Setting up a DuraLink 3x4 System – Starter Guide

This guide assumes that:

  • That the PCs will have similar names except for the final digit used to help uniquely identify each PC.
  • The installer has a working knowledge of installing and configuring RIP Manager and Remote RIPS for an Aspen multi-head system.
  • That PC1 will contain the RIP Manager plus up to 2 RIP installed using the RIP and Workflow option of the installer.
  • That PC2 and PC3 will contain up to 2 RIPs installed using the Remote RIP option of the installer.
  • Where the 'Master RIP' is mentioned, this is RIP instance 1 on the Master PC, i.e. the PC running Navigator Server.

 

PC2 & PC3

On each PC:

  1. Run the installer and use the Remote RIP option to install the base RIP and SOAR software.

 

  1. Run MultiRIP.hta (in C:\Navigator\Utilities\Multi-RIP Config tool) to create duplicates and to configure the SOAR software appropriately:

- Browse to RIP instance 0 and Set it,

- Duplicate 1-3 instances, depending on how many RIPs you have licensed,

- For each duplicated RIP, select Headless and Set,

- Clear instance 0.

 

  1. Run the XiRemoteServant.exe (in C:\Navigator\Utilities\XiRemote) and set it to ‘Start with Windows’.

 

PC1

On this PC:

  1. Run the installer and use the RIP and Workflow option to install the Workflow, base RIP and SOAR software.

 

  1. Run MultiRIP.hta (in C:\Navigator\Utilities\Multi-RIP Config tool) to create duplicates and to configure the SOAR software appropriately:

- Browse to RIP instance 0 and Set it,

- Duplicate 1-3 instances, depending on how many RIPs you have licensed,

- For each duplicated RIP apart from instance 1, select Headless and Set,

- Clear instance 0.

 

  1. If this is a 'fake' configuration, i.e. there is no physical printer, Navigate to the ‘%AppData%\Roaming\Xitron\Navigator’ folder of the logged in User and edit XiflowServer.ini in a text editor (e.g. NotePad++.exe). Add the following lines to the bottom of the file and save the file:
         [FakeNxM]
    FakeNxM=1
     FakeNxMFile=FakeNxM_3x4_Simplex - SD.xml

 

  1. Repeat the above process with NxMSpooler.ini in ‘%AppData%\Roaming\Xitron\NxMSpooler.

 

  1. Run XiRemoteServant.exe (in C:\Navigator\Utilities\XiRemote) and set it to ‘Start with Windows’.

 

  1. Run XiRemoteMaster.exe (in C:\Navigator\Utilities\XiRemote) and set it to ‘Start with Windows’.

 

  1. Add PC1, PC2 and PC3 to XiRemoteMaster. The status of the RIPs and NxM Spooler on each PC will be reported.

 

  1. Launch XiflowServer.exe and log in using an Administrator username and password. Launching the Server should also launch the RIPs on PC1.

 

  1. In XiRemoteMaster, use the ‘Start RIPs’ command to start the RIPs on PC2 and PC3 (the RIPs on PC1 should already be running).

 

  1. In XiflowServer, Server Setup -> Manage Devices:

- Create a DuraLink (NxM) device named DuraLink, and Start Thread,

- set the RIPs per head field as applicable,

- unless this is a 'fake' setup, enter the device's IP address or name in the IP Address field,
- the Press Head Count field will be filled in automatically from the device or the fake XML file,

- click Apply to save the settings; close the Manage Devices dialog.

 

  1. Open the Manage Workflow Actions dialog 

                Create and name the following Actions (if they are not already present):

  1. Copy Action                          – No configuration required.
  2. Coordinator Action             – No configuration required. 
  3. Stabilizer Action                   – No configuration required.
  4. Page Filter Action                – Edit configuration and select Stitching from the list.

 

  1. In the Manage Workflow Actions dialog
     IF THIS IS NOT a 3x4 CONFIGURATION

Remove the existing RIP Actions and Direct Output Actions.

Create and name the following Actions:

  1. RIP Actions                            – Open the dialog and fill in the fields as appropriate:
    Num PCs = 3, Base Name = PC, First Index = 1, optionally check Validate Shares
    Num Actions = 3, First instance = 1, Action base name = NxM-RIP, check Digital Interface
    Check Associate DirectOutput Actions
     Action Base name     = NxM
    Timeout seconds = 7200, check Submit PGBs as a group.

 

                IF THIS IS A 3x4 CONFIGURATION

                You can use the pre-made Direct Output and RIP Actions. Edit each RIP Action, select Configure, and Browse to the                 name of the PC hosting the RIP, and then to the applicable XiPGB share.

 

  1. In the Server Settings dialog, click Configure Web Server and on the Web Server Settings dialog, Start Web Server (select a different port number before doing so, if the default Port 80 is already in use).

 

  1. Optionally, from the RIP devices menu (initially named 'Preview'), select NxM Contone and the open the NxM Spooler to set its configuration.

 

  1. Add Page Setups to the Master RIP, for instance 'NxM Contone 1585', 'NxM Contone 1260', 'NxM Contone 790', 'NxM Contone 580'. These should be set to 1600dpi horizontal resolution, and the specified vertical resolution. The Separation Style is CMYK Composite. In the Configure device dialog, the Screen pattern may be selected, e.g. HDS Medium.

 

  1. If this is a 'fake' configuration, in the Spooler select Configure... and for Output Targets, select ABT as well as Press. The ABT files will be created in %ProgramData%\Xitron\XiShare\DuralinkOutput

     
    1. Launch XiflowClient.exe and create and configure two workflows:
      1. 1. File Prep.
        Add Stabilizer, Page Filter and Copy actions.
        Stabilizer action:                  Select Digital Press – Transactional from the Job Options list.
        Page Filter action:                Select NxM from the System device list.
      2. 2. Press Output.

 

  1. Using XiRemote Master, stop all RIPs and use CopyRIPConfiguration to copy the settings made in the Master RIP to all RIPs. Start all the RIPs. In general, with XiRemote Master, you can always send all commands to all PCs, so it is never necessary to select individual Servant PCs in the list at the top -- they can be deselected at all times.

 

  1. Submit a new job to the ‘1.File Prep’ workflow.

If all is well the job should be processed to the Press Output workflow, and then be output.

 

 

Notes
 

In a DuraLink system, all SOAR RIP Actions are consistently configured for remote RIP (even when they are local). This allows  use of XiRemote to Copy RIP Configuration to all RIPs. 

 

The configuration of DuraLink is not compatible with some other Xitron products: GMA/Envelope Layout, KeySetter, ROOM Proof, Print Job, Print Job Ticket, PDF Raster Proof.