Using a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system with eDocBuilder and Pressero or other shopping cart systems

Can I link images from a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system to an image picker field in an eDocBuilder template?
Yes, image fields in eDocBuilder templates can connect with an external Digital Asset Management (DAM) system. A DAM can be as simple as a hard drive with the images connected to the web. Both form-based and Interactive Designer templates are supported. The method of connecting depends on whether eDocBuilder is being used as part of Pressero or whether it is integrated into another e-commerce system instead. Images under 15MB are guaranteed fine, while 15-50MB may cause delay problems depending on the user's connection. eDocBuilder has a hard image size limit of 50MB.
 
Pressero Assets
For those using eDocBuilder as part of the Pressero system, connecting image areas to an external DAM can be done via Pressero Assets (Sites > [site name] > Assets). The file can be connected to a Pressero Asset in one of three ways:
  • Assets created in Pressero admin. Choose to create a new Pressero asset. Set the "Location of the Asset" to "URL to Asset," then enter the URL of the file in the "External URL" field. You will need to manually create an asset for each individual file.
  • Excel Import. Our development team can do an import of assets directly into the database. Contact support for the Excel template and import fee.
  • API for XML Web Services. For those who purchased the API, you could use the API to create the assets in Pressero.
All three require a URL to the image in the external DAM. The URL can contain an auto-login string if the receiving system supports it. Otherwise, the image in the DAM must be accessible without a login.
 
Pressero will create a thumbnail image for display purposes. The production file will use the image from the DAM. Note: If a change is made in an image file on the DAM, the thumbnail displayed in eDocBuilder's image selection list will not automatically reflect that change. You will need to use the Assets, Excel Import, or API to reload/reset the image.
 
Images can be displayed in Categories, just like other types of images in the Assets area.
 
Note: If a template uses a variable data file upload, then the variable data file can reference images available at public URL.  See this article for more information:  https://support.aleyant.com/kb/a810/how-can-i-run-the-variable-data-file-for-face-photos.aspx?KBSearchID=175282#
 
eDocBuilder e-Commerce Integrators
eDocBuilder iFrame or API integrators have the option to connect eDocBuilder with an external digital asset management (DAM) system by passing in a JSON structure.
 
Both form-based (standard) and Interactive Designer support an optional external JSON structure containing URLs to an external image asset library from a third-party DAM system. For simplicity, images can be organized by category, making it easy for your users to navigate a large image library and find the desired image. This enables you to give your clients the ability to select from a large quantity of pre-selected images without having to upload the images to each template.
 
 
More Details and Screenshots
 
Related Topics
For explanation of the "initial asset category," see What are the fields "allow upload from asset" and "Initial asset category" for?
 
For more technical details on integrating the JSON file with eDocBuilder, see the "Categorized Assets" section in our API document: eDocBuilder iFrame Interface