AccurioPro VDP software supports the import of external variable data graphics, articles, InDesign documents, and other file types. In your data file, you can specify a reference to these external files by the file name, or by the full path to the file. This document describes the supported format for file names and file paths that are supported by AccurioPro VDP software.

HOW TO REFERENCE EXTERNAL FILES

You can specify the name or full path to an external image or other file in several different ways:

Database Field: Include the name or full path to the file as a field in the data file you will be merging (most common method).

AccurioPro VDP Link Rule: Create a AccurioPro VDP Link Rule that sets the name of the file or the full path to the file that you wish to merge. To set the name/path of the file, you can use several of the available Rule Actions, such as the Set Data to action.

Variable Link Prefix-Suffix: You can build the name or full path to an image by modifying an existing piece of data read from your data file. For example, try adding ".pdf" or "jpg" as a Suffix to a Variable Link to create the name of a graphic file to merge.

Once you have determined the method for providing the name or path to the image, please follow the guidelines below to ensure your data will work properly with AccurioPro VDP software.

FILENAME REFERENCE

The first option is to include just the name of the file that you want to merge. Filename-only references are supported by both Macintosh and Windows versions of AccurioPro VDP. If the files are referenced by filename only, (data contains only the name of the file to be imported), then there are some rules that AccurioPro VDP follows when it attempts to locate the named file. AccurioPro VDP will search for and attempt to locate the file in various folders and sub-folders in the order described below: 

1.     Searches in the same folder where the InDesign Document that is being updated has been saved.
       Note: It will also search all sub-folders within this folder.
2.     Searches in the same folder where the selected Data File being processed is stored.
       Note: It will also search all sub-folders within this folder.
3.     Searches the folder specified in the DDF Search Path, if this option has been enabled.
       Note: You must also specify a search path for this option in your currently selected Data Source Definition (DDF).
4.     Searches any Global Search Paths that have been established by the user in the AccurioPro VDP Preferences.
       Note: It will also search all sub-folders within each global search path if the Search Subfolders option is enabled.

Restrictions

• The specified volume must be mounted and accessible on the system where AccurioPro VDP has been installed.
• The specified volume must have the permissions necessary to allow access and import of image data by AccurioPro VDP.
• The filenames cannot contain colon (:), front slash (/), or backslash(\) characters. All other characters supported by the operating system that you are using are supported.

FULL PATH REFERENCE

If files are provided as a full path reference, then the path to the file must be a full/absolute path. Partial path references are not supported and no additional searching will be performed for external files referenced as a full path. Quite simply, if the full path references a file that is missing, then it will be treated as a missing asset. In addition, the path must be completely formatted in either Windows or Unix/POSIX format. A description of each path style, along with restrictions, is described below:

Macintosh-Style Path

NOTE: SUPPORT FOR MACINTOSH-STYLE PATHS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED AS OF ADOBE INDESIGN 2026

Macintosh-style paths are supported by Macintosh Only versions of AccurioPro VDP.

A Macintosh path specification (also known technically as a Hierarchical File System or HFS path for short) were supported on older Apple Macintosh operating systems. A Macintosh path specification must begin with a volume identifier, followed by one or more folder identifiers, and finally the filename specification. The volume, folder, and filename must be separated by colon ":" characters (i.e. VOLUME:FOLDER:FILENAME.EXT). Here are a few examples:

MYVOLUME:My Folder:myfile.ext

MYVOLUME:myfile.ext

Macintosh HD:Folder 1:Sub Folder:myfile.txt

Restrictions

• The specified volume must be mounted and accessible on the system where AccurioPro VDP has been installed.
• The specified volume must have the permissions necessary to allow access and import of image data by AccurioPro VDP.
• The filenames cannot contain colon (:), front slash (/), or backslash(\) characters. All other characters supported by the operating system that you are using are supported.

Windows-Style Path

Windows-style paths are supported by Windows Only versions of AccurioPro VDP.

A Windows path specification must begin with a single drive letter, followed by one or more folder identifiers, and finally the filename specification. The drive letter must be a single letter, followed by a single colon character. The drive letter (plus colon), folder, and filename must further be separated by two backslash “\\” characters (i.e. D:\\FOLDER\\FILENAME.EXT). Here are a few examples:

D:\\My Folder\\myfile.ext

D:\\myfile.ext

Restrictions

• The full path must contain one drive letter, and at most one colon (the one that appears after the drive letter).
• The specified volume must be mounted and accessible on the system where AccurioPro VDP has been installed.
• The specified volume must have the permissions necessary to allow access and import of image data by AccurioPro VDP.
• Folder and file names cannot cannot contain colon (:), front slash (/), or backslash(\) characters. All other characters supported by the operating system that you are using are supported.

Unix-Style or POSIX Path

Unix-style and POSIX paths are supported by both Macintosh and Windows versions of AccurioPro VDP.

A Unix path specification must begin with one forward slash character “/”, followed by a volume identifier, one or more folder names, and finally the filename specification.

Each folder, and filename must be separated by one forward slash “/” character (i.e. /VOLUME/FOLDER/FILENAME.EXT). Here are a few examples:

/MYVOLUME/My Folder/myfile.ext

/MYVOLUME/myfile.ext

/Macintosh HD/MyFolder/myfile.ext (for Mac systems)

/D/MyFolder/myfile.ext (for Windows systems, e.g. D:)

Restrictions

• The specified volume must be mounted and accessible on the system where AccurioPro VDP has been installed.
• The specified volume must have the permissions necessary to allow access and import of image data by AccurioPro VDP.
• The filenames cannot contain colon (:), front slash (/), or backslash(\) characters. All other characters supported by the operating system that you are using are supported.
  
  

Unix Path Conversion

For best performance, you should try to use Unix-style paths when processing on a Macintosh system, and Windows-style paths when processing on a Windows system.

For paths that are specified in Unix-style, those references are converted into the path specification that is appropriate for the operating system being used. On the Macintosh, the data is converted into a Unix-style path, and on Windows the data is converted into a Windows-style path.

If the data begins with front slash (/) character, then it is always assumed to be a Unix-style path, and the following data format is implied:

/VOLUME/Folder/Sub Folder/file.ext

Relative Unix-Style Paths

Some Unix-style paths are provided in relative format. As an example:

/Folder/Subfolder/file.ext

Notice in the above path, since there is no explicit Volume name provided, the root volume is assumed. This type of a path is not directly supported by AccurioPro VDP, but there is an easy workaround for this.

All you would need to do in this case is to edit the Variable Link definition for the data that is being processed, and add as a Prefix to the data the name of your root volume.

As an example, let’s say that on a Windows system, the root volume is your ‘C’ drive (i.e. “C:”). In such case, you would add the string “/C” as a Prefix to your Variable Link definition, which means that this text will be added to the start of any data being imported by that Variable Link. In the above example, this prefix would be added to the incoming data to form the following Unix-style path:

/C/Folder/Subfolder/file.ext

When the path is converted into the Windows-style path by AccurioPro VDP, the full path becomes:

C:\\Folder\\Subfolder\\file.ext

In this fashion, you have now successfully added the drive letter designation for your Unix-style path. The exact same thing can be accomplished for Macintosh operating systems as well. Just enter a forward slash character followed by the volume name as a Prefix for your Variable Link.

HTTP/URL PATH REFERENCE

If your variable data jobs require merging assets that are stored as HTTP/URL file paths, the add-on HTTP Module for AccurioPro VDP can assist in locating and merging this type of asset. Please click the link below for more details on the AccurioPro VDP HTTP module:

https://www.meadowsps.com/http-module/

CLOUD PATH REFERENCE (Google Drive, Drop Box, etc.)

If your variable data jobs require merging assets that are stored in a cloud location (such as Google Drive or Dropbox), a physical copy of the files must be mirrored to a local computer or mirrored to a computer on your local network. For example, if using Google Drive, enable the Mirror Files option. If using Dropbox, apply Cloud File Sync.

As long as there is an accessible physical copy of the asset files in a folder on a local computer or in your local network (not an alias or shortcut to asset files that are stored in a cloud location), then AccurioPro VDP should be able to access the local copy of the files.