Jaws
gDocThe gDoc Binder platform – the missing link in information workflows
Finding contextually relevant information is becoming an issue. Every time we want to access data we have to initiate a search for it. In order to retrieve a specific piece of data we have to remember exactly how we structured the search the first time around to locate that piece of information.
A further complication is that with the growth of software that allows global collaboration, documents held centrally are often updated constantly. So, not only do we have to remember how we found a specific document. We may also find that there are many versions of it at the same location.
When information was held in paper documents in filing cabinets – the ECMs of the day- we had loose-leaf binders to help us.
gDoc Binder is the electronic equivalent of the loose-leaf binder. It is the missing link in today’s electronic document workflow.
It has many advantages over loose-leaf binders. It is easy to search, easy to create PDFs of Binder content that can then be archived, and easy to secure documents. When users are on the move they can take their Binder with them and place their Binder into their ECM when they next connect into the system.
If you’re a scanner or tablet manufacturer, or a document management company you can quickly mould the user experience layer to match your vision for specific target devices or vertical markets, creating strong user adoption and perceived value.
gDoc Binder has been designed by Global Graphics from the ground up to be a Microsoft Windows native platform.
Benefits for our partners
- Significantly accelerates your time to market because the gDoc Binder platform is so configurable that you can snap on different user experiences (we call this ability “snap on UX”) such as an electronic white board, a notepad or a personal organiser
- You install a single, tested build to which you can add these multiple different front ends.
- During runtime you can swap from one user experience to another
Benefits for your users
- The user experience is already familiar
- It’s easy to organise and locate information
- They can create PDF files of their binders for sharing, archiving and collaboration
- Binders can be personalised by the user
- gDoc Binder files can also be opened on any Windows Vista or later PC.
The gDoc Binder platform offers a raft of productivity features for your users.
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Instantly Familiar
Users won’t need training. The user experience emulates a paper loose-leaf binder to create an instantly familiar user interface. The user experience has been designed to delight and engage the user.
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Collate
Collate structured and unstructured documents together into a single, mobile and secure package.
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Organise
Create a binder on each subject/matter and further split the binder down into tabbed sections. Bring together binders into libraries on a disk or stored in an ECM. Reorder documents and tabs whilst the software automatically maintains the table of contents. Staple related documents together.
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Multi-format
Bring together documents from many formats. Binder has a powerful plug-in interface that makes it super-simple to add new formats.
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Connected Workflow
gDoc Binder stays connected to the original documents via metadata held in the binder file. This allows the user to open the original document in just a couple of clicks. gDoc Binder will also check the original documents for new versions and will update the copy in the binder.
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Personalize
Choose the binder and tab colours. Create a cover page using any Windows application. Add names and descriptions to each of the tabs and choose what will be shown in the table of contents. Save binders as reusable templates.
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Search
search a binder, tab of documents or a single document. Search inside the binder files from the operating system.
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Share
e-mail and share whole binders. Extract tabbed sections of documents and share them with other binders. Extract and share individual documents. View the binder on all Windows 7 and Vista desktops without any extra software (XP with a free Microsoft download).
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Publish and Archive
Publish a rich PDF version of the binder. Retain the binder structure (including the cover page, tab pages and integrated table of contents (as PDF bookmarks).
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Security and Digital Signature
The binders can be secured with military grade encryption and digitally signed.
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Take notes and Annotate
Highlight text and add text and ink sticky notes. Add pen a text based notes directly in the binder.
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Cover Disk
The “Cover Disk” is an area of the binder file that can be used to store any binary files. It’s called the “Cover Disk” because emulates a DVD attached to the front cover of a paper binder. It enables any binary information to be stored within the Binder package. Add original copies of the documents held with the main binder, multimedia files or any other files supporting the documents in the Binder.
Shape your own user experience
The standard user experience with the gDoc Binder platform is a loose leaf binder, an instantly familiar and natural interface that we all know how to use. However, the user experience has been designed to be reshaped by our partners to match their branding, specific device capabilities or market so that you can create your own applications, such as a Document Assembly Tool, eBook Reader, Notebook, Whiteboard, or a Personal information manager.
Your UX designer can use Microsoft Expression software suite to shape the UX. The UX is then built into a separate module that can be switched when the application is installed or even at runtime. So from one platform you can create many user experiences... we call this SnapOn-UX.
Platform-Native
Binder is designed from the ground up to be a Microsoft Windows native platform. The format used for the Binder files is based on an extended version of Microsoft’s XML Paper Specification (XPS).
Plug-in Ecosystem
- Document Transform Plug-in
- The Document Transform plug-in takes one or more document file formats and converts them to either XPS or PDF for inclusion in Binder. The plug-in framework allows partners to develop and add their own Document Transform plug-ins to the ones supplied by Global Graphics.
- Connector Plug-in – connect into ECM
- The Connector Plug-in handles getting a document from a remote document repository into Binder. The Connector plug-ins can deal with the client file system or connect to a remote document repository like SharePoint. It also handles the task of updating the binder when the source document changes. The Connector Plug-ins can use the any one of the installed Document Transform Plug-ins to convert the source documents in to Binder documents. A simple API is provided that allows partners to create their own Connector Plug-ins. capabilities or market.
Uses the rich services provided by the OS
gDoc Binder is built on XPS and modern Windows operating systems speak XAML and XPS fluently. This means that Binder can call on rich sets of services provided by the OS just by being built on XPS (e.g. DRM, Search, Printing, Hardware accelerated display, Digital Signing, Thumbnail generation, XPS file generation).
The Binder files can also be opened in any standard XPS viewer which means your customers can always get access to Binder content wherever there is a Windows Vista or later PC. The XP generation of computers can also be XPS enabled using a free download from Microsoft (Microsoft Essential Pack).
The gDoc Binder Platform has been designed to create loose-leaf binder based applications but it can also be used to create other document applications.
Use industry standard tools like Microsoft Expression Blend to create rich immersive user experiences. Use a large universe of WPF and XAML controls to build your experience. Change between all of the user experiences you see here at runtime.
Core expertise from Global Graphics
In 2007 we provided development and consultation services to Microsoft on the original XPS specification and we supplied the original reference RIP (raster image processor), still on Microsoft’s web site, that was used by developers to check they had correct output. We also released our eDocument Library (EDL)that encapsulated our extensive knowledge and experience with PDF, XPS, PostScript® and PCL into a single technology. EDL has now become a core technology within our platforms.
Conversion
The first role EDL performs is to provide a very high fidelity conversion path between XPS and PDF and back. This allows our platforms to import and export the richest PDF content. We can also extend the XPS format with some of the richer capabilities provided by PDF. These enhancements can then be retained when converting between XPS and PDF (e.g. Video, 3D, sound, and annotations).
Fixing (removing road blocks)
The second role EDL performs is to fix the XPS input before giving it to the Microsoft XAML platform. Although the XPS specification is pretty good, third parties may not interpret it correctly. There are also massive variations in the interpretation of underlying technologies that both XPS and PDF rely on. For instance fonts, images, color-spaces may not be formed correctly. This can result in the Microsoft XPS technology rejecting the file.
Using EDL and our expertise we can fix or workaround these limitations and problems. This allows us to confidently unlock all of the capabilities of the Microsoft XAML ecosystem. Our partners can confident that the key road blocks have been dealt with and we have the technology that can deal with issues in the future.
Optimisation
Not all documents are created for the same purpose. Some may be created for final high quality printing output and others are created for fast web download. Taking documents that were designed for a different purpose and optimising it for the use in the binder is the third role for EDL.
It can down-sample images, optimise font usage in the file, and perform many more optimisations. This allows our platforms to stay fast responsive and enables files to remain as compact as possible. We also maintain the fidelity of the original file where possible.
New formats
EDL allow us to convert new document formats to and from XPS and PDF. We are currently adding our own Office format technology to EDL which opens up some exciting possibilities. If you have a format you would like us to support then our Technical Services group would be happy to explore that with you.
