Content Station 10 full installation – Home

A full installation of Content Station 10 is an installation on a system on which Content Station is not yet installed.

The installation consists of various steps which should be performed in the following order:

Setting up Enterprise Server
(Optional) Updating the Transfer Index file of Enterprise Server
Installing Content Station
Configuring Content Station
(Optional) Adding the JSON MIME type to IIS
Installing the Content Station Server plug-in
Setting up article templates
Defining article components
Installing and configuring InDesign Server
Testing the installation
Starting InDesign Server
Activating the Content Station license
(Optional) Enabling Content Station for using Overruled Issues
(Optional) Installing the Content Station Desktop App
(Optional) Adding custom functionality
Using Content Station

1. Setting up Enterprise Server

Content Station 10 is installed in an existing installation of Enterprise Server 10. Make sure therefore that you have a fully working Enterprise Server 10 environment already set up. For more information, see Enterprise Server 10 full installation.

Note: For information about compatibility of Content Station 10 with Enterprise Server, see the Compatibility Matrix.

2. (Optional) Updating the Transfer Index file of Enterprise Server

The transferindex.php file of Enterprise Server needs to be updated when installing Content Station 10 in one of the following versions of Enterprise Server:

Version 9.4.0 – 9.4.8
Version 9.5.0 – 9.8.1

Download one of the following versions of the file and use it to replace the existing version in the root of your Enterprise Server installation:

3. Installing Content Station

Content Station is provided as a package that needs to be installed in Enterprise Server.

Step 1. Download the following file from the Release Announcement:

contentstation-10.x-bxx.zip

Step 2. Unzip the file.

A folder named 'contentstation' is created.

Step 3. Place the folder in the root of your Enterprise Server installation.

Example: C:/Enterprise Server/contentstation

4. Configuring Content Station

As a minimum configuration step, the URL of the Enterprise Server instance to connect to needs to be defined. Optional settings are tracking user behavior, enabling logging and making applications available.

Show me what a minimum configuration looks like

window.csConfig = {
  // Add the URL of the Enterprise Server to connect to (URL can be absolute or relative).
  // Examples
  // > absolute URL (full path to the server):
  //   * 'http://myserver.com/Enterprise/index.php'
  // > relative URL:
  //   * '/Enterprise/index.php'
  //   * '../index.php'
  serverUrl: '../index.php',
  // Define the server name (only required when layouts need to be automatically opened in InDesign). The name should match one of the server names configured in the WWSettings.xml file distributed to your workstations.
  serverName: 'Enterprise 10',

  // Url that will be open when 'Help' is clicked.
  helpUrl: 'https://helpcenter.woodwing.com/hc/categories/201364686-Documentation-Content-Station-10',

  // Track user behaviour through Amplitude.
  // Leave empty to disable (amplitudeId: '').
  amplitudeId: '40796e16699a5135a7b2290bdc3293f7',

  // Log levels
  // * 0 - disable logs
  // * 1 - basic logs (no stacktrace)
  // * 2 - full logs
  logs: 1,

  // Add external applications to the Apps menu.
  // Leave empty to remove the Apps menu from the header (apps: []).
  // Properties:
  // > name - name of the app
  // > url - url of the app. Placeholders are {SERVER_URL}, {SESSION_ID} and {APP_PATH}.
  //   * SERVER_URL - The Enterprise Server UL
  //   * SESSION_ID - The session ID
  //   * APP_PATH - Relative path to apps with relative paths, for example to the Publication Overview
  // > icon - Name of the icon used in the menu; the icon should be available in the icons folder: ~/assets/third-party-icons/
  // > iconUrl - path to the icon file when the icon is not stored in the icons folder
  // > thisTab - 'true' to open the app in the same tab as Content Station.
  // Notes:
  //   * When both 'icon' and 'iconUrl' are present, 'icon' will be used.
  //   * When 'icon' and 'iconUrl' are not present, Content Statin will fall back to a default icon.
  //   * When 'thisTab' is not present it defaults to 'false' meaning that apps are opened in new tab.
  apps: [
    {
      name: 'Inception',
      url: '//inception.woodwing.com',
      icon: 'inception-logo.svg'
    },
    {
      name: 'Publication Overview',
      url: '{APP_PATH}#/publication',
      icon: 'Icon-PublicationOverview.svg',
      thisTab: true
    },
    {
      name: 'ISSUES_ISSUE_MANAGER',
      url: '{APP_PATH}#/issuemanager',
      icon: 'manage-issues.svg',
      thisTab: true,
      translate: true
    },
    {
      name: 'TRASH_CAN_TITLE',
      url: '{APP_PATH}#/trashcan/',
      icon: 'trash-can.svg',
      thisTab: true,
      translate: true
    }
  ],

  // Add custom actions to context menu in search results.
  // See 'plugins.md' and 'contentstation-sdk.md' available in sdk folder for more information.
  plugins: {
    contentStation: [
      // 'sdk/samples/sample-1.js',
      // 'sdk/samples/sample-2.js'
    ]
  }
};

Step 1. Open the following file:

<Enterprise Server path>/contentstation/config.js

Step 2. Connect Content Station to Enterprise Server by adding the Enterprise Server URL to the serverUrl option. Use either a relative link (requires Content Station 10.2 or higher) or an absolute link.

Examples:

Relative links:

serverUrl:  '/Enterprise/index.php',

serverUrl:  '../index.php',

Absolute link (full path to the server):

serverUrl: 'http://myserver.com/Enterprise/index.php',

Step 3. Make sure that the serverName option matches one of the server names configured in the WWSettings.xml file distributed to your workstations.

Example: Here the server name in the WWSettings.xml file is 'Enterprise':

<SCEnt:ServerInfo name="Enterprise" url="http://localhost/Enterprise/index.php"/>

'Enterprise' is therefore entered as the serverName option:

serverName: 'Enterprise',

Step 4. (Optional) Through the integration of Amplitude in Content Station 10, WoodWing anonymously tracks user behavior (see User behavior tracking in Content Station 10). To disable this tracking, remove the amplitude ID.

Note: We kindly request to keep tracking enabled so that we can continuously improve Content Station and its performance.

Example: amplitudeId: '',

Step 5. (Optional) Define the level of logging that should take place by defining one of the following settings in the logs option:

0 Logging is disabled
1 Basic logging (no stack trace)
2 Full logging

Example: logs: 1

Step 6. (Optional) Access to applications (3rd-party applications or extra sources of information such as the Publication Overview Application, WoodWing Inception, Web sites and so on) can be provided through a link in the Apps menu. This is done by defining each app as described in Working with Applications in Content Station 10. Leave empty to remove the Apps menu altogether.

Example:apps: []

Step 7. Save and close the file.

5. (Optional) Adding the JSON MIME type to IIS

Note: This step only needs to be performed when running Windows with IIS as a Web Server.

In order for Content Station 10 to be loaded, IIS needs to be able to serve JSON files. This is done by making sure that the JSON MIME type is present in IIS.

Step 1. Open IIS Manager and navigate to the level you want to manage.

Step 2. In Features View, double-click MIME Types.

Step 3. Verify if the .json extension is listed.

In case the .json extension is listed, all is well and you can close the IIS Manager.

In case the .json extension is not listed, continue as follows:

Step 4. In the Actions pane, click Add.

The Add MIME Type dialog box appears.

Step 5. In the File name extension text box, type the '.json' file name extension.

Step 6. In the MIME type text box, type the MIME type "application/json".

Step 7. Click OK.

6. Installing the Content Station Server plug-in

Various Content Station 10 features require the use of an Enterprise Server plug-in. This plug-in needs to be installed and initialized.

Step 1. Download the following file for your version of Content Station 10 from the software download page:

Content Station 10.x Server Plug-in Build xx

Step 2. Unzip the file.

A folder named 'ContentStation' is created.

Step 3. Place the folder in the following folder of your Enterprise Server installation:

config/plugins

Step 4. Log in to Enterprise Server, access the Server plug-ins page and verify that the plug-in named 'Content Station' is enabled (as indicated by a green icon). When a red icon is shown, click it to enable the plug-in.

7. Setting up article templates

When a new article is created in Content Station 10 for use in the Print editor, the article is based on an article template in which the default article components and the styles for formatting the text are defined.

Multiple article templates can be set up within a Brand, each with different components and/or styling. When users create a new article and multiple templates are available, they can choose which one to use. Once the article is created, users can add or remove article components manually when needed.

For information about setting up article templates, see Setting up article templates for Content Station 10.

8. Defining article components

When a new article is created in Content Station 10 for use in the Print editor, the article is based on an article template in which the default article components are defined.

Once the article is created, users can add or remove article components manually when needed.

The following can be configured:

Which article components can be added
Which paragraph style should be applied to the text when a component is added
If an article component can be added only once or multiple times

For information about how to do this, see Adding article components to an existing article in Content Station 10 - configuration.

9. Installing and configuring InDesign Server

An installation of InDesign Server — together with the Smart Connection for InDesign Server plug-ins installed — is needed to make use of the following functionality in Content Station:

Previewing layouts
Copyfitting articles

Step 1. Install InDesign Server as per Adobe’s instructions.

For compatible versions, see Compatibility of Smart Connection with Enterprise Server.

Step 2. Install the Smart Connection plug-ins for InDesign Server by running the Smart Connection installer on the machine(s) running InDesign Server.

See Smart Connection full installation.

Step 3. Define the InDesign Server host by following these steps:

Step 3a. Access the InDesign Server Maintenance page.

Step 3b. Click New InDesign Server.

Step 3c. Add the configuration settings:

Host Name (IP address): Defines the address on which the SOAP interface of InDesign Server is available.

Note: This is an http address. Enter either the host’s IP address or its DNS name.

Example: http://myidserver.

Port Number: The port you start the InDesign Server with.
Application Version: The version of InDesign Server. Click the Auto Detect Version button to automatically detect the installed version.
Description: Enter a descriptive name.
Active: Enable or disable the InDesign Server instance (enabled by default).

Step 3d. Click Update.

Step 4. Configure the following options:

10. Testing the installation

The next step involves testing the installation and configuration of Content Station and InDesign Server.

Step 1. Access the Health Check page in Enterprise Server.

Step 2. Click Clear All to deselect all selected tests.

Step 3. Select the following tests:

InDesign Server / CS Editor
Content Station 10

Step 4. Click Test.

The test results are displayed next to the test and should display OK.

Note: If the test fails, an error is displayed together with instructions for how to solve it. Follow the instructions to fix the issue and then run the test once more.

11. Starting InDesign Server

To start InDesign Server with the SOAP interface enabled, the port to the application needs to be specified.

After completing the steps below, the soap interface of the server will be available on port 18383.

On the system(s) where InDesign Server is installed, follow these steps:

Tip: The startup of InDesign Server can also be automated using Macaroni (Mac) or Scheduled Tasks (Windows).

12. Activating the Content Station license

Before Content Station can be used, a license needs to be activated for it. This process takes place on Enterprise Server. For more information, see About licensing and Managing licenses.

13. (Optional) Enabling Content Station for using Overruled Issues

In Enterprise Server, an Issue can be set up in such a way that it uses its own Categories, Workflow, and User Authorization definitions and not those defined in the Brand that the Issue is part of. This is done by selecting the check box for the option 'Overrule Brand' when creating the Issue.

To make Overruled Issues appear in Content Station, a Server plug-in needs to be enabled.

Step 1. Access the Server Plug-ins page.

Step 2. Locate the plug-in named Content Station Overrule Compatibility. It will most likely be deactivated as indicated by the red icon Server plug-in disabled icon .

Step 3. Click the red icon. It should automatically turn green, indicating that the plug-in is now active.

Note: When this plug-in is active, overruled Issues are represented in Content Station as their own Brand with one Issue, meaning that if one Brand has been set up containing 2 overruled Issues, they appear as 2 separate Brands in Content Station. The naming format used is <Brand name> <Issue name>.

14. (Optional) Installing the Content Station Desktop App

The Content Station Desktop app is used for setting up the communication between Content Station and other applications and for controlling some of the features of the Desktop app itself.

The Content Station Desktop app

Figure: The Settings window of the Content Station Desktop app.

Note: Shown here is the Desktop Application version 1.x.x (available since Content Station 10.28). Older versions will contain less options.

It can be used for the following features:

Defining which version of InDesign should be used for opening layouts
Defining if articles should be opened in Content Station or in InCopy
Automatically opening all types of files in their native application
Setting up a connection to Enterprise Server through a proxy server
Automatically downloading a file on a user's system when it is routed (Smart Caching)

For information about installing and setting up the Desktop app, see Using the Desktop app of Content Station 10.

15. (Optional) Adding custom functionality

Different working environments and workflows require a variety of different tools to get the job done easily and efficiently. Such tools vary from using spell checkers, translating sections of text, accessing external references, and so on.

When such functionality is not available in Content Station 10 by default, it can be added as custom functionality.

For more information, see Adding custom functionality to Content Station 10.

16. Using Content Station

As a final test, use Content Station by logging in and creating a new article.

Step 1. Access Content Station by entering the following URL in a Web browser:

<Enterprise Server URL>/contentstation

Example: http://127.0.0.1/Enterprise/contentstation

Step 2. In the toolbar, click 'Create new...' and follow the steps for creating a new article.

Document history

26 September 2017: Added information about configuring the Server name.
10 August 2017: Updated the screenshot of the Desktop app.
10 August 2017: Added reference to Smart Caching.