The mag+ Production Tool is a cross-platform app that takes your layouts (called Verticals) created in Adobe InDesign and packages them together into a MIB (mag+ Issue Bundle) file that is uploaded to the mag+ Publish portal. This article will walk you through setting up the mag+ Production Tool.
Before You Begin
Before configuring the mag+ Production Tool, you should set up a folder structure on your local machine, or an accessible file server, that will serve as a storage space. This folder structure will contain your InDesign files, exported Verticals, and your Issue folders.
Do not store your original InDesign files in the root of your Issue folder—doing so can cause problems with your MIB creation. mag+ will use this folder structure to generate MIB files which are uploaded to the mag+ Publish portal and to reviewer devices.
For a suggested Issue Folder set-up, read the article "How to Structure Your Issue Folder."
Note: If you want to set-up a Reviewer Device with your Production Tool, be sure to download and install the free Mag+ Reviewer app from your device's app store. For more information, read the article "Setting Up and Using the mag+ Reviewer."How to Configure Issue Settings
Issue Settings control a variety of things:
- Where the Production Tool looks for InDesign layouts that have been exported as Verticals.
- The content layout for the device you are viewing in the interface.
- The Brand and Issue ID for the MIB you are creating.
- The version of MIB you are creating.
The steps below will walk you through setting up your Issue.
1. Click on the drop-down menu next to Project and select "Add +."
If creating apps for a single device, the Issue Folder can be set to the root Issue folder. If creating apps for multiple devices, it is suggested to have a specific folder structure that allows you to use the mag+ Multi-Device Export feature. For information on how to use the Multi-Device Export feature (and how to set-up an optimal folder structure), read the article "Using Multi-Device Export for Multiple Devices."
Note: If you have worked with previous Issues, they will appear in the Issue Folder drop-down menu.
2. Enter the name of your Brand.
The Brand name will be added to the final name of the generated MIB file. This text in this field is never made public to the user.
3. Enter a unique Issue ID.
The Issue ID will be added to the final name of the generated MIB file. The text in this field is never made public to the user.
Note: The Brand and Issue ID are used to create the GUID of your MIB, which is required to be in a specific format for the mag+ Publish portal. While the Production Tool should automatically format the GUID for you, there may be a rare instance where you need to change the GUID manually. For more information on how to do that, please read the article "Manually Changing the GUID of a MIB."
4. Select a MIB version from the drop-down menu.
MIB versions match the version of the Mag+ Designd app that displays them. While newer Mag+ Designd apps you create can display earlier MIB files, if an older Mag+ Designd app encounters a newer MIB, it will display it with a warning message, and any features of the newer version will not be displayed.
Note: This setting should match what was selected in the mag+ InDesign Plugin upon export. A mismatch between the Issue MIB version and a Vertical's MIB version will result in the Vertical being highlighted in red.
How to Set-Up a Reviewer Device in the mag+ Production Tool
The mag+ Production Tool can push previews of your Issues to connected Reviewer Devices.
If using Mac OS X, the MyDevice field in the mag+ Production Tool should automatically populate with the device name of any iOS device running the mag+ Reviewer on the same network. If this does not happen — such as if your network security is set to prevent automatic discovery — the steps below will show you how to add a Push Device manually.
If using the mag+ Production Tool on Windows or if you are reviewing to an Android device, follow the steps below to set-up a Push Device manually.
1. Find the Push Address.
Note: For Push Reviews to work, your Reviewer Device and your computer must be on the same wi-fi network.iOS Devices
The Mag+ Production Tool and iOS Reader App use Bonjour to attempt to establish a link without having to input an address. If this automatic set-up does not work, follow the steps below to manually add your iOS Reviewer Device to the mag+ Production Tool.
- Launch the Mag+ Reviewer App on your iOS device and tap the Settings icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on the "Enable Push Reviewer" slider to turn on the Push service.
- Write down the Push Service address for the device.
Android Devices
- Launch the Mag+ Reviewer App on your Android Device.
- Tap on the screen to display the Action Bar and tap on the Menu icon in the upper left-hand corner.
- In the sidebar menu, tap on the User Settings icon.
- Write down the Device Push Address for the device.
2. Click on the drop-down menu next to My Device at the bottom of the mag+ Production Tool and select "Add+."
3. Enter the Device Push Address into the field next to Host Address.
Important Information
- The Push Address on the Reviewer Device includes the port number (the numbers following the colon). Do not enter the port number in the Host Address field. You only need to change the port number under specific network conditions. Ask your systems administrator if you believe that the port number needs to be changed in your network environment.
- If you are not able to communicate with your Reviewer Device, it may also be that your network is blocking the default port. Your systems administrator should be able to configure your network to allow communication between devices on a specific port number.
4. Click on the "OK" button to save the Device Push Address.
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