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    Installing novaPDF OEM with command line parameters

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    This article applies only to novaPDF. If you don't have it yet, you must download it first.

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    Nov 19, 2019
    novaPDF OEM 7.x, 6.x, 5.x
    This article applies to an older version of novaPDF (version 7) and it's not applicable to newer versions.
    novaPDF OEM is a virtual PDF printer that developers can use when needing a post-processing PDF solution. Installing novaPDF OEM should be done only via the command line parameters, as this is the only way it can be configured. Parameters used for this purpose are detailed in this article.
    NOTE: This article applies to an older version of novaPDF (version 7) and it's not applicable to newer versions. For Integration help check the Integration chapter from the help file delivered with the setup or visit How to integrate novaPDF SDK in your application

    On this page:

    You can test the way novaPDF OEM works without ordering it. Using a set of parameters novaPDF OEM is installed and configured, so that you can order it only after you decided that it is a good fit for your needs. If it's not registered, the only difference is that a watermark will be printed on each page of the PDF file created. novaPDF OEM is installed as a regular virtual printer driver and any document sent to it for printing it will be converted to a PDF file stored in a hidden folder. The storage folder (and other options) can be set during installation.
    NOTE
    It is important to install novaPDF OEM only by using the parameters documented below.



    Mandatory command line parameters to use when installing novaPDF OEM

    There are three mandatory parameters that need to be defined when installing novaPDF OEM, otherwise it will not work. These parameters define the hidden folder where the PDF will be saved as well as the name of the application:
    • OEMApplication. This parameter requires your application's name (this is the name that will be displayed on the About page of the novaPDF printer driver) 
    • OEMCompany. This parameter requires your company's name (this is the name that will be displayed on the landing page from the About window of novaPDF printer driver)
    • OEMSaveFolder. This sets the folder where the generated PDF files will be saved (should be a temporary hidden folder). System path variables and user management variables can be added, but using the # character instead of % (see this example). Macro values can be used too in order to generate the folder name automatically:
      • [N] - The name of the document being converted
      • [P] - Name of the profile currently loaded
      • [YMD] - Date in the format YYYYMMDD (year, month, day)
      • [Y] - Year in the format YYYY
      • [M] - Month in the format MM
      • [D] - Day in the format DD
      • [HIS] - time in the format hhmmss (hour, minute, second)
      • [H] - Hour in the format hh
      • [I] - Minute in the format mm
      • [S] - Second in the format ss
      • [C] - Counter in the format cc (it begins with 01 and increases at each printed document, if a file with the same name exists in the save folder)
      • [W] - Computer name
      • [U] - User name's
    Documents sent to novaPDF OEM will be converted to PDF files and saved in the folder defined by OEMSaveFolder. Only your application should be able to access the PDF files stored here and post-process them.

    Optional command line parameters to use when installing novaPDF OEM

    Beside the mandatory parameters described above, there are several optional parameters that can be configured when installing novaPDF OEM:
    • OEMSaveFile. With this parameter you set the file name of the resulting PDF file. You can use a fixed name and/or the macros from the Configure Save Options window of the driver in any combination:
      • [N] - The name of the document being converted
      • [P] - Name of the profile currently loaded
      • [YMD] - Date in the format YYYYMMDD (year, month, day)
      • [Y] - Year in the format YYYY
      • [M] - Month in the format MM
      • [D] - Day in the format DD
      • [HIS] - time in the format hhmmss (hour, minute, second)
      • [H] - Hour in the format hh
      • [I] - Minute in the format mm
      • [S] - Second in the format ss
      • [C] - Counter in the format cc (it begins with 01 and increases at each printed document, if a file with the same name exists in the save folder)
      • [W] - Computer name
      • [U] - User name
        Default value is [N].
    • OEMSaveLocal. With this parameter you set where to save the files:
      • 1 means the PDF will be saved locally
      • 0 means it will be saved on a network location (only available in case of installing novaPDF OEM Server).
        Default value is 1.
    • OEMSaveConflict. Through this parameter you set what action to perform in case a PDF with the same file name already exists in the destination folder
      • 1 - Auto number new PDF file name
      • 2 - Append date to the name of the new PDF file name
      • 3 - Overwrite the old PDF file
      • 4 - Auto number the existing PDF file name to keep the newly generated PDF file name intact
      • 5 - Append to existing PDF file
      • 6 - Insert before existing PDF file
        Default value is 1.
    • OEMActionApp. Parameter that sets what application to run automatically after the printing finishes. This can be set to run your application. By default no action is set, meaning the PDF file is created and after that nothing happens. You are not allowed to run a PDF Viewer, because this way your clients could easily save the PDF file a desired location, but you can launch for instance your application that would post-process the PDF. System path variables and user management variables can be added, but using the # character instead of % (see this example).
    • OEMActionAppArg. With this parameter you can set specific arguments for the application loaded after creating the PDF. Default is set to #1 (it will be replaced with the generated PDF file name). You can add other parameters here, specific to your application. System path variables and user management variables can be added, but using the # character instead of % (see this example).
    Other parameters can be used too that will configure further more specific settings of the novaPDF OEM printer.

    Example - Using command line parameters when installing novaPDF OEM

    A typical silent installation of the novaPDF OEM is achieved by the following command line:
    novapv.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NOCANCEL /NORESTART /PrinterName="MyPrinter" /OEMApplication="MyApplicationName" /OEMCompany="MyCompanyName" /OEMSaveFolder="C:\Program Files\MyApplication\MyTempFolder
    This command will install novaPDF OEM silently (without displaying any windows during installation) and name this installed printer
    MyPrinter. Also, novaPDF OEM will display in the About box the name of your application set as MyApplicationName and will store the PDF files in the hidden folder C:\Program Files\MyApplicationName\MyTempFolder.

    Example - Using Windows System Path Variables in parameter values

    When passing parameters to the novaPDF OEM setup to start the installation, you can use Windows System Environment Variables too. The parameters that support system variables are: OEMSaveFolder, OEMActionApp and OEMActionAppArg. There are two ways in using system variables as paths:
    • Using # instead of %. If you want the parameter value path to be saved as a system variable, you have to use # instead of %.
      Example:
      novapv.exe /VERYSILENT /OEMApplication="MyApplicationName" /OEMCompany="MyCompanyName" /OEMSaveFolder="#USERPROFILE#" /OEMActionApp="#programfiles#\MyApplicationName\MyApplicationName.exe"
    • This command will install novaPDF OEM silently, and when a PDF is created it will be saved in the %USERPROFILE% system folder (and this path varies depending on which user is connected to the computer).
      Furthermore, after the PDF is created, this application will be started:
      %programfiles%\MyApplicationName\MyApplicationName.exe
    In both these cases, because # was used when passing the install parameters, system variables are stored on the computer where novaPDF OEM is installed.
    If % would have been used when passing the parameters, fixed paths would have been saved on the computer where novaPDF OEM is installed.
    • Using %. If you want the parameter value path to be saved as a fixed local path, you have to use %.
    Example:
    novapv.exe /VERYSILENT /OEMApplication="MyApplicationName" /OEMCompany="MyCompanyName" /OEMSaveFolder="%USERPROFILE%" /OEMActionApp="%programfiles%\MyApplicationName\MyApplicationName.exe"
    This command will install novaPDF OEM silently, and when a PDF is created it will be saved in the *C:\Documents and Settings* folder (and this path is fixed so it doesn't change if another user logs in).
    Furthermore, after the PDF is created, this application will be started C:\Program Files\MyApplicationName\MyApplicationName.exe. In both these cases, because % was used when passing the install parameters, system variables are parsed on installation and fixed local paths are stored on the computer where novaPDF OEM is installed.