Checklists: pre-installation survey

Step

Reference

Provide number of publications that will be used in the system. For each publication, provide a list of shared and independent properties.

Provide a PC version of all fonts used in your current system. It can be TrueType, Postscript or an AFM file.

Fonts list

Prepare a list of all current styles used on your existing system. Be sure that you include a reference list if any field, such as the font, is referred to by a code

Styles list

Prepare directories of all standing art in high-resolution format. This includes all mastheads, logos, mug shots, etc. After you create your image baskets, you will process this art through Topic queues. Topic OPI supports a wide range of image formats. Some common formats are: EPS, TIF and JPG – CMYK image files.

Prepare a list of all categories you currently use for wires, editorial content and archiving, if applicable. In GN4, categories can be up to 3 tiers, e.g., Sports:Hockey:College. GN4 categories are used for classifying and searching information and for producing Web content.

Category list

Prepare a list of all wire inputs for text and graphics. In addition you will need:

•Category map – list of current categories used for each AP category for both text and graphics.

•Translation tables – determine the current tables/filters used and the function of each.

•Purge cycles – determine the current purge cycles for wire feed. In GN4, you can set purge cycles by feed and/or category.

Wires list

The attached Users and Groups worksheets will assist you in compiling a list of all system users. You may want to organize your users into functional groups for keyboard and menu assignments.

If you are using an existing domain controller, then users will be imported. It is not necessary to complete the User worksheet.

Users list

All elements in your GN4 system have an assigned workstate that indicates their production status. This information can be very helpful for determining the overall status of your publications and is used to depict graphical information in the tracking application. Workstates are valid for text and images, pages, and editions. Create a list of workstates that are meaningful to your workflow.

Workstates list

Design a desk and basket structure that meets the needs of your workflow. Keep in mind that each basket has an assigned workstate. So, you can determine the status of elements by the basket they are in. Your basket structure should fit the copy flow of your text and images. Design a copy flow in conjunction with your desk and basket structure. Include copy flow for user baskets if users primarily send stories to one, or at most just a few destinations.

Desks and baskets

Complete the worksheets for edition, sections, and zones. If you are using Layout-8000, it is critical that you use the exact name as it appears in the EDF. This is necessary in order to automatically insert display ads on pages.

Editions list

Zones list

Sections list

Compile the page parameters for each different page size you produce. Verify that display ads are built to the same column measure as editorial.

Pages list

Complete the worksheet for all process colors you produce. This data will be entered into the global color tables.

Colors list

For each output device, film units, proofers, etc., provide the description of the device and a ppd. Determine which fonts are resident on each device.

Provide a current keyboard map for each user. As much as possible, we will replicate the GN4 key map to the one your users are accustomed to.