Overview

FineLine PC ImageLink provides a complete electronic document package by allowing you to easily associate up to 9,999 electronic documents with a single UNIX / Linux database record simply by executing a UNIX command with no modification to the UNIX data required. With ImageLink you can:

• Scan documents from paper with a standard PC scanner and link them to the current UNIX database record

• File any existing UNIX or PC files under the UNIX database record (Word, Excel, PDF, CAD, digital photos, UNIX reports, etc.)

• View all documents associated with a single UNIX record and add notes and a custom description to each document

• Email any combination of documents related to a record using your PC's email program

• Display an image related to the current UNIX database record "live" in a fixed window controlled from UNIX as users move from record to record in the UNIX database (ex: product photos from inventory file)

Most importantly, rather then requiring an external Windows-based system for indexing (i.e. saving and finding documents), ImageLink enables you to use your own UNIX database as the index system!

By simply executing system commands from your UNIX database, you can quickly and easily add electronic document support to any PC accessing the UNIX system with a terminal emulator. Since your UNIX software controls the naming of the "key" document for each record, associating it with a database record is easy.

Features

Version 3

• Completely revised and streamlined PC interfaces for scanning, viewing and filing documents

• PDF documents are now displayed and printed from within the viewer without requiring Adobe Acrobat

• Unattended scanning is available with supported Automatic Document Feeders (ADF) and page thumbnails that can be rearranged and deleted before saving as a multipage PDF

• Additional image formats are supported, including display and printing of multipage TIFF files

• External documents are now displayed with a non-intrusive clickable link so walking through various types of documents occurs without being prompted to open each document

• Windows files with up to 5-character extensions can now be filed and displayed (v2 supported a max of 3-character extensions)

• Email addresses can optionally be added to the view command on the server so users emailing documents can have the customer's addresses preloaded into the PC email program

• The UNIX server commands remain consistant with v2 so no programming changes are required for current v2 users to upgrade

• Documents created with previous ImageLink versions are automatically updated to support the v3 features

• Improved scanner selection eliminates having to re-select alternate scanners each time the PC is rebooted

• Drastically improved support for virtually all TWAIN-compatible scanners

• Duplex (2-sided) scanning with optional skip of blank pages

• Expanded document display support

• Improved default email program support

General

• Standard TWAIN PC scanners are supported for creating electronic versions of paper documents

• Multiple-page scanned documents can easily be created and saved as a single PDF file in letter (8.5" x 11") or legal (8.5" x 14") PDF page sizes

• Existing documents (ex: camera photos, PDFs created with a high-speed copier, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, CAD drawings, etc.) can easily be added with the PC filing screen, with options to have the original file deleted, left intact or moved to a "Filed" subfolder

• A number of image types (JPEG, TIFF, GIF, PNG, BMP, ICO and more) and file formats (PDF & multi-page TIFF) can be viewed and printed from inside of the ImageLink window

• Non-internal document types are easily opened with the file's associated application (ex: Word, Excel, AutoCad, etc.) - with an option to save any changes made on the PC back to the original UNIX server document!

• A description can be assigned to a document when scanning or viewing

• Unlimited length notes can be added to any document (append-only or full modification) and printed

• Documents can be deleted, with the ability to undelete the last deleted document

• Documents can be selectively protected from deletion

• A UNIX utility is included for filing existing UNIX files under a database record

• A UNIX utility is included for copying or moving all UNIX documents from one database record to another. One use for this utility would be to "carry" data as a project progresses, for example, moving from a quote to an order to an installation.

• Scanner settings (i.e. size, dpi, colors, etc.) are specified in the UNIX configuration program so users cannot change them, ensuring that all of your documents are consistent (Note to v2 users: Scanning using the scanner's external software is no longer supported with v3)

• Creation/modification dates and user information is maintained by the program and displayed in the view window

• Extensive centralized configuration is controlled by the UNIX server and includes the ability to assign permissions based on UNIX login name and limit the type of PC files by extension

• A separate PC program is included to provide a fixed "floating" window that displays images from the server as the user moves from record to record (ex: display part photos from an inventory file)

Scanning

• Scan multiple pages with an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) into thumbnails that can be rearranged and deleted before saving as a multi-page PDF document

• Version 3.5 adds support for duplex (2-sided) scanning. If your scanner does not support duplex scanning, ImageLink can automatically reorder double-sided scans (i.e. scan one side of a stack of documents then simply turn them over and scan the other side)

• Enter a description and attach an unlimited length note to each document

• Easily select a scanner and whether to use the flatbed or ADF

• Print, email or save the currently scanned pages as a PDF on the local PC before saving to the server

• See the approximate total size of the document as each page is scanned

Viewing

• The document view screen features a list of all documents linked to the current database record so you can go directly to a particular document and change how the documents are sorted (by description, notes, size or date)

• PDF files are displayed and printed internally - eliminating the need for Adobe Acrobat and providing a smooth transition from document to document

• Multi-page TIFF files are also displayed and printed internally, providing support for files generated from fax software

• Optionally save changes made to external documents (ex: Word or Excel doc) back to the original file on the server (controlled by user name in the UNIX configuation program)

• Email any combination of documents with the default PC email program, with the ability to have email addresses specified by the UNIX server and preloaded into the email program

• Optionally delete documents with the ability to "lock" certain documents from possible deletion (controlled by user name in the UNIX configuration program)

Filing

• Easily add existing documents on your PC to the current UNIX database record

• Intuitive folder tree view and file listing enables viewing image, PDF and multipage TIFF files internally in the full viewer to verify existing documents before filing

• A dropdown history list enables easily returning to commonly used folders for filing PC documents

• Display of document creation date and size helps to confirm which file to save when there are multiple versions of the same document

Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) support

Version 3 of ImageLink added unattended scanning using an Automatic Document Feeder.

Version 3.5 drastically improves support for virtually all standard TWAIN-compatible scanners and multifunction copier/printers and adds duplex scanning with ADFs.

Document indexing

With standard electronic document software, a separate usually Windows-based index system is provided for you to save and then later locate the documents. Often the user is even required to manually enter key information about the document being created in order to associate it with the data. ImageLink is vastly different from these packages because:

• It allows you to use your UNIX database software as the index. To locate documents relating to a particular order, for example, simply go to the order record in your database and press a key (assuming you've programmed a key to run the UNIX system command for ImageLink). Since the database controls the location and naming of the documents, no user intervention is required, eliminating costly mistakes and speeding access.
• The data can be stored on your reliable UNIX server so it is centralized (no additional software is required). This is especially important for multi-location situations since as soon as one location saves a document, another location can access it! The data will also be included in your regular UNIX backup (assuming you are making one, which you should be...) and it can be accessed by anyone with the ability to access the UNIX database from a Windows PC.
• Since it is a true UNIX-based product, any number of users can access the stored data simultaneously.

UNIX server changes required

A few lines of programming will need to be added to your database software to enable users to press a key to scan, view or file documents by running a system command.

If you want to use the "fixed window" feature of ImageLink to display different images as users move from record to record in the UNIX database, you would need to add programming to execute a system command at each record.

Since ImageLink only requires you to issue UNIX system commands, there is no programming language requirement at all - i.e. it can be implemented in any UNIX package written in any programming language.

PC requirements

This software requires that all PCs to use the product be connected to the UNIX server over a local network or VPN.

Note that the PCs must either have static IP addresses on the network or use the FineLine PC Tether or Samba software to determine the dynamic IP address.

Supported UNIX platforms

• SCO OpenServer 5 / 6
• SCO UnixWare 7
• Linux

Download

Software License Agreement   Read this before downloading and installing any of our software

Evaluation License   This license enables our software to be used for a temporary evaluation period

Download Instructions   How to download and install our software

IMPORTANT:  Version 3.5 requires a new license. Do not install this product if you are currently running a version prior to 3.5 unless you have a version 3.5 license in-hand, because the software will stop functioning.

PrintForm users:  If you are using an old version of FineLine PC PrintForm, you should update both the server and PCs to version 01.01.02 or later so saving copies of forms to the server will be compatible with ImageLink v3.0 or higher.

Trapeze users:  If you are using an old version of FineLine Trapeze, you should update to version 02.00.03 or later so saving copies of UNIX generated PDFs will be compatible with ImageLink v3.0 or higher.

UNIX / Linux Server

SCO OpenServer 5/6

FineLine PC ImageLink 3.5
iml35r00.Z
974,191
v03.05.00

Download

SCO UnixWare 7

FineLine PC ImageLink 3.5
iml35r00.gz
948,678
v03.05.00

Download

PC Client

PREVIOUS VERSIONS:  You must manually remove any PC versions of ImageLink prior to 3.5 with Windows Settings > Apps before installing the 3.5 PC client.

ADMIN INSTALL:  This installation must be run as a Windows administrator otherwise permission & licensing errors may occur.

INSTALL ERROR:  If you encounter a Microsoft .NET "class" error while installing ImageLink 3.5 on your PC, go to Windows Settings > Apps, remove ImageLink and then re-install.

Windows

FineLine PC ImageLink 3.5
pim35r02.exe
84,196,889
v03.05.02

Download

All pricing and features are subject to change without notice.