Overview

Automated Production accelerates print page workflows by auto-placing article assets and snippets based on asset attributes, Page Content Types, and publication-specific rules. This guide outlines how to configure a BLOX Total CMS site to support Automated Production.

Prerequisites

• Before setup begins, confirm the following: 
• Client is running BLOX Total CMS Client 5.73 or newer
• Page Content Types are defined in the CMS
• Snippets have been exported using the BLOX Total CMS Plug-in for Adobe InDesign (UXP)
• Site is using Active or Passive Budgeting
• BLOX Digital has enabled the experimental setting for Automated Production (see activation step below)

Installing the BLOX Total CMS Plug-in for Adobe InDesign

To use Automated Production, your site must install the BLOX Total CMS Plug-in for Adobe InDesign, which is built on Adobe’s UXP (Unified Extensibility Platform) and compatible with InDesign CC 2024 and newer.

How to Install the Plug-in:

1. Open the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app
2. In the left-hand navigation panel, click “Stock & Marketplace”
3. Click “Plugins”
4. In the Search bar, type: BLOX Total CMS
5. Click the Install button next to the BLOX Total CMS Plug-in
6. Wait for installation to complete. Once installed, the plug-in will be available the next time you launch InDesign.

 After Installation:

• You can access the plug-in under the Plug-ins menu in Adobe InDesign
• It will not appear under the Window menu like traditional panels
• The first time you open the plug-in, you'll be prompted to log in and select a domain

NOTE: If login fails or you don’t see any snippets, refer to the troubleshooting section or use Clear Cache from the BLOX Total CMS Plug-in menu.

Activation by BLOX Digital

To enable Automated Production:

• A BLOX Digital staff member must enable the experimental Automated Production setting for each domain
• Submit a support ticket with:
  • Site/domain name
  • Publication(s) and edition days
  • Whether the site uses Active Budgeting, Passive Budgeting, or both
  • Any known Page Content Types or Page Tracker configurations

Define Page Content Types in CMS

1) Log into the BLOX Total CMS browser interface.

2) Navigate to: CMS > Settings > InDesign > Page Creation Settings

3) Go to the Content Types tab.

4) Click Add to define new types:

• Type: must be lowercase, no spaces (e.g., sports,opinion)
• Description: can include uppercase and spaces

5) Save.

Tip: If the ad layout system supplies Content Types, match them exactly (including lowercase format).

Export Page Design Snippets

Using the BLOX Total CMS Plug-in for Adobe InDesign:

1) Open the Master Document or document page in InDesign.

2) Select the layout frames to include.

3) Open the Snippets tab in the plugin.

4) Click New.

5) Choose:

• Snippet Type: Page Design
• Snippet Name: Must start with or exactly match the Page Content Type (e.g., sports-front)
• Enable options as needed:
  • Maintain All
  • Set File References to Match
  • Create Label After Export
  • Keep Non-Asset Text

6) Choose Publication Codes where the snippet should be available.

7) Select a folder and Export a Snippet.

Assign Page Design Snippets to Page Content Types

Automated Production selects snippets for placement using this logic:

1. Exact match between Page Content Type and snippet name (case-sensitive) → placed without prompting.
2. Single match found → placed automatically.
3. Multiple matches → user is prompted to select one.
4. User can check “Do not ask about this Page Content Type” to set a default for future use.

Snippets must:

• Be exported with publication codes
• Be named to match (or begin with) the Page Content Type

Assign Page Content Types to Pages

Page Content Types can be assigned:

A. In BLOX Total CMS (InDesign):

1. BLOX Total CMS > Documents > Advertising > Create Edition from Edition File
2. Use the dialog to select a Content Type for each page
3. Click Add, then OK

B. Page Content Mapping in Page Tracker (CMS):

1. Open Page Tracker in a browser
2. Open Page Tracker's Page Content Mapping Application settings
3. Choose site sections to map them to
4. Use the Save button and Close

C. In InDesign (manually):

• BLOX Total CMS > Page Content Types > Document Page Content Types...
• Select a new type and click Add
• Triggers snippet placement if one is matched

Enable Passive Budgeting (Optional)

If not already enabled:

1. In the CMS, enable Passive Budgeting in
2. Page Tracker > Settings > Budget Configuration
3. This allows designers to search for assets by page number, placement, and Content Type
4. Works in tandem with snippet placement for fully automated layout population

Add Design Element Snippets (Optional)

Design Element Snippets can be assigned to individual article assets for auto-placement:

1. Export as Design Element snippet via the plug-in
2. In the CMS, edit an asset and assign the snippet as a Geometry field
3. When that asset is placed on a page, the assigned snippet is also placed

Test Automated Production

In InDesign:

1) Open a dummy page that has an assigned Page Content Type

2) Use the plug-in to place assets from Asset Manager or Budget

3) Verify that:

• A matching Page Design Snippet (Page Content Type) is placed automatically
• Design Element Snippets (if any) are applied to assets

4) Check for correct publication code filtering

5) Confirm fallback behavior for unmatched content types

Advanced Settings and Maintenance

Reset Snippet Cache (if needed):

• BLOX Total CMS Plug-in > Clear Cache...
• This resets login and search data

 Update Snippets:

• Use Update All Snippets in plug-in preferences to sync all frames

Troubleshooting:

• Confirm client version is 5.73+
• Confirm snippets were exported using the plug-in, not the legacy client
• Snippets without pub codes or mismatched names won’t be placed automatically

Summary

Automated Production provides powerful time-saving features by combining smart snippet placement with Page Content Types and budgeting. Once properly configured, designers can produce pages faster with fewer manual steps — especially useful for recurring section fronts and ad-dummy-based page builds.

For assistance with setup or questions, please file a support request at: https://support.bloxdigital.com/