Documentation
We appreciate your understanding if any translation errors occur.
HotFolder Monitor - version 5.7.7.8
COMMERCIAL VERSION - DOWNLOAD THE IMPOZYCJONER SOFTWARE FOR WINDOWS 7-11 (64 BIT)
Download documentation in PDF format: HotFolder Monitor
| HotFolder Monitor is an additional application for the Impozycjoner software. It is a simplified version of the main program for each variant, without an interface, using the same configuration files and reading imposition templates created by the main program in each variant (A, B and C). |  |
The program's task is to monitor a specified folder on the disk and, if a PDF file appears in it, to impose it without displaying any warning or information windows.
The first step after launching HF Monitor is to specify the folder on the disk that will be monitored and the folder where the imposition files will be saved. After specifying the input folder, a LOGS subfolder will be created in it, where xml files documenting the program's operation will be saved.
| Folders can be defined at any time during program operation using the appropriate menu commands [1] or from the menu displayed after right-clicking on the folder name label [2]. At any time, it is possible to change the configuration template according to which PDF files will be subjected to imposition. |
 |
If folders are specified and the imposition template is read, it will be possible to start monitoring the folder by pressing the START HFM button. This button has two states, allowing you to enable and disable folder monitoring.
| Each time the program is ready to work, it confirms this by creating a text file named info.txt in the input folder, containing the basic template settings. The contents of this file also serve as a tooltip displayed next to the template name label. |  |
Each time the program is launched, a file in xml format is created, in which the history of performed impositions is saved. The file name consists of the date, the "_" character, and the time when monitoring began (e.g., 16.01.2025_11.28.35.xml). Entries in the current file can be viewed in real time after opening the window Save current HotFolder Monitor session.
Archived entries can be viewed using a regular notepad or any text editor, preferably one with built-in support for the xml format (e.g., Notepad++).
The user can also change the program's operating mode using the program menu. The operating mode is not determined by the template.
HotFolder Monitor configuration
You can run several HF Monitors simultaneously, specifying different folders to monitor.
Note! Running several HF Monitors with different configurations but with the same monitored folder is an error!
A tool called HFM Configurator, launched from the start panel menu, is used to manage the configurations of running HotFolder Monitors.
It creates a file named HFConfig.xml in the folder:
which specifies all startup parameters and the number of HotFolder Monitors to be launched simultaneously.
Note! Changes made to the configuration using the HotFolder Monitor menu commands are temporary. They are not saved in the HFConfig.xml file. Only the HFM Configurator can be used to make changes to this file.
Note! The number of rows in the sheet corresponds to the number of HotFolder Monitors running simultaneously.
Each row of the configuration sheet displayed in the HFM Configurator window contains the startup parameters for the next HotFolder Monitor.
Description of columns:
Input folder (in) – full path to the input folder.
Output folder (out) – full path to the output folder.
Interval [s] – specifies the time in seconds between successive readings of the input folder contents. The minimum value is 10 seconds. By double-clicking on the cell, you can change this value to another one, but any value between 1 and 9 will still result in the folder being read every 10 seconds. A value of 0 means that the program will not periodically read the input folder, and the imposition will only be performed after pressing the START HFM button.
Mode A [1-6], BC [1-2] – determines the program's operating mode. In variant A, there are six modes available, all based on auto-fill, while in variants B and C, there are two modes.
Variant A:
- Mode 1A: one PDF page = one sheet page (individually).
- Mode 2A: one PDF page = one sheet page (merged).
- Mode 3A: each page x print run - sequentially (individually).
- Mode 4A: each page x print run - sequentially (merged).
- Mode 5A: each page x print run - in a stack (individually).
- Mode 6A: each page x copy - in a stack (merged).
In both modes, sheets in the stack are filled automatically. As in modes 3A and 4A, the direction and starting corner are specified in the imposition template. If the print run is not specified in the file name, a value of 1 is assumed for each page.
In odd modes (1A, 3A, 5A) each file is subject to imposition separately. In even modes (2A, 4A, 6A) all files currently in the input folder are combined into a single file, which is saved in a temporary folder. The file name is the name of the first file in the input folder (after sorting) with a random part added (e.g., A5_vertical_25p.pdf_5909298)
Variant B and C:
- Mode 1A: each file individually.
- Mode 2A: all files together (merged).
In odd modes (1B, 1C) each file is subject to imposition separately. In even modes (2B, 2C) all files currently in the input folder are merged into a single file, which is saved in the temporary folder. The file name is the name of the first file in the input folder (after sorting) with a random part added. This is the file where phrases overwriting the template settings should be placed.
Auto blank page – determines whether blank pages are added automatically.
Overwrite template – determines whether to overwrite the template parameters with the parameters in the file name.
Auto START – determines whether the program will automatically start monitoring the input folder after the input and output folders have been correctly defined and the imposition template has been loaded, without the need to manually press the START button. This is particularly useful when automatically resuming the program located in the Autostart folder after restarting the computer, e.g., after a power failure.
Note! Selecting the option in the Auto START column does not mean that HotFolder Monitor will be added to the list of programs that start automatically when the operating system is launched.
Instructions for adding HotFolder Monitor to Windows startup
1. Open the Autostart folder:
- Press Win + R, type: shell:startup;
- Confirm with Enter. The autostart folder for the current user will open.
2. Create a shortcut to the program:
- Find the .exe file for the HotFolder Monitor program that you want to run automatically (C:\Program Files\Impozycjoner 5\ Impozycjoner_H.exe).
- • Right-click → Send to → Desktop (create shortcut) (or: Right-click → Show more options → Send to → Desktop (create shortcut)).
3. Move the shortcut to the Autostart folder
- Drag the shortcut from the desktop to the folder you opened in step 1.
When you restart your computer, it will start automatically.
To run the program for all users, use the command shell:startup instead of: shell:common startup.
The cells of the configuration sheet are filled in using pop-up menu commands.
Incorrect configuration (e.g., missing input folder) causes HotFolder Monitor to ignore the incorrect parameter during startup.
A red color in a sheet cell indicates a missing or non-existent template or folder.
The new configuration will be read after closing all running HotFolder Monitors and starting one of them. The others will start automatically.
Folder Creator
The HFM configurator has an additional tool called Folder Creator, which makes it easier to fill in the Input folder and Output folder columns in the configuration sheet.
After launching it and selecting the folder where the input and output subfolders will be created for each running copy of HotFolder Monitor.
The user can choose between two modes for creating subfolders.
| How mode 1 works. Subfolders named 1_In, 1_Out, 2_In, 2_Out, 3_In, 3_Out etc. will be created in the specified folder (e.g., F:/HFCFolders). |
 |
| How mode 2 works. Subfolders named HFCFolders_In and HFCFolders_out will be created in the specified folder (e.g., F:/HFCFolders). Subfolders named 1_In, 2_In, 3_In, etc. will be created in HFCFolders_In. Subfolders named 1_Out, 2_Out, 3_Out, etc. will be created in HFCFolders_Out. |
 |
The phrases "_In" i "_Out" can be changed. Instead of the next sequential number, you can also use the name of the template assigned to the HotFolder Monitor.
The corresponding rows of the configuration sheet will be filled in automatically.
To perform imposition using HF Monitor, simply save the PDF file in the monitored folder
Overwriting template parameters with variables passed in file names
- Change in the number of pages in the signature (applies to sewn binding): variants B and C
Within the same template, you can change the number of pages in the signature. This parameter can be passed to the program in the PDF file name, e.g., the phrase "_PG32_" anywhere in the file name overwrites the number of pages in the complete signature stored in the template to 32. If the new number of pages in the signature cannot be extracted from the file name, the value stored in the template applies. The number of pages in the signature must be divisible by 4 without remainder.
- Paper change: variants A, B and C
Within the same template, you can change the name of the paper on which the imposition is performed. This parameter can be passed to the program via the PDF file name – for example, the phrase "_PpSRA3_" anywhere in the file name will overwrite the paper name stored in the template with SRA3. If a new paper name cannot be extracted from the file name, the value stored in the template will apply.
Important! The program does not signal situations where the print area exceeds the size of the new paper.
- Mode: Only 1 copy: variant C
Within the same template for glued or saddle stitch binding, you can change the Only 1 copy parameter. This parameter can be passed to the program via the PDF file name – for example, the phrase "_Only1+_" anywhere in the file name will switch the template to Only 1 copy mode – if it is disabled in the template. The "+" sign will enable the marking of added blank pages necessary to fill stacks with the letter W. The phrase "_Only1-_" (with a minus sign) in the file name will also switch to Only 1 copy mode, but without special marking of added blank pages.
- Information about the print run: variant A
Within the same template for variant A, you can specify the print run for each page directly in the file name. This parameter can be passed to the program using the phrase "_PRXXX_" anywhere in the file name, where XXX is an integer (e.g., "_PR250_").
If no print run is specified in the file name, the default value is 1.
Overwriting template parameters with parameters passed in the file name can be disabled by unchecking the Overwrite template parameters with parameters in the file name checkbox.
In subsequent versions of the program, it will be possible to increase the number of parameters that can be passed in the file name.
Automatic addition of blank pages
If the Add missing pages (blank pages) at the end - automatically checkbox is disabled, then when a file with an incorrect number of pages is sent to the folder, the program will perform imposition on such a file by adding 1 to 3 blank page (vacancies).
The program considers the following to be an incorrect number of pages:
- in variant A – an odd number of pages in the case of two-sided sheets;
- in variant C – an odd number of pages in the case of perfect binding;
- in variants B and C – a number of pages that is not divisible by 4 in the case of saddle stitch binding and sewn binding.
In even modes (2A, 4A, 6A, 2B, 2C), blank pages are added to the file created by combining all files intended for imposition.
Differences in reading templates between the main program and HotFolder Monitor:
- HF Monitor does not allow each sheet to be saved to a separate file.
- HF Monitor ignores the need to specify an identifier, i.e., the variable #[ID].
- HF Monitor in variants B and C always has the exception table enabled.
- HF Monitor in variants B and C in the current version does not support creep correction.
- HF Monitor in variant A does not support imposition outside the imposition grid
Change in cell grid size:
| An important element of the template loaded into the program (regardless of the variant) is the ability to lock or unlock changes to the cell grid size. |  |
If resizing is unlocked, you can use the same template for imposition of jobs with sizes other than those saved in the template. However, it should be remembered that a significant change in size may result in the generation of sheets in which the print area is larger than the paper. This also requires special attention when planning the position of elements drawn around the sheet (e.g., in offset printing), especially those related to the print area.
Applies to variant A
Applies to variants B and C
If resizing is enabled, the program will adjust the cell grid dimensions to the size of the first page in the file and report an error if any of the pages in the file sent for imposition have dimensions other than those of the first page.
Temporary blocking or unblocking of the ability to change the size of the cell grid can be communicated to HotFolder Monitor by placing the phrase "_GCR+_" (change blocked) or "_GCR-_" (change unblocked) in the name of the imposition file.