AutoPrice™ FAQs

A. Probably the monitor resolution has changed since you last used the XTension. Go into QuarkXPress with the XTension running. Under the View menu there will be a Show/Hide AutoPrice/DesignMerge Palette command. Hold down the Command key and select Show/Hide AutoPrice/DesignMerge Palette. You may have to keep the Command key down while you hide and then show the palette - doing so with the key down will make the palette return to it's default position at the upper-left of the screen.

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Q. I am having problems loading AutoPrice for Windows? What do I do?

A. When I try to load your software on a Windows machine, I am getting an error something like this:

Our software runs within QuarkXPress. None of our software - with the possible exception of electronically-delivered archives and installers - runs under MS-DOS, as indicated in the text of the message above. The best thing to do is to get a clean copy of the software from the archive file or CD-ROM, read any instructions regarding installation, and try to install the software again.

It is possible that our software is producing an error message if it is causing a crash within QuarkXPress, and then quitting back out to the Windows desktop. For additional trouble-shooting information, please see "My Meadows XTensions are not working, what should I do?"

If QuarkXPress is having this error with or without our XTension software loaded, then the problem is with the install of Windows or QuarkXPress on your workstation. It may be necessary to reinstall either one. Please consult your hardware vendor for more information on troubleshooting your system.

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Q. AutoPrice is generating a "RM: File is not a valid database-definition file" error when I attempt to use the program. What is wrong?

A. This indicates that the file for the active Database-Definition set has become corrupted. This can be easily fixed by deleting the file "Record Definitions" from the folder named for our software that is within the Meadows folder that is within the XTension folder that is within the QuarkXPress folder. On windows machines, this file is called Recdefs.ddf. Deleting this file will cause it to be remade when the application is relaunched. Restart QuarkXPress and the problem should be resolved. Within DesignMerge, the DDFs are stored within the documents they are used by, and can be recreated when the document is opened. Within AutoPrice, a previous backup of the DDF set should be reloaded. If no backup of the DDFs exist, then they will have to be re-entered from the setup screens for the XTension.

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Q. AutoPrice is crashing QuarkXPress 4.11 and causing a Type 1, 11 or other Finder Error.

A. Quark did become aware of image-related memory issues within 4.11 versions of the application. They released a patch XTension for the program which can be accessed by clicking this link for Macintosh (68K/PowerMac) users:

http://www.quark.com/service/desktop/downloads/details.jsp?idx=422

or this link for Windows (95/98/NT) users:

http://www.quark.com/service/desktop/downloads/details.jsp?idx=423

Please note that this should be downloaded and installed only if you are running QuarkXPress 4.11 and have experienced frequent memory-related crashes with the application.

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Q. Can you tell me, in a few simple steps, how to setup a DDF for AutoPrice?

A. These are older instructions that do not take the Quick Setup feature into consideration. If you are running AutoPrice for InDesign, AutoPrice 6.0x for QuarkXPress 6.5, or 3.50 or higher for QuarkXPress 4.11 & 5.01 under OS 9, then a Quick Setup feature exists that simplifies this process. If you are running an older version of AutoPrice or AutoPrice for Windows, then follow the instructions below.

1.	Open your delimited file into a text-editor, Excel, or whatever you use.
2.	Count the number of columns and their header names.
3.	Go to (menus in Quark) AutoPrice - Setup - Database Definitions.
4.	Click the New button. Give it a name that describes the publication as a whole. Click OK.
5.	Click Edit.
6.	Click Field Names.
7.	Enter the header name for your first field at 001. Hit the up arrow to advance to 002. Enter the second header name, etc. Describe all the fields in your database in this fashion, even ones you are not pulling text from. Click OK when you are done.
8.	Set the Search Key Column to the field that contains the product number.
9.	Set the delimiter character on the file - usually a tab or comma.
10.	Set File Origin to where the text file was last saved.
11.	Set Text Qualifier to None - unless you know that a quote or apostrophe appears around every field in your database. This is the case, often, with comma-delimited files saved from certain applications.
12.	Set VTAB Translation to None.
13.	Click Extraction.
14.	Set the Extract Field: setting to the first field you are going to be pulling text from, such as the price field. Click the Save As... button. Give the Extraction Record a name - this name will show on the AutoPrice Palette when you are tagging the page, and will be associated with the placeholders for those elements.
15.	Repeat 14 for every field you are drawing text from, giving them appropriate names. Note that one usually does not make an Extraction Record for the field containing the part number (search key value), unless you are going to specifically have those visible numbers update on the QuarkXPress page when you do an update.
16.	When you are finished entering all your Extraction Records, then switch, at the top of the dialog where it shows the name of the Extraction Record, to Default and hit the Delete button. This deletes the Default Extraction Record and makes sure that nobody tags to it on the document. Click OK when done.
17.	At this point one would enter the Search Criteria or Price Styles to be used in the documents. These are setup for specific instances and needs, and are not used on a general setup.
18.	Click OK and Select, you will be all the way out of the AutoPrice Setup dialogs.
It is clicking the Select button in the Setup Database Definitions dialog that makes the DDF active for the open document. When you first open a document, after you have setup the DDF, to tag with AutoPrice, you will want to check that the floating palette is active and not grayed-out. The lower-left corner of the palette shows the name of the active DDF. If this is anything other than what it should be, you want to go to AutoPrice - Setup - Database Definitions, select the name of your DDF and hit the Select button. Then the palette will be active and will show the name of your DDF.

 

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Q. How do I import my Group Pictures into a container field in FileMaker Pro?

A. A Claris filter needs to be added to the Claris folder in your System folder. Once this filter has been added, you can import a GroupPicture into a container field in FileMaker Pro by selecting a container field and using the Import command from the FileMaker Pro menu. Once imported, the preview saved with the GroupPicture will appear in the field.