Configuring the deadline warning time (soft deadline) in Studio Server

Info: Performing the step described in this article requires direct server access. Depending upon how your system is hosted and the level of access you have to that system, coordination may be required with your Partner or WoodWing Support team. For a full overview of the steps that need to be done by WoodWing and how to request them, see WoodWing Cloud - Change management.

Studio Server can warn a user when a deadline is near. However, a user should also be aware how much time is left until the deadline is reached.

By defining a deadline warning time — referred to as the "soft deadline" — with an agreed upon time period (for example 2 days before the deadline ends), the user has a much clearer way of knowing how much time is left.

How the deadline status is communicated to users

The deadline status is communicated to users in 2 ways:

1. In the form of colored icons in "Deadline (Icon") column of the Studio panel in Studio for InDesign and InCopy, and the Document pane of Studio:

• A green icon when the deadline is not yet passed
• A red icon when the deadline has passed

2. In the form of a message that appears when an InDesign or InCopy user opens a document.

In this default configuration, the user can tell by the green icon that the deadline is not yet passed but has no way of knowing how much time is still left (a month, a week, a day?).

How users are informed when using a soft deadline

When the soft deadline has neared, users are informed in the following ways:

• A yellow icon is shown in the "Deadline (Icon") of the Studio panel in Studio for InDesign and InCopy, and the Document pane of Studio.
   
• The following message appears when opening a layout or article in InDesign or InCopy:

"Document <document name> is nearing its deadline."

Configuration

This deadline warning time is controlled by the following option:

• File: configserver.php file (recommended: config_overrule.php file)
• Name of option: DEADLINE_WARNTIME
   
• Possible values: any number (specifying the number of seconds) 
  Alternatively, it can be multiplied by the number of days and hours by using the following format: 

number of days*number of hours*number of seconds

• Default setting: 2*24*3600 (two days)
• Example:

define ('DEADLINE_WARNTIME', 2*24*3600);

Revisions

• 11 March 2026: Updated section 'Configuration' by adding a note about Studio for InDesign and InCopy 19.0.7 for Adobe 2024.