I use it at work.

It can be confusing, I thought they had 1 tutorial on their site.

Are you having specific problems or just problems from the start?


Ask away and I will try to help as best I can.

Indesign and Xmpie?

Hmm where do I start? I go though the pdf manuals but its difficult to weed out specific step by step things. I know how to create ADORS for specific fields for text and graphics but the schema, filters an variables part of the Uplan program are confusing.

I guess one question would be:

I'm doing a coupon ad that shows Sale offers and disclaimers with expiration dates. These date/fileds don't show up when I run a proof. They are ADOR/text/ Campaign dials. They are also listed as fileds in the schema as "Date" type of category (as opposed to Bool, number , string).

Is this setup wrong or why are the Expiration dates not showing (is it because it's a campaign dial?) Yuck.

When you say "does not show up", can you elaborate? Are you saying that the ADORs don't show up in the XMPie window, the values don't print when previewing, the data is not pulled from the data file in the first place?

-Phil

hmmm, trying to remember this.

So, are you using a Database file/Excel/CSV file for the Adors or are you assigning them internally or via a different approach?

The way we are using it here, from business cards, postcards, to letters, and the like is to have a CSV with the top line listing the ADORs I will be using: "First Name; Last Name; Title; Extension; Address; Fax; Phone; etc."

I know there are times I simply input the data in the correct spots and then times where I use the if/then statements to input data...if State reads "x" place "y".

Not sure about the "campaign dial" portion of this.
Is the Expiration date if/then variable or is it something that is set and just input?

Maybe I am not actually helping any but trying to ascertain the situation more.

Indesign and Xmpie?

HI Phil,

Thanks for reply. The Expiration dates do not show up in the proof that I generate. (i'm getting alot of error messages probably because I don't know Qlingo, queries etc are of this)

HI BJMR,

Thanks to you too. The data is from an excel file, I would think no code is needed because its taking data from the excel file. Not sure if the If/then variable comes into play. My guy that has been coaching me has been real busy to help me piece this area together.

To be clear, when you say the proof you generate, are you referring to the Proof File created from uPlan? What does show up in the ADOR field where you're expecting these dates?

Can you share the errors you're receiving?

As for campaign dials, they're only involved when connecting a campaign to a uStore ... they define the objects that the customer of the uStore can customize.

Indesign and Xmpie?

I use the "Dynamic Print" from the right click drop (from a the text box) down. The proof does show the disclaimer without the expiration date I'm looking for.

Thats for the coupon.


I'm also working on a postcard:
This error come up when I do a proof through the Uproduce for a postcard that seems to not be reading the excel file(referred to as Sheet1).


Recipients Filter: Execution failed for autogenerated query.
The query is generated in the following manner:
SELECT {needed fields} FROM [table]
The following query was generated:
SELECT [Sheet1$].[Phone 1], [Sheet1$].[address1], [Sheet1$].[address2], [Sheet1$].[city1], [Sheet1$].[city2], [Sheet1$].[phone2], [Sheet1$].[state1], [Sheet1$].[state2], [Sheet1$].[url 1], [Sheet1$...
(OLEDB Message: No value given for one or more required parameters.)

Hope this question makes sense--thats how much I need to learn this stuff. If anybody knows of tutorials written for designers that aren't programmers this would be great.

In my experience, that error usually occurs when the Plan file (from uPlan) and the data source are not in sync. In other words, the schema defined in the plan file (the list of fields that should be in the data source) doesn't match the actual data source.

Perhaps you updated the plan file to look for a new field but never uploaded the matching Excel file with the new header to the campaign in uProduce?

One other thought ... perhaps there is a record (row in the Excel file) missing some data ...

Hi Kat -
So someday I hope to write the XMPie "a guide for the rest of us" but until I do, I hope I can help. First, you are correct - if you are a designer, uPlan was not really created for you. It was created with the thought (in a perfect world) that a database person or programmer would be using it, allowing you, the designer, the freedom to just design and not to have to write the business rules. That's why we created the "Rule Editor".

You can create rules two ways, linking the database to the design and using the Rule Editor OR using uPlan. If you've played with uPlan to the point where you are getting errors when generating a proofset, woot!!! It is not easy to learn uPlan with the manuals unless you already know how do some programming.

My next question to you would be - what version of XMPie are you using? When you are in uPlan, click on Help, then about XMPie. When you are in uDirect (or uCreate) click on the palette menu and choose About XMPie.

Next - I see that this was answered, but Campaign Dials are really only used for Web-to-Print applications like uStore. I don't think this is why your date is not working, since flagging an ADOR as a dial in uPlan doesn't affect the way its rule works.

I will tell you that for dates to print as expected you have to format them. If you are using uPlan you should try this function:
FormatDate(|-[yourDateField], "MM/dd/yyyy")
(where yourDateField is the field from your database and MM/dd/yyyy is the pattern you need to format the date correctly)

In the uPlan guide, in the back you should have a page that shows this function and what patterns (like above) you can use to format it.

If the date is still blank when generating a proof, uPlan isn't getting the date from the database as expected. For example, check the schema in uPlan, does the date field have a T symbol and not a calendar symbol for the data type?

The schema is a list of all the fields in the database, the names in this list must match the field names (exactly) in the database. Next the little symbol next to the schema field name is the data type, we have four - Text, Date, Number and Boolean (bool is true/false). Also, you only need the filter (under schema in uPlan) if you need a subset of the data and not all the records. If you do use a filter then the list of fields in the filter expression must match the schema list - and both must match the database's actual fields.

If the fieldnames in the database and the schema (and/or the filters) fieldnames dont' match that is when you get the error you mention.

The query is generated in the following manner:
SELECT {needed fields} FROM [table]
The following query was generated:
...

This usually means there is a field in the database that is missing, ie the column was deleted or maybe the fieldname is spelt differently. What database are you using? Are you trying to do the tutorials that are on the XMPie website or are you using your own data?

Plus, if you are truly new to XMPie, you might consider purchasing training.
Since you do need to get started somewhere, download the tutorial we have on our website, if you haven't already. [Go to the web site > download center, then download the Happy Birthday.] There are two HB campaigns, one with a phone and one with a birthday cake, it depends on what version of uDirect/uCreate you have, which one you should start with. Both tutorials have step by steps instructions.

If you must use uPlan, the tutorial won't help. You will really need someone to teach how to use this application. How long has your company had XMPie? If it a new purchase, your training might not be scheduled yet. If it is not a new purchase, there are options.

PS - Hope the post wasn't TMI, and that it helped.