported:

• Inline resources (self-contained)
• External resources (files)
• External resource library

These resources can also be supplied by a resource server over an HTTP connection over the network. All core functions of DocBridge Mill are implemented entirely in Unicode. This supports all character sets and codes including Double Byte Character Sets (DBCS). Regarding colors, in DocBridge Mill the following color spaces may be used and are supported:

• RGB
• CMYK
• CieLab

Supported Operating Systems

DocBridge Mill runs on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Server 2003, Mac OS X, x86 Linux, FreeBSD, AIX, Linux, Sun Solaris, HP-UX, z/OS, zLinux, and z/OS UNIX System Services