Esko Software Platform, November 2018 release
What's new?

ArtiosCAD 18.0.1

Resizable Design Templates (standards)

• ·New ECMA and FEFCO resizable designs have been added to the Style Catalog

Parametric part count for Canvas designs

• Use variable expressions to specify the number of copies for a part

Artwork panels for resizable design templates

• Add artwork panels to resizable design templates to have them automatically added to any resulting ARD file

Improvements to the Layout Tool

• New nesting patterns for honeycomb row and column have been added to the Layout Tool
• Minimize potential overlaps when nesting labels or designs with protruding ends

Canvas Layout features have been extended

• Select a subset of parts for auto-layout on a given material
• Parts can be moved around on a layout with snap points for more precise placement
• Auto-run reports on canvas layouts to add as annotations
• Access database information specific to the canvas layout
• XML output of the canvas layout for exporting to MIS, ERP and estimating systems
• Simple, 1-click conversion to MFG file from Canvas Layout

ArtPro+ 18.0.1

• Text Recognition (OCR): new feature in the Object menu to convert outlined text to live editable text (finding the best matching local fonts) to make text corrections
• Improved automatic trapping: The trapping direction is now kept more consistent for a better visual overall result of the trap suggestions so fewer manual changes are needed afterwards
• White Underprint has been added in the Prepress menu to easily create white underprint objects. Also available as new PDF Actions
• Barcode properties from Job Setup: When connected to Automation Engine, you can now use the barcode properties defined in the job setup
  • Properties taken from the job setup will be indicated with an AE icon in the barcode inspectors
  • New barcode type: we now support the Laetus Pharma barcode, regular and miniature variant
  • Dynamic Marks: When connected to Automation Engine, you can now apply Job parameters and Job barcodes as smart text in Dynamic Marks
  • PDF Action Lists have been extended:
  • An "Ignore Case" option was added to several PDF action lists (eg "Select Separation/ Layer by Name")
  • Several actions now allow input via comma separated lists (eg "Select Separation/ Layer by Name")
  • A new PDF action "Reorder Separations" has been added
  • New PDF actions for creating White UnderPrint have been added, "Add White Underprint" and "Subtract White Underprint"
  • New PDF actions in the category Page Boxes "Remove Page Box" and "Set Page Box Size by Content"
  • New additions to the category Selection -Select Objects by Attribute "Overprint" and "Knockout"
  • An additional field is now available to enter a description of the action list
• Colors List: You can now edit colors via the integrated Color Inspector in the Colors list. Editing gradients from the colors list is not yet supported.
• Cut on Crosshair: You can now cut away parts of selected objects based on the position of the crosshair, using the new Cut on Crosshair Tool
• More support for editing embedded images in Photoshop: Images with missing CMY or K channels & transparency as well as monochrome images with transparency are now editable in Photoshop
• Hardcoded ArtPro shortcuts: new option in the preferences to switch to a hardcoded set of ArtPro classic shortcuts
• Colored Page Boxes: Page Boxes are now shown in different colored contours for quicker identification. Content outside the Crop Box now remains visible but dimmed

ArtPro 18 and PowerLayout 18

ArtPro 18 is 64bit!

• ArtPro, PowerLayout and ArtPrinter 18 are now 64bit applications, supported on macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) and 10.14 (Mojave).

Some limitations and remarks:

• Contone Editing (ArtColor) is not ported.
  • ArtPro+ opens ArtPro files with ct images just fine. Ct images are embedded, but can be extracted to Tiff to edit in Photoshop.
• Step & Repeat 3D View (ArtRender) is not ported.
• Preflight Profile Editor is not ported. Preflight is available in ArtPro+ as an alternative.
• Viewer Compare is not ported. The Quality Control Compare tool is available in ArtPro+ as an alternative.
• Structural Design "Import from Shapes" is not ported. Shapes can be downloaded via the free Data Exchange plugin for Adobe Illustrator.

Automation Engine 18.0.1

This is a maintenance update with bug fixes, plus:

• Pilot (Mac) is now supported on MacOS 10.14 (Mojave)
• PDF Action Lists have been extended (See ArtPro+)

Cape Pack 18.0.1

• Import strength data from Cape Pack desktop to Cape Cloud
• Cape Cloud Strength application now supports previously uploaded cloud solutions (from Cape Pack 16.x)
• Maintenance update

Cape Pack (perpetual) 2.11 Japanese

• Bug fixes

Cape Pack (perpetual) 2.15 C4

• New release to roll in all released hotfixes

Color Pilot 18.0.1

• Color Pilot 18.0.1 is a maintenance update, including fixes and minor improvements.

DeskPack 18.0.1 (for Illustrator and Photoshop)

• Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop CC 2019 and macOS 10.14 (Mojave) are now fully supported.
• Annotations (Data Exchange): it is now possible to copy and paste content from WebCenter Annotations
• Dynamic Barcodes enhancements:
  • 3rd party vector and rasterized barcodes of the following additional types can now be recognized and converted to Dynamic Barcodes: Code39, DataMatrix, GS1 DataMatrix
  • Added support for 3 new application identifiers in GS1 barcodes (723, 8009, and 8026)
  • The default height of HIBC barcodes have been changed, in line with the updated GS1 HIBC specification
• Dynamic Marks: An option has been added to reverse the starting point of Grid Marks (for offline finishing)
• PDF Import: Documents using user units are now imported correctly scaled until 227.5"x227.5", the limit of Adobe Illustrator

Dynamic Content 18.0.1

• Adobe Illustrator CC 2019 and macOS 10.14 (Mojave) are now fully supported.
• Dynamic Art: To make template tagging more user friendly, the Properties dialog is now resizable horizontally and the "Text and content fitting" part is expandable.
• Dynamic Content: Information on images placed via WebCenter Connector is now saved to Esko XMP
• Dynamic Barcodes enhancements:
  • 3rd party vector and rasterized barcodes of the following additional types can now be recognized and converted to Dynamic Barcodes: Code39, DataMatrix, GS1 DataMatrix
  • Added support for 3 new application identifiers in GS1 barcodes (723, 8009, and 8026)
• The default height of HIBC barcodes have been changed, in line with the updated GS1 HIBC specification

Equinox 18.0.1 for Adobe Photoshop

• Bug fixes

i-cut Layout 18

In sync with libraries used in other 18.0 products (June 2018 release):

• CMS 16.0 (color managements software)
• Adobe PDF lib
  • Allows to place PDFPLA files as graphic (ie nesting of nested files, first nest all parts for 1roll,)
  • PDF for cutting with filled objects.

Imaging Engine 18.0.1

• Updated Adobe Kernel Version (APPE 4.9)
• In-RIP prepare for viewing:
  • Imaging Engine now produces a 'View File' when ripping. No need for the separate task in Automation Engine
  • Used for screened and unscreened separation
  • Print simulation files can also be produced
• Curve Pilot – changed behavior of keep 100%

Pack Proof 18.0.1

• Pack Proof 18.0.1 is a maintenance update, including fixes and minor improvements.

Studio 18.0.1

• Adobe Illustrator CC 2019 and macOS 10.14 (Mojave) are now fully supported.
• A new material, Invisible label, was added to the Esko Standard Library. This material is useful when mimicking the appearance of printing directly on the container.
• A finishing profile can be saved from the finishing operation stack. This finishing profile can then be repurposed on similar artwork files.
• Saving and Importing presets and profiles with the WebCenter Connector:
  • View and Scene Presets can be saved to and imported from WebCenter with the WebCenter Connector plug-in.
• Finishing Profiles can be saved to WebCenter with the WebCenter Connector plug-in.

Studio Store Visualizer 18.0.1

• MacOS 10.14 (Mojave) is now fully supported.
• Multiple enhancements to the quality and performance of refractive models.
• Added automatic physics, allowing high performance physics in complex projects.
• Improved user experience:
  • The model browser is now antialiased.
  • Fullscreen mode can now be toggled on the fly.
  • Added an icon view mode to the library panel, displaying all models of the selected library as icons.
  • Added support for 6k and 8k textures.
  • Material picking can now pick through transparent surfaces (by holding Shift while picking).
  • Touch bar now has an improved object creation mode with model and library selection.
  • SpaceNavigator now supports product viewer mode (for Windows, Mac support will be added in 18.1).