General parameters of SoftExpert Document
This article is valid for system version 3.0. Click here to access the valid documentation for the previous versions.
Prerequisite
- Access to the Configuration > General parameters (DC035) menu.
Introduction
The General parameters menu is used to define the default configurations of the component, which are applicable to all records created in the system. These configurations can aid in and facilitate the use of available resources.
See how to configure the SoftExpert Document general parameters:
Configuring the general parameters
1. Access the Configuration > General parameters (DC035) menu.
2. In the General section, configure the document search:
| Parameter | Checked | Unchecked |
| Double click electronic file to view it | When you double-click on the record of a document, it will open its electronic file. | When you double-click on the record of a document, it will open its data screen. |
| Allow original file download in view mode | In the View > Document (DC021) menu, it will be possible to download the original file. | In the View > Document (DC021) menu, the PDF version of the electronic file will be downloaded. If the file is not converted, the original file will open. |
| Save workstation name in system auditing | The workstation name will be saved in the View > System auditing (DC027) menu. | The IP of the machine will be saved in the View > System auditing (DC027) menu. |
3. In the Application section, set up the applications used to view the electronic files of the documents:
| Parameter | Checked | Unchecked |
| SE PDFView | Enables the local PDF viewer. Note that when using SE PDFView, at the moment of opening a file for viewing, if SoftExpert Suite detects image capture programs being executed, it will be requested to close them. | If no other PDF viewer is enabled, the electronic files will be opened with the application defined by the operating system. For example: files with the “.pdf” extension will be opened with Adobe Acrobat. |
| Browser native viewer |
The PDF files will be viewed with the resources of the browser used by the workstation. This option cannot be used along with the "HTML5 PDF Viewer" option. With this application enabled, some security rules will not be controlled. |
If no other PDF viewer is enabled, the electronic files will be opened with the application defined by the operating system. |
| HTML5 PDF Viewer | The PDF files will be viewed by using HTML5 in the browser. This option cannot be used along with the "Browser native viewer" option. When a file is opened through the HTML5 viewer, the "View electronic file with markups" option is enabled. Clicking on it will enable the markup options, such as the "Download PDF with markups" option, which allows downloading the PDF along with its markups. | If no other PDF viewer is enabled, the electronic files will be opened with the application defined by the operating system. |
Office | ||
| DocView | It will be used to view files with .doc extension. This feature requires Microsoft Word to be installed on the workstations. | The electronic files will be opened with the application defined by the operating system. |
| ExcelView | It will be used to view files with .xls extension. This feature requires Microsoft Excel to be installed on the workstations. | |
| PowerPointView | This feature requires Microsoft PowerPoint to be installed on the workstations and does not allow for controlling printing or saving locally. | |
| LibreOffice | It will be used to view files with .odt, .ods, and .odp extension. It will also be used to open files with extensions compatible with Libre Office, such as .doc, .xls, etc, when the "DocView" and/or "ExcelView" options are not checked. This feature requires Libre Office to be installed in the workstations. | |
| VisioView | It will be used to view files with .vsd, .vdx, .vss, or .vsx extension. This feature requires Microsoft Visio to be installed on the workstations. | |
DWG | ||
| SE Viewer | It will be used to view files with .dwg, .dxf, or .dwl extension. | The electronic files will be opened with the application defined by the operating system. |
DGN | ||
| SE Viewer | It will be used to view files with .dgn extension. | The electronic files will be opened with the application defined by the operating system. |
Image | ||
| SE Viewer | It will be used to view files with .bmp, .png, .gif, .tif, .jpg, or .jpeg extension. | The electronic files will be opened with the application defined by the operating system. |
| HTML5 Viewer | It will be used to view files with .bmp, .png, .gif, .tif, .jpg, or .jpeg extension via the browser. | |
| Dicom Viewer | It will be used to view files with .dcm and .dicom extensions. | |
See the System requirements technical documentation for more details on the Microsoft Office versions that are compatible with SoftExpert Document.
4. In the Document section, configure the behavior of the documents and their electronic files:
| Parameter | Checked | Unchecked |
| Document status search field (default) | The defined statuses are displayed, by default, in the "Document status" filter on the screens in which it is found. | By default, the statuses that are not checked are not displayed in the view. However, at the time of performing the search, all statuses can be selected, and, in this case, the system will consider this selection to display the results. When no item is selected, the system displays the "Released" option checked by default. |
| Require electronic file to be viewed when releasing tasks | To successfully execute the checked tasks, it will be necessary to view the electronic file of the document related to them. | The tasks that are not checked can be executed without the need for viewing the electronic file. |
| Enable released documents to be edited |
The data of the documents that have already been released can be edited. Note: In versions prior to 2.2.1, the parameter controlled whether the Description would be disabled or enabled during the review, approval, and release steps of the revision. This behavior was adjusted in version 2.2.1: now, this parameter is only applied to already released revisions. As a result, the Description field remains enabled for editing throughout the revision life cycle. |
After being released, the documents will be available in read-only mode, making it necessary to create a revision for editing the data. However, document data such as title, printed copy, and security can only be edited if the revision status is draft, for ISO9000-based revisions, or if the revision via workflow has the "Edit metadata" option checked. |
| Allow changing the security of released documents | The security of released documents may be edited. | It will not be possible to edit the security of documents once they are released. |
| Only documents being issued can be deleted | Only documents that are in the issuing or indexing steps can be deleted from the system. | The documents can be deleted with any status. |
| Enable the same electronic file to be associated with different documents | The same electronic file can be associated with different documents. | The same electronic file cannot be associated with more than one document. |
| Allow for same document ID # in different categories | It will be possible to record documents with the same ID #, as long as they belong to different categories. | It will not be possible to record documents with the same ID # in the system (even if they are renamed). |
| Allow only current revision in the structure | When associating a document with the structure of another document, it will not be possible to select a revision other than the current one. | It will be possible to associate any revision with the document structure. |
| Send document indexing task to all users with permission to edit it | All users with the "Edit" control enabled in the document security list will receive the Document indexing task. | The Document indexing task will be generated only for the user that is responsible for the document. |
5. In the Revision section, configure the behavior of the document revision:
Parameter |
Checked |
Unchecked |
| Document status search field (default) | The defined statuses are displayed, by default, in the "Document status" filter on the screens in which it is found. | By default, the statuses that are not checked are not displayed in the view. However, at the time of performing the search, all statuses can be selected, and, in this case, the system will consider this selection to display the results. When no item is selected, the system displays the "Released" option checked by default. |
| Allow executing the publication acknowledgment via e-mail | The e-mails regarding the publication acknowledgment tasks will have a link for the automatic execution of the corresponding task. | The e-mails regarding the publication acknowledgment tasks will not have the link for the execution. |
| Notify structure revision | When going through a revision, the Revision acknowledgment task will be generated for the "Where used" and "Composed of" relationships. | When creating a revision of a document with a structure relationship, no notification will be displayed on the need to revise them. |
| Send closure task only to the responsible for the creation of the revision | The Closure step of the revision of a document will only be sent to the user who created the revision. | The Closure step of the revision will be sent to the user who created the revision and to every user with the "Revise" permission enabled in document security. |
| Allow entering the revision date | Enables the "Date" field of the document revision data screen for editing and allows entering a date later than the current date in the "Date" field of the general data of the revised document. | The "Date" field on the revision data screen will not be available to be filled out and it will not be possible to enter a date later than the current date in the "Date" field of the general data of the revised document. In this case, the revision date will be filled out by the system with the revision closure date. |
ISO9000 based | ||
| Enable documents in the draft step to be downloaded/uploaded | Allows downloading or uploading electronic files to the documents during the revision draft step. | It will not be possible to download it through the revision execution screen while the document is in "Draft" step. The electronic file can be edited as usual through the configured viewers. The electronic file can be downloaded in other screens in which this resource is available. |
| Add electronic file to draft revision step | The revision drafter can attach electronic files to the document through the revision execution, while it is in the draft step. | It will not be possible to add new files when accessing the document data through revision execution. |
| Allow editing electronic file in review | During the revision review step, it will be possible to make uncontrolled changes (edits) to the document. | It will only be possible to perform controlled changes (in the supported formats) or to view in the review step. |
| Allow editing electronic file in approval | During the revision approval step, it will be possible to make uncontrolled changes (edits) to the document. | It will only be possible to perform controlled changes (in the supported formats) or to view in the approval step. |
| Allow editing electronic file in release | During the revision release step, it will be possible to make uncontrolled changes to the document. Parameter not applicable when the document category is configured with electronic distribution (acknowledgment and/or training) and conversion to PDF. When converted to PDF during the release step, the electronic file can no longer be edited. | It will only be possible to perform controlled changes (in the supported formats) or to view in the release step. |
| Releasing of revisions with controlled changes is not allowed | It will not be possible to close the revision execution of documents with controlled changes. | Revisions can be closed even if they have controlled changes. |
| Block controlled changes | During the review and approval steps, it will only be possible to view the document; adding markups is not allowed. When this general parameter is checked, the changes will only be blocked for ISO9000-based revisions. For categories that use workflows, the block must be made through the "Comment" control on the status record. | During the review, approval and release steps, markups can be added to the electronic files in the supported formats. |
|
Block sending to the next step in the review/approval of revisions with controlled changes |
It makes the user return to the draft step after adding a controlled change in the electronic file. | It allows sending the file to the next step even when it has controlled changes. |
Access the How does revision work? article to learn how to create a document with revision and understand the application of these parameters.
6. In the Digital signature section, configure the behavior for the digital signature of the documents:
PDF documents | |
| Signature algorithm for the PDF format | The attached signature (PAdEs - PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures) is used by default. Select one of the options to define the signature algorithm that will be used for signing this type of file: SHA-1, SHA-256, or SHA-512. The SHA-512 algorithm is considered the most secure. |
| Signature stamp picture | Fill in this field to customize the logo that will be used in the digital signature stamp on PDF files, when the "Add digital signature timestamp to PDF files" option is checked in the document category. In this case, select the logo image you want to apply to the stamp. |
| Adding LTV information to a file | This parameter allows adding LTV (Long Term Validation) information to the digital signature of a file. When this option is enabled, the system embeds the entire signature validation chain into the document, including certificates, revocation lists, and timestamps, ensuring that the signature can be validated in the long term, even after the expiration of the certificates used. As a consequence, the file size will be greater, since all the information necessary for the future validation of the signature becomes part of the file content. |
Digital signature as a text on the side | |
Checked |
Unchecked |
| After signing, an informative text will be displayed on the right side of the electronic file. Define the text that will be displayed: Default text: a message will be displayed for checking/viewing the signature. Customized text: in the field that will be enabled, type the text that must be displayed along with the digital signature. |
When signing the documents, a side text will not be included in the electronic file. |
For the digital signature as a text on the side feature to work correctly, it is necessary to have a watermark duly configured and associated with the category of the documents to which it will be applied.
Signature algorithm for the XML format |
| For the .xml files, the XML Signature format is used by default. Select one of the options to define the signature algorithm that will be used for signing this type of file: SHA-1, SHA-256, or SHA-512. The SHA-512 algorithm is considered the most secure. |
Signature algorithm for the CMS format |
| For the other file types, the CMS SignedData detached format is used by default. Select one of the options to define the signature algorithm that will be used for signing this type of file: SHA-1, SHA-256, or SHA-512. The SHA-512 algorithm is considered the most secure. |
Do not validate the revoked certificates of the root entities. | |
Checked |
Unchecked |
| The object responsible for the signature will not confirm the validity of the chain certificates (root certification authority and intermediate certificate authority). | The chain certificates (root certification authority and intermediate certificate authority) will be validated. |
7. In the Printed copy section, configure the behavior of the printed copy distribution protocols of the documents:
| Parameter | Checked | Unchecked |
| Allow printing controlled copy on confirmation of copy receiving | In the Received copies confirmation task, the document will be printed with the "CONTROLLED COPY" watermark. | In the Received copies confirmation task, the document will be printed with the "UNCONTROLLED COPY" watermark. |
| View original file in copy distribution | During copy distribution, it will be possible to view the original electronic file of the document. | During copy distribution, when viewing the electronic file of the document, the PDF version will be displayed, if available. |
| Restrict the quantity of protocol copies | It will not be allowed to print more copies than the amount defined in the copy protocol. | When viewing the electronic file through the copy protocol, any amount of copies can be printed. |
| Allow sending printed copies only after the cancellation of obsolete copies | It will only be possible to send printed copies if the obsolete copies are cancelled. | It will be possible to send new copies even if there are obsolete copies. |
8. In the Conversion to PDF section, set the behavior of the automatic conversion of document files to PDF.
| Parameter | Checked | Unchecked |
| Convert the following formats to PDF | Only electronic files with the checked extensions will be converted to PDF. Refer to the How to use the conversion to PDF article for further details. | The electronic files with unchecked extensions will not be converted to pdf, even if the extension is compatible with the conversion to PDF resource. |
| Convert in PDF/A format | The electronic files will be converted to the PDF-A format. Only the files whose extensions are configured in the Convert the following formats to PDF parameter will be converted. | The electronic files will be converted to the (regular) .pdf format. Only the files whose extensions are configured in the Convert the following formats to PDF parameter will be converted. |
| Fill out metadata in the conversion to PDF |
This parameter allows the system to automatically insert metadata in the electronic file during the conversion to PDF, using delimiters defined by the user. When enabling this option, it is necessary to enter an initial delimiter and a final delimiter. Whenever the system identifies, in the file content, a text delimited by these characters, it will try to replace it with the value of the corresponding metadata in the conversion to PDF. For example, when an initial delimiter This feature is an alternative to using docvariables, as it does not require the configuration of variables directly in the editor (such as Word). Simply enter the metadata ID # in between the defined delimiters for the insertion to be performed automatically at the time of conversion. |
The system will not fill metadata defined by delimiters. |
| When converting error occurs, send e-mail to: | If an error occurs while converting an electronic file to PDF, an email will be sent to a defined user. To do this, in the User field, select the desired user. For this feature to work correctly, the user's email must be filled in on the data screen of their account, and the appropriate configurations regarding e-mail sending and the e-mail server must be performed in the Configuration component. | If an error occurs while converting an electronic file to PDF, a notification will not be sent. |
9. In the Jobs section, configure the PDF conversion and electronic file verification services available in the system:
| Parameter | Checked | Unchecked |
| Enable PDF conversion service | Allows file conversion to PDF to be executed through File Manager. In the fields that will remain enabled, enter the server and the port which will be used. Use the  button to test the connection.For more information on installing this service, click here. Note: If this parameter is enabled, but the server and port are not entered, those entered in the redirection parameter below will be used in the conversion. If the addresses are not entered in either parameter, the conversion will take place through the SoftExpert Suite system. |
The conversion of files to PDF will not be executed through FileManager. |
| Enable verification of electronic files | The system will verify the electronic files through the Configuration > Maintenance > Electronic files verification (DC054) menu. Fill in the following fields as well: - Frequency: enter, in days, how often the system will verify the electronic files. - Verify file integrity: When this option is not selected, the system will verify whether the electronic file associated with a particular document in the system is in the due directory/database. By checking this option, in addition to the verification previously mentioned, the system will also verify if the hash of the file in directory/database is compatible with the hash of the file of the system. |
The files will not be verified by the system. |
10. Fill out the Google Drive section to enable the SoftExpert Document integration with Google Drive API:
| Parameter | Checked | Unchecked |
| Enable editing with Google Drive | Allows viewing and editing the electronic files of the documents via the Google Drive applications. Thus, the fields described below will be enabled to be filled out. To do this, first, it is necessary to perform the settings in the Google Developer Console and ensure that the configured user has access to Google Drive. Once done, perform the necessary configurations in this section. |
The electronic files of the documents will be edited/viewed through the viewer configured in the Application section. In this case, the fields described below can be ignored. |
Fields | |
| Service account ID | Enter the exclusive code of the service account used to configure the integration with Google Drive. |
| Service account owner email | Enter the e-mail used to configure the integration with Google Drive. |
| .P12 File | Click on the  button, browse through the files saved on your computer and select the .p12 file created in the configuration of the integration with Google Drive. |
| Option | Checked | Unchecked |
| Convert file to PDF using Google Drive | The system will use Google Drive to convert the electronic files of documents to PDF, as long as publishing in PDF is configured in their category. | The default system conversion will be used. In Linux environments, the conversion is performed through PDF Converter. In Windows environments, it is performed by the server. |
| Use domain delegation | Allows Google service accounts created after 04/14/2025 to work correctly, ensuring compatibility with the new Google account policies. | Accounts created after 04/14/2025 will not work correctly. |
- Google Drive API is compatible with files with the following extensions: .doc, .docx, .odt, .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm, .ods, .ppt, .pptx, .pps, .ppsx, .potm, .odp, .pdf, .rtf and .txt.
- When the (administrator) accounts are switched, the files will remain linked to the old account. Thus, the changes made with this account will be lost. To avoid losing information, make sure the documents are released before changing the account.
11. Fill out the Microsoft 365 section to enable the integration between SoftExpert Document and Microsoft 365. Click here and learn how to obtain the necessary data for completion.
| Parameter | Checked | Unchecked |
| Enable editing with Microsoft 365 |
Allows viewing and editing electronic files through Microsoft 365 applications. To fill them in, first, it is necessary to perform the configurations in Microsoft Azure. |
The electronic files of the documents will be edited/viewed through the viewer configured in the Application section. In this case, the fields described below can be ignored. |
Fields | |
| Tenant ID | Enter the directory (tenant) ID obtained in the application properties in Microsoft Entra. |
| Site ID | Enter the ID of the Microsoft Sharepoint site configured to store the files. |
| Client ID | Enter the application (client) ID obtained during the configuration of the application in Microsoft Entra. |
| Client Secret | Enter the client secret value obtained during the configuration of the application in Microsoft Entra. |
| Option | Checked | Unchecked |
| Convert files to PDF using Microsoft 365 | The system will use the integration with Microsoft 365 to convert documents' electronic files to PDF, provided that PDF publishing is configured in the document category. | The default system conversion will be used. In Linux environments, the conversion is performed by PDF Converter. In Windows environments, the conversion is performed by the server itself. |
12. After setting all the desired parameterizations, click on the 
button to apply the changes.
Conclusion
The parameterizations will be applied to all records in the system from now on!