Installing FotoWeb Desktop plugins
What is FotoWeb Desktop?
FotoWeb Desktop is a suite of desktop applications that extend the functionality in FotoWeb to Windows and Mac platforms.
The suite includes:
- The FotoWeb Deskop Uploader, which lets users easily upload files from their local desktop to a FotoWeb archive. User authentication implies that a system administrator can control which archives the user may upload to and what metadata is required when submitting files to a specific archive.
- A checkout module that lets a user download a file directly from the FotoWeb user interface in a web browser for local, offline editing. When the user has made the necessary changes to the file (e.g. in Photoshop if it's a picture or Word if it's a document), he can check the file back into the system. Other users cannot modify the file while it is checked out.
- The FotoWeb Desktop plugin for Microsoft Office. This plugin makes it possible to search in FotoWeb archives from a side panel in Word and PowerPoint and place files directly onto a page or slide. Also supports cropping and sizing of pictures before they're placed on the page/slide.
- The FotoWeb Desktop Extension for Adobe Creative Cloud. This extension works with InDesign and lets users search FotoWeb archives and add pictures to InDesign layouts. It works both in Windows and on Mac.
Note: The Office plugin is only available in Microsoft Office for Windows, not Office for Mac
How to install FotoWeb Desktop?
Installation alternatives
FotoWeb Desktop can be installed in different ways depending on the scale of the deployment. The basic modes of installation are:
- Automatic installation on the client when the user logs on to FotoWeb.
- Manual or scripted installation on the client using the FotoWeb Desktop installation available on the Fotoware Update Center.
- Deployment by a system administrator using Active Directory Group Policy or a deployment kit that employs Group Policy deployment.
User-run installation from browser
The first option may be a practical approach in small environments. When a user who has been given access to any of the FotoWeb Desktop features through an archive's access list logs on to FotoWeb, they will be notified that FotoWeb Desktop is not installed after logging on to FotoWeb through the web interface. It will then be possible to download and run the installer package on the local client.
A potential obstacle with this approach is that it stipulates that the user has permission to install software on their local computer. As this is often not the case, one of the two other options may be a better approach.
Manual/Scripted installation
This may be a better solution for small environments where users don't have the necessary rights to install FotoWeb Desktop on their machines. Having obtained the FotoWeb Desktop installer from the Fotoware Update center, a system admin can log on to the machine, run the installer, and configure the hostname of the FotoWeb server. This may also be done using a logon script that runs the installer in elevated (admin) mode.
The latest version of FotoWeb Desktop can be downloaded from the Fotoware Update Center.
Deployment using Group Policy
By using Group Policy to deploy FotoWeb Desktop to network clients, you avoid having to manually install it on each and every desktop. This is the preferred method of deployment in large organizations. It also gives you the possibility to install the software selectively on a number of computers. When deployed through Group Policy, the clients will typically be pre-configured to connect to the FotoWeb server so that, from a user's perspective, everything works right from the start.
The procedure for preparing a Group Policy deployment is outlined in a separate topic.