Frequently Asked Questions

As a BLUE user, you may have questions about how to use BLUE. The BLUE Help will guide you on many of those endeavors, but you may still have additional questions. This FAQ section attempts to answer the most common questions.

Logging In and Setting Your Preferences

Can I access BLUE from outside of my network?
BLUE is a web-based application, which makes it available from anywhere you have internet access, on or off of your network.

It is after business hours and I forgot my password. Am I out of luck until the morning?
You can reset your password using the “Forgot Password” link on your BLUE login page.

I have locked myself out of BLUE and our site administrator is out of the office today, is there anyone else who can help me?
You can send an email to the BLUE Support team to unlock your account at bluesupport@bluesoftware.com.

I am receiving too many emails, is there an option to turn them off?
BLUE allows you to define which email notifications you would like to receive, or if at all. You can update your selections in “My Profile > Preferences.”

Asset Library

Asset Expiration

Can I change the Expiry Date and Expiry Status on an uploaded file?
Yes, users with edit asset permissions are able to modify the Expiry Date and Expiry Status, as long as the expiration date has not been reached.

Can I remove the Expiry Date and Expiry Status?
Yes, users with edit asset permissions are able to modify the Expiry Date and Expiry Status and set them to be blank. This action will remove the Expiry Date and Expiry Status settings.

What will happen if the system fails to change the status?
Blue will notify the system administrator through email and the error will be logged in the system.

What if I no longer see a value in the values list of a custom field on a file or folder in the library? If it was there before, why can’t I see it now?
There could be one or more reasons why you can no longer see a value of a custom field set on an asset. Check with your administrator to see if the security on the file has changed, if the value was modified, or if the value itself was deactivated and can no longer be a selection.

File Collections

If I share my file collection with other BLUE users, how will they know that I have shared the file collection with them?
When a file collection is shared, the users are notified by email. Those users will also see the File Collection on the drop down in the Asset Library.

If I share my file collection with other BLUE users, what will they see?
When in the Asset Library, those users who you shared the file collection with will see it on the Saved Search / File Collections drop down. They will be able to choose the file collection shared with them but will not be able to make changes to it. They will only see the files in it that they have access to.

What if I add a file to a collection and then that file gets a new version?
You will continue to see the original version of the file that was added to the file collection.

Why am I not able to see one or more files in a file collection that was shared with me?
You can see file collections shared with you by other BLUE users. However, when you choose a file collection, you will only see files that you have access to.

Searching for Files

How do I know that a saved search has been shared with me?
When a library saved search is shared with you, you will receive an email notification. While in BLUE, you will see any searches that you have access to (those you own, as well as those shared with you) on the Saved Search drop down. Those that you own will have options to share, rename or delete.

I made changes to a saved search that is shared with others. Will they see my changes?
Yes, when a saved search is updated, any users who it is shared with will see your updated changes to the filter criteria or its name. If the owner deletes it, users who it is shared with will no longer see it.

In the Asset Library, why don’t I see all search filters?
The filters on the Asset Library search panel are a user preference. Click the Edit link to customize the filters you see on the Search panel. Your changes only affect your search filters.

I added a field to the list, but why don’t I see it in the left search panel?
If you have not selected any filters and you didn’t perform a free text search, then the field you have selected does not have any values associated to the files you have access to. However, if you have filtered the list of files, then the field you have selected does not have any values associated to the files in the filtered list.

Will my file search filter selection persist after I log out?
The filter selection is stored in a cookie and will persist for the same browser as long as you did not clear your browser cache.

Projects and Tasks

Auto Sub-Process Naming

Will auto sub-process naming use the values from project- and task-level extended custom fields?
No, auto sub-process naming is based only on the custom fields that are homed at the sub-process level. They do not take the values from custom fields extended from tasks or projects.

Auto-Generated Sub-Processes

Can I duplicate a sub-process that was created from an auto-generated sub-process?
Yes. As a project owner, you will be able to duplicate a sub-process that was created via the auto-generated sub-process selection of files and folders from the library. Once you duplicate one of these sub-processes, the original file or folder selection will be removed on the duplicate. See Auto-Generated Sub-Processes for more information.

Cross Sub-Process Comparison

What files can I compare?
A comparison can be done on approval files (approved or rejected) and reference files (uploaded via Upload Reference File task).

Can I compare reference files that are uploaded outside the sub-process?
No. You can only compare reference files that have been uploaded via Upload Reference File task within the sub-process.

What tasks are eligible for a cross sub-process comparison?
A cross sub-process comparison can be enabled for only the Upload File for Approval, Review, and Approval tasks.

Why can’t I perform the task (Complete, Approve, etc.) for another sub-process?
This is not allowed. You can only perform the task for the sub-process where you launched the comparison.

Managing Projects

Why don’t I see the “Owner Group”, “Project Owner” filters under My Projects?
The result set is already filtered by you as the Project Owner.

Will the Project Name update automatically if I change my values assignments on the project?
If the process template used to create the project has an auto name generation, then the project name can be changed by updating the field value assignments when a project is in draft or suspended state. See Generating Automatic Project Names for more information.

While managing review cycles, will bypassed tasks be bypassed on all subsequent cycles?
Yes. The tasks will be bypassed until the project or sub-process owner unbypass the tasks. See Managing Review Cycles for more information.

Project Chat

How will I be notified that I have been tagged in a chat message?
When you are tagged in a chat message, you will be notified by email. This email contains the content of the message you were mentioned in and a link back to the project. When you log into BLUE, you will also see a red dot at the top right on the Notification icon. If you open the notification drop down and click on the link, you will go directly to the project or sub-process where you were tagged.

As an administrator, is there anything I need to do to enable chat messages?
No, chat messages are available for anyone who has access to the project or sub-process. Chat is available for any project, regardless of its status.

Is Project Chat recorded in the audit log?
Yes, all project history is recorded in Project History and can be exported to Microsoft Excel.

After a chat message has been sent, can I edit or delete it?
No, once a chat message has been sent, it cannot be modified or deleted.

I am a task performer, but I don’t have access to the entire project. How do I access project chat?
From the Tasks page, click on the sub-process name link. From here you will enter a restricted view of the project where you can chat about this part of the project. Limitation: If your task is outside of a sub-process you will not be able to use chat.

Can I turn off notifications for project chat @mentions?
No. All users who are tagged in a project chat message will be notified by email.

Can I still tag a user who is out of office?
Yes. You can still tag a user who are out of office and they will be notified by email.

Reference File Visibility

Can I choose to set reference file visibility while I’m uploading the file?
No, the expanded visibility is set by the process template administrator on the task when creating the workflow template.

Can file visibility be set when uploading files directly to the References tab?
No, files uploaded to the References tab are automatically visible within the project.

I see approval candidates listed under reference files on my task. Is this expected?
Yes, approval candidates are visible on under the Reference Files section on Standard task and Upload Reference Files task.

Related Projects

Is Related Projects bi-directional?
Example: Does linking Project-B to Project-A automatically create the related project link when I look at Project-B ?
Yes – the link for Project-A would appear as a Related Project when looking at the Project-B details.

Can I link a project that has already been completed?
Yes. You can link to projects in any status.

Reviewing and Approving Files

What is the difference between a Reviewer and an Approver?
Reviewers and approvers are roles associated to tasks in BLUE. Both of these roles are responsible for reviewing artwork files in the Online Proofing tool. When reviewers finalize their review on a file, the routing cycle will proceed to other reviewers, if others have been assigned. Comments from reviewers can be viewed by approvers, which, along with their own review, may help them decide whether to approve or reject the file. Their selection of approval or rejection will determine if the cycle can proceed, or if it will stop, which will cause a subsequent cycle to start in order to route an updated artwork file.

I requested changes to an artwork file during my initial review. How do I see if the changes have been made in cycle 2?
In the Online Proofing tool, you can compare revisions for each file side by side or overlaid on top of each other, including the comments applied during the previous routing cycle.

How do I find an artwork file that has been approved?
Using the Search option in the Asset Library, you can locate files based on a keyword term from the file’s metadata or attributes, or you can search by the file’s name.

My colleague needs a copy of the artwork file that was recently approved, but does not have access to BLUE. Should I give her my login information so she can retrieve it?
No, sharing your login credentials breaks the agreement set forth with BLUE. However, you can send the file via Publish in the Digital Asset Library to your colleague. This sends an email notification with a link directing her to a location to download the file.

Another way to grant access to an external user is through Vlink. In this case, the user would receive an email and be able to log directly into the online proofing tool. From there, the user could download a file.

Uploading My Files

What types of files am I able to upload for reference in a project?
Files with the following extensions can be uploaded for reference within a project: pdf, jpg, jpeg, gif, giff, png, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, and pptx.

I want to submit my artwork file for approval, and I received a notification to upload it to
cycle 2.  How do I see the comments that were added in cycle 1?
To view previous cycle comments, you need to click on the previous cycle thumbnail to launch online proofing and view comments inside proofing.

Search

Project and Task Search

How do I know that a saved search has been shared with me?
While in BLUE, you will see any searches that you have access to (those you own, as well as those shared with you) on the Saved Search drop down. Those that you own will have options to share, rename or delete.

I made changes to a saved search that is shared with others. Will they see my changes?
Yes, when a saved search is updated, any users or groups who it is shared with will see your updated changes to the filter criteria or its name. If the owner deletes it, those who it is shared with will no longer see it.

I want to export my search results. Why is the Export to Excel button disabled?
In order to export the search results, please choose a template and then you will be able to export the results.

Process Templates

Project and Sub-Process Auto-Naming

How do I modify the “Auto Project Name Expression” on existing template?
From Process Templates select the template you would like to modify and then click on the “Edit” button on the top right corner. Once you are in edit mode click on the gear icon in the left top corner to modify the template settings. See Generating Automatic Project Names for more information.

What will happen if I add non supported custom field types to the “Auto Project Name Expression”?
All custom fields with valid field IDs need to be homed at the project. Non supported field types will be omitted in the project name generation process.

Transfer to Library

When I am setting up my Auto Transfer to DAL location expression, does each folder in the expression need to have a matching custom field in the workflow? So, in the generic “Brand / Product” example does there need to be a “Brand” and “Product” custom field? If yes, how are these linked to the folders themselves in the DAL?

Yes. Since the transfer is automatic, it needs to know the exact  folder structure into which to place the file, based on aspects of the project it knows about (e.g. custom field values, current year, etc). So if you want the folder in “Assets / Brand / Product,” with the brand and product being based on values – then yes, you would need to have both a “brand” custom field and a “product” custom field. They are linked through the expression that’s added to the Auto Transfer to DAL task (e.g. “Assets / [brand] / [product]”). The script does allow for some variance. For example, if you have a brand of “BLUE Daily” and wanted the folder it would go into to be “BLUE Daily Files“, that’s possible (script would be like “Assets / [brand] Files / [product]”). See Transfer to Library for more information.

If we only want to open up a choice of location at the very bottom of the hierarchy in the DAL is it possible to “hard-code” the path? For example, if I create a workflow where assets will always go to “Assets / Region (UK) / Brand” do I need put the “Region UK” as a ‘get’ expression that has a matching custom field in the workflow? Or can this just be put at the brand level?

Yes. It doesn’t need to just be “Assets /”. If you want every file for a given template to go into “Assets / Region (UK) /” and then separate by brand, that is possible.

Can folders work with free text string custom fields? For example, could a “Number” custom field be used to match to a folder?

The custom fields that can be used for the asset library location on an Auto Transfer to DAL task are limited to string custom fields, both free-form and single select fields, as well as date custom fields. Numeric custom fields will not work in the expression.

Automation Node

Can I use more than one Automation node?
Yes. An Automation node is just like a standard task and can be placed anywhere in the project or sub-process level. See Automation Node for more information.

What happens if the Automation node fails?
When an Automation nodes fails or errors out, it can be configured to send an email notification to the project owner, previous task owner (if one assigned), and/or other designated email addresses. Along with the notification, it can also be configured to suspend the project, suspend the parent sub-process (if the Automation node is within a sub-process), or continue with the project.

Can I use the Automation node to do more than one expression?

Yes. The Automation node can be used to do more than one expression. The only stipulation is that the following be included at the end:
response.setStatus(true);
response.setResponseMessage(“Response message if true”);

Example:
project.setName(“New Project Name” + ” ” + project.getNumber());
project.setNumber (“New Project Number”)
project.setCustomFieldValue(“Business Id”, task.getCustomFieldValue(“Business Id”) + “_” + task.getCustomFieldValue(“Business Id”) );
response.setStatus(true);
response.setResponseMessage(“Successfully Changed Project Attributes”);.

Can I use the Automation node to upload a file?
No.

Can I bypass an Automation node?
Yes. The Automation node is a task within the template where it can be configured to be bypassed.

When setting custom field(s), does the custom field(s) have to be homed at the Automation node?
No. The Automation node allows you to GET and SET custom fields which are not extended to it.

System Decision Node

Can I use more than one System Decision node?
Yes. A Decision node may be used throughout the workflow if it adheres to its recommended use. See System Decision Node for more information.

What happens if the System Decision node fails?
When a Decision node expression cannot determine where to transition, it defaults to the “False” path. The expression must evaluate to one of the transitions (True or False).

Can I use the System Decision node to do more than one expression?
No. The System Decision node can only have one expression.

Can I use the System Decision node to bypass more than one task?
Recommended Use:  System Decision nodes are only to be used to bypass a single task instance (this can be any type of task – not only simple task, but often also approval task or upload reference task), or a single sub-process. Any other use outside of skipping a single task instances is not considered to be a legal use.

Can all types of custom fields be used to make a decision? (string, note, company, contact, integer, numeric etc)?
Clients can use all custom field type except for Date, Separator, and Note type custom fields in the decision expression, as these are not supported.

Can the custom fields that are extended from other items (sub-process, task) be used to make a decision?
Decision can be only made on custom fields available at the decision node.

If decision node changed in a template (expression edited or removed/added) – what will the impact be on existing projects?
Any changes to the decision node expression will be saved as next version of the template.

Would all decision nodes on projects use the expression available on the latest template version?
The projects will only use/look at expressions from the template version from which they were created.

Online Proofing

What is Online Proofing?
Online Proofing is a BLUE function that allows simultaneous, parallel collaboration by multiple team members working on an artwork file and eliminates the need for manual file handling and routing. Online Proofing is integrated for easy collaboration and review with markup and approval, as well as compare, font, bar code inspection, and rulers.

What types of files am I able to upload for approval in Online Proofing?
Files with an extension of pdf can be uploaded for review and/or approval in the Online Proofing tool.

Reporting

Can I save filters so the next time I visit the report they will be preset?
No.  Filters will need to be re-selected each time you view the report.

How often is the data refreshed?
In order to not impact your online system, report data is derived from a data warehouse. By default, data is refreshed nightly. Contact your BLUE Software Representative to determine the intervals at which your warehouse data is refreshed.

Administration

Managing Users

How many users am I allowed to add into BLUE?
Depending on the terms of your BLUE licensing agreement, the number of users you can add to BLUE may vary.

How do I delete a user who is no longer with the company?
Once a user account has been set up in BLUE, it cannot be removed. However, you can disable user accounts, preventing those users from accessing the system going forward.

I created a login account for the members of our design team, but there is no design group to add them to allowing them to review artwork files. What do I do?
In Group Administration, you can edit group names to those that better define your functional teams.

Managing Custom Fields

Can I add additional values to the drop down choices in my custom field?
You can add additional values to your custom field’s drop down list at any time via Custom Field Administration.

Can I delete a value from the drop down choices in my custom field?
Once a value has been assigned to a project or artwork file in BLUE, you are not able to remove it.

Managing Quicklinks

As an Administrator, can I set up multiple Quicklinks?
Yes, you can have multiple Quicklinks, with each one linking to a different external web page.

As an Administrator, can I control who has access to each Quicklink?
Yes, an administrator with Function Administration rights, you can restrict which groups are allowed to use each Quicklink.