(v13) HVD auto mode

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; and to Harlequin Core but not Harlequin MultiRIP.

From v11.0r1 both internal and external HVD optimizations can benefit from running in auto mode. The use of the auto HVD optimization requires an update to your LDK product key.

From v11.0r1 you can use /EnableOptimizedPDFScan as a tri-state parameter allowing: /Always , /Never or /Auto while also retaining the boolean options of true and false for backwards compatibility; where /Always is the same as true and /Never is the same as false.

An example for external mode:

                      <<
                        /EnableOptimizedPDFScan /Auto
                        /OptimizedPDFScanLimitPercent 50
                        /OptimizedPDFExternal true
                        /OptimizedPDFCacheID (GGDUMB1)
                      >> setpdfparams
                      <<
                        /ContoneMask 1
                      >> setpagedevice

An example for internal mode:

                      << /EnableOptimizedPDFScan /Auto
                        /OptimizedPDFScanLimitPercent 50
                        /OptimizedPDFCacheID (GGIRR)
                      >> setpdfparams

A more complete example is included in the SDK as SW/Page features/HVDInternal.

When in auto mode a procset called HqnHVDParams contains a procedure /SetFromInfoAndMetadata, which sets /EnableOptimizedPDFScan based, for example, on any of the following:

• PDF/VT tag in the metadata dictionary
• Creator or Producer key in the info dictionary
• CreatorTool or Producer key in metadata dictionary

When set to automatic mode and a PDF file is submitted the RIP:

• Scans the document-level metadata and determine if the file is tagged as a PDF/VT file. If so, it processes the file as if it had been set to true.
• Looks at the producer and creator strings in the document info dictionary and their equivalents in the document-level metadata and compare those with values in a lookup table of strings used by common VDP composition tools. If the strings match, the file is processed as if /EnableOptimizedPDFScan had been set to /Always ; if they don't, it acts as if /EnableOptimizedPDFScan had been set to /Never.

From v11.0r2 the producer/creator look-up table is available in a PostScript language file called HqnVariableDataCreators found in \SW\Usr. This file can be edited to add extra creators or names of procedures. If extra names of procedures are added they must be defined in the HqnHVDParams procset.

The current creators such as (PageFlex), (GMC PrintNet T Triple Suite), (XMPie), and the current names of procedures such as /eq and /ContainsString are examples only.

This PostScript language file returns a dictionary. The keys of the dictionary are names of procedures for matching the known variable data creator strings to the value for creator or producer found in the metadata or info dictionary. Corresponding values of the dictionary are arrays of strings of known variable data creators.

HqnVariableDataCreators is read from the HqnHVDParams procset. Safety code is provided which produces a warning for incorrect stack handling or type of returns.

In v11.0r1 the producer/creator look-up table was located in the HqnHVDParams procset.

Metadata dictionaries in PDF files can have several different formats. At the moment not all formats are supported. For example, abbreviated xml is not supported and also if the metadata has been compressed or encrypted, it cannot be parsed by the RIP.

You can set the variable /HvdParamsDebug at the top of the HqnHVDParams procset to true to view extra debug information.

Setting /EnableOptimizedPDFScan to /Always, /Auto (or true) implies that the rest of the RIP configuration is appropriate for use with HVD. Meaning, for instance, that if you are using simple imposition you should set HVD to off.