The RasterBlaster Browser Client allows you to preview, manage and release jobs using only the web browser on any machine on the same local network as the RasterBlaster server.  It has been tested to work with Google Chrome and Apple Safari browsers, but it should work with most modern web browsing software systems. The user interface has been designed to be compatible with both a traditional mouse and keyboard setup, as well as a touchscreen.

Accessing the RasterBlaster Browser Client

To access the Browser Client reliably, it’s important that your Raster Blaster Server or Xitron Network Interface be configured with a static IP address.

In a web browser, enter the IP address of the Raster Blaster Server or Xitron Network Interface box.

If you are using a port other than the default port of 80, after the IP address enter a ":" followed by the port. For example, "10.126.123.52:8080"

When you successfully access the Browser Client, a splash screen will be shown followed by a login.

Login to the RasterBlaster web client

  1. Enter a username. By default, a user "Administrator" is shipped with the system.
  2. Enter a password. The default Administrator user has no password.
  3. Click the arrow to log in.

If the login is successful, the login window will disappear and the system will become active. A wiggling login box means the username and password are not correct. Check to make sure you are entering a valid username and password.


RasterBlaster Web Client Overview

The RasterBlaster Web Client consists of several parts:

  1. Job Table: A list of jobs in the system. Jobs displayed can be filtered by selecting a different button from the view selection bar, or the search bar.
  2. View Selection Bar: Toggles between different view modes.
  3. Search Bar: Allows you to type in a filter criteria to quickly locate jobs. Jobs can be filtered by Name, Status, or Output Type.
  4. Action Buttons: Performs an action on the job(s) selected in the jobs table. Options include viewing the jobs, releasing all or part of the job, or deleting a job.
  5. Thumbnail Display: A thumbnail of the selected job. If the job has multiple forms, only the first form will be displayed. If no job is selected, the RasterBlaster logo is displayed.
  6. Status Information: Displays status information about jobs in process.
  7. Queue Switches: Allows you to enable or disable output for jobs associated with a particular plate device. The plate devices are configured on the Navigator Server. Releasing jobs associated with a disabled queue will cause the jobs to stack up in the Active Queue. Once the queue is turned back on, output will resume.
  8. Quick Release: Allows you to release a plate by job number.
  9. Log: Exportable and filterable log of all jobs released in the system.

Understanding View Selections

The View Selections bar located in the upper left corner of the job controls which jobs are displayed in the jobs table and what options are available. The following view modes are available:


Held

Held displays jobs that are in a held status in the system. It’s recommended that workflows be configured so all jobs are held before imaging.

If all parts of a job are held, then the job will be displayed as one group named after the master job in the group. If parts of the job have already been released or have errored, the job will be shown as individual components in the Held view.


From this view, you can release an entire job or part of a job, delete an entire job or view the job.


Active


The active view shows a list of job parts that are about to be imaged. Job parts will appear in this view after they have been released for imaging, but before they are complete.
From this view, you can change the order that jobs are imaged by dragging and dropping the jobs in the table, or by selecting a job and clicking the Schedule Next button.
Jobs are processed from the top of the list to the bottom of the list.

It is also possible to cancel an active job or hold a job part in the Active View.

Completed

Displays job parts that have already been imaged.
From the completed view you can reimage, view, or delete a job part.


All Jobs

This view displays all jobs in the system, whether or not they are complete. The All Jobs view always shows job as individual parts and not groups.
From this view, you can release a job part, view a job or delete a job.


 Viewing job previews

RasterBlaster can display thumbnail images of individual job separations as well as a composite view of a form. Note that the view is a low-resolution rendering designed for job identification and not detailed inspection of raster data.

Preview data is generated for workflows with the "Generate Thumbnails" setting enabled in the workflow. Note that Raster Blaster may take a few minutes to generate previews, especially on large jobs. Jobs can be released to the imaging device before the previews are ready. 

Select a job

After logging into the Browser Client, select a job from the jobs table. If the preview data is ready, a thumbnail preview will be displayed in the upper right corner of the window.

View larger previews

  1. Click the view button to open a window displaying larger previews of job parts.
  2. Composite previews of jobs can be viewed, as well as individual files by choosing an option from the left panel.
  3. To close the window, click the "x" icon in the upper right corner of the window.