Entering Products into tsAdministrator

Version 4


tsAdministrator allows the user to define any product they offer the end user; be they products that are produced by the Timestone Software applications or not. Once defined, products are used in Packages and Offers for the end user to order from.

What are products?

For the purposes of tsAdministrator, products can be defined as anything you sell to the customer. An 8x10, a package print of mixed sizes and sports memory mates are all examples of products that are produced with either NeoPack/Professional, PackBuilder or OutPost. Likewise a traditional (names under) group photo is a product formed through NeoGroup or GroupBuilder while a composite group photograph is a product resulting from NeoComposite or CompositeBuilder.

For the greater part products are therefore the equivalent of templates in the Timestone Software applications - notably pack layout templates from NeoPack/Professional, PackBuilder or OutPost. However products are not limited to those produced directly by the Timestone Software programs. A high resolution image on CD or a water bottle are two such examples.

Product attributes

Products are defined with various attributes listed below. A more detailed explanation of each attribute is available in article Product Attributes.

  • Code: A unique code for the product such as 16Wal. Note this is not the same as the Template Key
  • Description: A description of the product eg 16 up Wallets
  • The type of product. Currently available types are 'Portrait', 'Composite', 'Group' and 'Image'
  • Not currently used
  • The template key set in the Design Mode/Template Designer. Currently this applies to Product Type 'Portrait' only
  • The printer this product is to be printed on.
  • The family of printers this product is to be printed on.
  • Any additional information for this product

Of the attributes above only Code is compulsory although Description is strongly recommended. In addition the Template Key must be used to facilitate the automatic ordering of 'portrait' type products in NeoPack/Professional and PackBuilder.

Figure 1: The Products object of tsAdminstrator showing a selection of products and their attributes

To enter products into tsAdministrator:

  1. Select the Products object in tsAdministrator
  2. Click the Add New Product icon
  3. Enter attributes for the product
  4. Continue adding products by repeating steps 2 and 3
  5. When finished click the 'Submit Changes' button to accept the new products

Once entered products can be edited by simple selecting the product and changing any of the attributes. In similar fashion products can be removed by selecting the product or products and clicking the 'Remove selected products' icon.

Note whenever a product is added, removed or changed the user must then click the 'Submit Changes' button to save the changes

End of article