REQUEST: The ability to add a Virtual Printer that allows you to select a Workflow.
Any jobs scheduled to this "Printer" will be processed through the selected Workflow instead of going to a physical printer.
USES:
In complex job input environments, a file may need a transformation step or job value modified before sending to the printer.
(EXAMPLE: Modifying an Output Bin value to match a single specific printer in a mixed printer environment. This could be done with a virtual printer that mimics the device but routes to a workflow that modifies the output bin value before sending to the printer.)
Virtual Printers would allow certain workflow steps to be done at the printer level rather than the job level. Easier in environments with large quantities of job workflows.
Operator functions could be simplified with virtual printers instead of requiring a user with elevated rights to "Process Again".
This adds a HUGE amount of new customization for RPD.
(Imagine the amount of creative flexibility gained with conditional options set through the virtual printer workflows after operator scheduling)
This modification has a lot of potential gain and hopefully won't be a major task for implementation. Just need a "mock" printer that allows you to select a workflow and essentially "process again" so that files can have additional processing based on printer selection.
This is doable today using the Transform option in output format of the printer, and then having the "ContinueToNextStep" in your workflow with "Step Restart Type" set to "Reformat". If you select a printer that has this with a workflow that has this step, then the job goes back to this step and you can direct the job down a different path from which you can do whatever you need to do and then send it back to the PrintJobs step. I recently had this same question and this is how I was told to get it working and it works well. You can see the thread in the Ricoh Forum here: https://ricoh.forums.net/thread/317/introduce-steps-printjobs-before-sending?page=1&scrollTo=847