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Create a System Task - Publishing Files as PDF (in a Project)

This article helps you understand how to create a system task for publishing files as PDF files in a project.

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Pre-requisites:

  • The required role privilege is 'Manage Workflow Rules' on the project where a system task needs to be created.

The steps to create a system task for publishing files as PDF files in a project are as mentioned below:

1. Follow the steps to create a system task for files in a project (steps 1 to 4).

2. In the task dropdown, select 'Publish As PDF'.

The 'Publish to PDF' system task helps convert various file formats supported in Asite Viewer to PDF format and publish the converted file as a new revision in PDF format.

3. When you select the 'Publish as PDF' option, the page expands allowing you to choose the existing purpose of issuing the file and its status. You can use the 'Modify' option if a different purpose of issue or status needs to be selected.

4. You can also select what needs to be included - attachments, markups, comment contents, comment attachments - while publishing the file as a new revision in .pdf format.

5. You can also choose the options 'Status as watermark' and/or 'POI as watermark' to have the current file status and/or current purpose of issue and/or blank value displayed as a watermark on the PDF getting published depending on the configuration. Otherwise, you can define exceptions based on which specific text content can be configured to display if the file's status or purpose of issue matches a selected value. While configuring watermark text, you can enter a maximum of 50 characters.

For example, if you want to display a watermark with the text 'Good For Construction' if the file status is 'Approved', you can set a 'Publish as PDF' system task to include status as a watermark by selecting the checkbox option 'Status as watermark' under 'Includes' field. Next, under 'Exceptions', add an exception by selecting 'Approved' status and enter the text you need to display as a watermark on the PDF getting published via the system task.

6. Then, you can define how you want the header and footer to work on the PDF file getting published. You can type whatever text you need to display and set its position at the header or footer - like 'Top Left', 'Top Right', 'Top Center', 'Bottom Left', 'Bottom Right' or 'Bottom Center'. Based on the selected positioning, you can set displacement margins in pixels from top, left, bottom or right as applicable.

7. In case you don't want to initiate any workflow on the new .pdf file to be published as a revision on an existing file on the project, it is required to check the box for 'Do not start a workflow on PDF Publish'.

8. Once done, click the 'Create' button to create.

You can create independent system tasks which can be executed using workflow triggers without adding them to a complex workflow.

All system tasks are executed automatically according to the conditions outlined in the relevant workflow trigger. The related file audit history and task assignment details indicate that they were performed by the 'Workflow Agent'.



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