ex AutoStructure

ex AutoStucture is a tool to automatically structure and visualize the content of QuarkXPress documents before export XML files to additional output channels like iPhone, iPad, ePub, ePaper, eReader, archives and online-sites. 

It doesn't matter, if you have production pages from an editorial system like QPS / QPP (in this case all article structures are already there) or plain QuarkXPress documents (in this case the document will be automatically parsed, analyzed and structured - based on a set of rules, the XTension recognize what belongs to an article).

The technology is always based on one or more articles in the layout. Each article may contain unlimited numbers of text or picture boxes. All boxes belonging to the same article get the same coloured border / background.
There are 2 options to show article colours- framed and backgrounded:

Framed Presentation
Backgrounded Presentation

The meaning of text content is shown by "structure tags". The structure tags in the following example mean:

  • BU = Caption
  • CR = Credit

In addition to this we also support "format tags" (in blue) with details like "b" = Bold.

Links between pictures/ graphics are shown as magenta lines from the center of the picture to the begining of the corresponding caption.

If you use the ex ImageDesk XT to automatically place caption and credit boxes, the lines are automatically there. Otherwise you can just drag and drop the links.

All structure tags are generated by the appropriate export module like the ex QPS2PMG or ex XML-Exporter and transferred via the internal interface to the ex AutoStructure XTension. This concept ensures, that the visualization is always identical with the export. Due to the configuration/ adaption of the export module we can offer every structure you may need.

Special requirements like "news briefs" where you may have only one "physical" article, but like to export the content into several independent "logical" articles are also integrated.

In case of mistakes in the structure due to the wrong usage of style sheets you can override such tags manually with a single click.

Format tags are inline tags for more details like

  • "q" = quote or
  • "cite" = City

and for better representation of digital content.

The ex AutoStructure palette presents the logical structures:

The upper list displays all articles in the front most layout, while the lower list gives all details of the selected article.

From here you can add new tags (or modify them) and links from pictures to captions & credits. You can also show/hide different levels of visual markers to simplify your work.

This tool gives you the ability to check the export structure of your content without test exports and annoying loops of work. With this module you will save a lot of time.

This XTension is part of the exportsolution "Print2iPad" for the automated and structured export of your printcontent to digital output channels like iPad, etc.

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