Adobe CC Panel 4 User Guide

The NetX CC Panel is a custom extension that allows Adobe Creative Cloud applications to communicate seamlessly with NetX. This extension is supported for use with InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Adobe CC Panel is a licensed add-on module; please contact sales@netx.net for more information on how to purchase.

The NetX CC Panel allows users to perform the following tasks from within Creative Cloud applications:

• Utilize NetX's folder structure, collections, and saved searches so your assets are familiarly organized and easy to find.
• Perform basic keyword searches.
• Edit attribute data via the asset detail view, upload, and check-in actions. 
• Place NetX assets into CC documents, using the new "place gun" feature.
• Upload CC documents into NetX (and automatically create relationships between the assets in those documents).
• Check in/check out assets.
• Create a selection of assets using a CSV or XLSX file.

System requirements

• Adobe CC Panel supports Adobe Creative Cloud Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign versions 2017-2022.
• The panel is compatible for use with NetX 8.11 or higher.
• A user level of Importer or above is required to use the panel with Illustrator or Photoshop, but users of Producer and above are strongly recommended, as importing and checking in assets in the Panel is not supported with users level below Producer.

Installation

Uninstall the CC Panel

Uninstalling the CC Panel should not be necessary; updates to the CC Panel should be seamless. However, if you are having trouble with installation or wish to completely remove the panel, follow the instructions below.

Launching the panel

To launch the panel from within a Creative Cloud application, click Window > Extensions. The location of the Extensions menu will vary between the three supported applications.

Accessing panels at startup

By default, the Adobe Creative Cloud applications display a startup screen of recent files when there is nothing currently open. To access panels immediately on opening the application, a change in preferences is required. To change this preference, the following steps are required:

1. Open the application's general preferences.

2. Deselect Show "Start" Workspace When No Documents Are Open.

3. Click OK. 

Logging in

Adobe CC Panel users need to authenticate against NetX in order to use its service. The URL points to NetX and existing users log into the panel. The panel respects all permissions that are configured in NetX for this user. To log in, follow these steps:

1. Enter the full URL for the NetX instance you would like to use with the Panel. To switch from http:// to https://, click the https:// button. Do not include a slash at the end, such as /app.
2. Use your NetX username and password and click Sign in. 

SSO login

1. If your organization has SSO enabled with NetX, click the SSO Login link. Input your SSO URL to continue. 

2. Input your SSO username and password.

Preferences

You will be able to use the Preferences tab (indicated along the bottom with a gear icon) to change your cache folder, attribute settings, and logs as well as see basic information about the Panel you are using. This will include a version number, URL of the site you are logged in to, and active user. 

Cache folder

By default, any NetX-based files that are placed into CC documents are pulled from the server and stored via a local cache directory, to prevent tedious re-downloading of assets and files from NetX. Note that upon opening or placing assets, the cache file will be checked against the latest version of the asset in NetX and will use the cache file if it remains unchanged. If you've checked out the file and made changes to it, the panel will use the local updated version when opening or placing the asset. As you open or place assets in the Panel, your NetX file structure will be mimicked in your selected cache location. This folder can be local to your computer or on a shared resource on your network, such as a file server or network storage device. You will find your cache setting in the Preferences tab of the Panel, indicated along the bottom with a gear icon.

Under Cache folder, use the Select button to open a file-picker where you can assign your cache location to change it from the default location at home → netx → cache. Once you have selected a folder and clicked Open, your cache location will be updated. 

Attributes

Under Attribute Sets, you will be able to determine the attribute set you will use; this affects the gallery and asset detail views. The second dropdown will determine the number of attributes in this set which appear in the gallery, below each asset thumbnail. The Panel will use the order of attributes determined in your User Preferences. In Asset Detail View, this will determine the attribute information displayed and which attributes are editable from that view. You may select more than one Attribute Set at a time. 

Log level

If you are experiencing an issue with your Panel and you wish to work with Support, you may be asked to adjust this to Debug before recreating any problem you may have in the Panel and sending your logs to Support. However, to optimize the Panel's performance on a daily basis it is highly recommended that you select the lowest level of logging necessary for your workflow. 

Logs will be located at /Users/<username>/Applications/NetXAdobeCCPanel/logs.

Browsing Assets

You will be able to access a gallery of assets available to you from the Folder, Saved Search, and Collections tabs, as well as Search for assets based on keywords. Each asset will be presented as a thumbnail with hover actions and options to narrow or sort your gallery contents. These galleries will include all permitted assets, not just assets that are available for use in the Panel. 

Folders

The CC Panel maintains the same folder structure found in NetX, and will show all folders the selected user has permission to view. These will appear in the Folders tab indicated by the folder icon along the bottom of the Panel window.

Indicates the existence of at least one child folder, and takes you one folder level deeper. 

Used to navigate back up one folder level.

Takes you to your top-level folder view.

 Loads the assets in the current folder into the place queue.

Search

Basic keyword searches are supported in the Panel. Note that the side pane will remain static, but your search results will replace any assets previously displayed in the gallery view. Autocomplete is supported in the Panel, and as you type you may see a drop-down that will allow you to select search criteria quickly. Either press enter or select an option from the drop-down for the search to take place. To save your search, select Save and give your new search a name. You may toggle Make Public in order to allow other users to have access to your saved search. To queue up these searched assets into the place gun from this gallery, select Place from the gallery header. 

Saved searches

Any Saved Searches either created by a user or shared with that user will appear in the Saved Searches tab of the Panel, indicated by the magnifying glass icon along the bottom of the Panel window. Simply select a saved search from the left pane to have its contents appear in the gallery. To pull in changes that have taken place in NetX since you began your NetX session, click the refresh icon at the top of your saved search list. 

If you are having trouble finding the correct saved search, you may use the search filter at the bottom of the side pane which reads Find searches. This will filter your saved searches by name. 

Creating a new saved search

You may create a new saved search from the Panel interface; however, you will not be able to share with other NetX users from the Panel (though you can use the Make Public toggle to make the search publicly accessible by other users). To save a search, simply click Save. 

Place gun

Each saved search will be accompanied by a Place button to the right of Save in the gallery header; this is called the Place Gun. This adds your saved search results to a queue for placement into your documents. This feature is only available with InDesign. 

Collections

Any Collections either created by a user or shared with that user will appear in the Collections tab of the Panel, indicated by the collection box icon along the bottom of the Panel window. Simply select a collection from the left pane, to have its contents appear in the gallery of the Panel. To pull in changes that have taken place in NetX since you began your Panel session, click the refresh icon at the top of your collections list. If you are having trouble finding the correct collection, you may use the lower search bar which reads Find collection. This will filter your collections by name. 

Place gun

Each collection has a button labeled Place in the header of your collection's gallery; this is called the Place Gun. This adds your collection to a queue for placement into your documents. This feature is only available with InDesign. 

Gallery controls

The Panel allows you to sort your galleries by attribute, narrow your list of assets based on attribute criteria, and adjust the size of your thumbnails to either show a larger preview of your assets or smaller to show more assets at once. 

Sorting

Select a system or user-created attribute from the drop-down to sort by. You can toggle your assets between ascending and descending order by using the vertical arrow icon.

Search facets

Search Facets allow you to refine any group of assets you see in the gallery, including searches and folders. This can help you find the assets you need quickly, as well as allow you to customize the content and order of your place gun. The attributes that you can facet with are defined and configured in the NetX instance you are connected to. If there are more facets available than will fit along the top of your gallery, you may access the rest of your facets via the overflow icon.

Place gun

The Place Gun allows you to load the contents of a saved search or collection into a queue for rapid placing in a document. When you use the Place button available in the header of any gallery, the Panel checks each asset against its NetX counterpart, adding the most recent version of each asset to the cache and, subsequently, the Place Gun. If the most recent version of the asset already exists in the cache, no download will take place, and placing begins immediately. Live notifications appear in the lower right of the Panel, allowing you to keep track of which assets are still downloading or if your queue is ready. Placement respects your default fitting settings or individual content boxes.

Once your assets are loaded into the queue, either drag your cursor to create a new frame, or click into an pre-existing frame to place the next image in your queue. If you wish to replace an image in a frame, press Option on your keyboard as you click the frame. To skip an asset, hit Escape on your keyboard. 

Actions

Hover actions

Each asset thumbnail will have certain actions you may perform using the icons which appear upon hovering over the asset in question. These actions include Open, Place, Checkout, Detail View, and Preview.

Open

If the download icon appears on a particular asset, that asset type is compatible with the application you are using. Using this icon will open a new document, and save the asset into your local cache location. 

Place

Place() is available for image assets in Illustrator and InDesign, and allows you to queue a single asset for placement in a document, or open a new document with your placed assets. Using InDesign, you may queue several assets in a row to create a custom selection, and your place queue will behave as though you used the place gun. A single place action will trigger a download to your local cache location, and that cached asset will be used until the asset is changed within the NetX database itself to prevent tedious re-downloading of assets. You may place assets into content boxes, drag the icon to create a new frame, or click anywhere outside of the Panel area to add the full sized image to your document. Placing assets creates a relationship between the document asset and the placed image assets in NetX. Placement respects any fitting settings you may have as a default for your document or individual content boxes.

Simply clicking the place action will queue the asset to your cursor for placement. To place an asset into a pre-selected frame, hold the Shift key while clicking the Place hover action. A border will appear around the Place button to indicate it will be placed in the selected frame.

Checkout

The will be the Checkout icon and will appear as an action for any asset compatible with your current Adobe application, much like the Open action. Once an asset has been checked out, it will be downloaded to your local cache location and open in your application. For more about the Checkout process in the Panel, see the Checkouts tab.

Detail view

Using the icon, you may open an asset's Asset Detail view. This will show system and custom attributes that the current user has access to, subject to user level restrictions and any permissions that apply. The attributes you see will also be dependent on the attribute sets you set in the Preferences tab. All types of custom attributes are supported. Changes made in the Panel will appear in NetX and vice versa. This option should be available across asset types, even those not usable in the current application.

Preview

The icon will be available for image assets, and will expand the selected asset as large as the current Panel area will allow. Simply use the X icon to return to the Panel view. 

Upload

Any file which is currently open and saved in your Adobe application is eligible for upload into NetX. The upload tab will be accessible using the icon along the bottom of the Panel. Uploading documents with images placed from the Panel will create relationships between the document and images in NetX. 

1. Select a folder. No upload is possible until a selection is made, and you will be able to use the same lefthand folder tab to locate your chosen folder, and use the radio button to select it. Uploads to multiple folders at once is not supported. 

Once the folder has been chosen, its full folder path will preview as breadcrumbs:

2. Choose a file. The file must be currently open, and saved with the most up-to-date changes. If your file is not shown in the drop-down or marked as unsaved, use the icon to pull in new changes that may have occurred in the application.

3. After your file has been added to the queue, it may be closed, altered, etc. without affecting the file left in the upload queue. Basic information about the file in question will appear, including the expected asset ID, name, and file size. To remove an asset from the queue click the X icon.

4. If you wish to edit the file's attribute data, toggle Edit asset attributes to be presented with any attributes the current user has access to write to, subject to any permissions or user level. 

You may adjust your attribute set to narrow down the attributes you need to use:

5. Finally, click the Upload button to upload your file. It will appear in NetX and the Panel once the upload is complete. 

Checkouts tab

The Check-outs tab will be marked by the icon in the foot of the Panel. This tab will allow you to view and manage all assets checked out by the current user, allowing you to check-in and cancel a check-out. For more details on checking out/versioning assets in NetX in general, please look here. Checking in documents with images placed from the Panel will create relationships between the document and images in NetX. 

1. To begin, use the checkout hover action to begin to add assets to the checkouts gallery.
2. The Checked out assets tab will show a gallery of checked-out assets, and will allow you to manage these using each asset's hover actions. Note that the gallery header will not be available in this view.

3. If you wish to check the asset back in with no changes saved and no new version created, use the icon. It will be immediately removed from the Checkouts tab. If there are no changes to your document on check-in, no versioning will take place.

4. To check an asset back in, use the icon. Changes will be previewed in the thumbnail if they are visible. If your asset is open but unsaved, a Save button will show, allowing you to save the file for check-in from the Panel itself. Once your file is ready for upload, you will be able to preview the asset name, ID, and file size as well as add any check-in notes. A check-in of an identical (unchanged)  file will NOT add check-in notes and will cancel the check-out. Any assets placed in your document from the Panel since the last time your document has been opened will appear here with asset IDs and any changes which have been made to those assets. If any have been made, this will version the related assets as well. 

5. If you wish to edit the attribute data of the original checked-out asset, use the Edit asset attributes toggle. Click Check in once you are ready, and the file will upload to NetX with your saved changes.

Upload selection

You may create a selection of assets using a .csv file, using the same format you would use in NetX. A selection allows you to curate a specific gallery view so all of the assets you might need during your workday will appear in the same place. 

1. To upload a selection, navigate to the correct tab using the icon along the foot of the Panel.
2. Use the +Select File button to open a file picker at your local storage location. Choose the file you want to use and click Open. 

3. Your selection will appear in the side gallery, and you will have access to all hover actions for each asset. There will be no facets or attribute sorting powers, but there will be an asset count and a thumbnail slider. 

4. Remove all will remove all assets from the current selection.
5. Place will act as a place gun, grabbing the first forty assets in the gallery view for use in your documents. Note that this gallery is not sortable.