Queue Mode
Applies to: 4.3 NeoPackProfessional, PackBuilder
Version 4.3 introduced a new mode - Queue Mode - where the operator has enhanced functionality when printing products.
Features of Queue Mode
Queue Mode offers the following features
- An expandable order 'tree' to select different groups of orders
- Filtering of orders by date and printer definition
- Search facilities by subject, customer and order
- Preview of the products formed from the orders
The Orders Tree
The new Orders Tree provides an easy, visual method for selecting the products for printing.
Figure 1: Queue mode featuring the expandable order tree
Paper orders
Paper orders are orders that are entered for a subject as part of data in either Details Mode or Orders Mode. They include:
- Orders scanned from a barcode
- Orders imported by text file
- Orders entered by keyboard (F3)
The Paper orders branch includes any Order Sets as defined in Orders Mode as sub branches. Checking the Paper orders object automatically checkes any Order Set branches.
Online orders
The Online orders branch displays orders downloaded from the Timestone Internet Ordering System.
These orders are downloaded into 'Orders Mode>Orders>Download online orders' from jobs uploaded with the "process as pre-orders" option. (see Uploading jobs -process orders)
Online orders do not have sub-branches.
Point 'n Click
Orders added manually in Point 'n Click Mode (formerley Form Packs Mode) are displayed in the Point 'n Click branch.
Strictly speaking, pages added to directly to Form Packs Mode are not orders. They are not part of subject or customer data, do not receive an order key and do not appear in reports.
Sub-branches display any queues that have been added in Point 'n Click Mode.
Filtering the products displayed
Once the desired the order branches have been selected it is possible to further refine the products displayed.
Filtering by printer
If products have been defined with a 'Printer' in tsAdmin (see Product attributes) it is possible to filter the orders for a particlular printer.
Figure 2: Filtering orders for a particular 'printer'
Filtering by date
Products displayed may also be filtered by date.
In summary three levels of filtering are available to control the products displayed. The primary selection is via the Order Tree - check the desired branches to display products from those orders only. This selection may then be further refined by making use of 'Printers' and 'Dates' filters.
Searching for products
Once orders have been filtered as above it is possible to search for products within the currently displayed products.
It is possible to search by:
- Subject - using any subject field as the search criteria
- Customer - the customer key or name (applies to online orders only)
- Order - the order key
If multiple products are found by the search it is possible to toggle through the products using the left/right arrow keys
It is important to note the search facilities will only find products if they are in the group of products currently displayed. For example if the order tree only has 'Point 'n Click' orders checked, the search will not find any products in the Paper Orders branch.
Figure 3: Finding products by subject
Products may also be found via menu items and keyboard shortcuts in addition to the Find windows.
Deleting pages from Queue Mode
Only Point n Click pages may be deleted in Queue Mode. Pages resulting from Paper Orders or Online Orders cannot be deleted (this would result in 'orphan' orders with no products with implications to reports, statistics etc).
To delete a page resulting from a Paper or Online Order, delete the order itself in Orders Mode
End of article