Renditions

The Renditions module is where Novantra turns approved business content into a controlled output, usually a PDF. A rendition is a generated artifact created from a point-in-time snapshot supplied by the source module.

Source records stay in their owning module. Forms, DMS, audit packages, controls, and other modules keep the working data. Renditions produce the output people share, file, archive, or attach as evidence.

When you would reach for this

Use a rendition when you need:

a controlled copy of a policy, procedure, form response, register, or audit bundle
a PDF that shows the correct organization name, logo, classification marker, page furniture, and provenance
Arabic, English, or bilingual output from approved language content
a table export where the columns and row scope are chosen deliberately
an artifact that can later be traced back to the source snapshot and generation options
a generated output that may also be filed into DMS when your policy requires document lifecycle control

Do not use a rendition as the editable source of truth. If the source record changes, request a fresh rendition from the new approved snapshot.

What a rendition captures

A generated rendition is based on two kinds of information.

Source snapshot is the content and context the owning module provides. It can include the title, version, status, content blocks, tables, classification details, review or approval summary, and other source-provided history.

Rendition policy is how the output should be generated. It can include page orientation, language mode, watermark, classification display, front matter, back matter, output role, and whether the output should remain an artifact or also be filed to DMS.

The snapshot model is what makes generated outputs explainable later. You can see what was requested and which source version it came from without assuming the live source record is still identical.

Output roles and targets

Common output roles include:

Draft for checking layout before using the output formally.
Final for a completed generated output.
Controlled copy when the output needs controlled-copy markings and provenance.
External or regulator copy when the output is intended for people outside the immediate workspace.
Table export when the output is generated from a module-owned list or register.

Common output targets include:

Artifact only for generated output kept as a file artifact.
File to DMS when the generated output should be governed by document lifecycle, retention, and access behavior.
Artifact and DMS when both are required.

Your available choices depend on role permissions, source-module access, and the policy defined for the content you are rendering.

Rendition checks the exact combination selected for the job. For example, a controlled copy needs the controlled-copy permission, a DMS-filed output needs the DMS filing permission, and a bilingual output needs the bilingual rendition permission. Having one rendition permission does not automatically grant every output role or target.

Language and bilingual output

Renditions can request English, Arabic, or another supported language when the source module provides approved content for that language.

For bilingual output, Novantra can generate:

parallel bilingual output, where approved language versions appear together
sequential bilingual output, where one language is rendered first and the second follows

Renditions do not silently translate customer-authored content. If a bilingual output is required, the source module must provide the approved language snapshots.

Classification and branding

Classification and organization branding are taken from the captured snapshot supplied to the rendition request. That means the generated output can show the correct classification label, color marker, handling note, organization name, and logo as they were at generation time.

This is especially useful for controlled documents, regulator copies, audit packages, and exported registers where the visual classification marker should be easy to identify.

Table outputs

Some module tables can offer a Generate PDF or similar action when that module supports table renditions. The source module controls which columns are allowed, which rows are in scope, and what redaction rules apply.

When generating a table output, Renditions resolves the table through the owning module’s table provider before the job is created. The resulting snapshot records the provider, selected columns, row scope, and whether restricted columns were included.

Choose only the columns and row scope needed for the audience. Sensitive or export-restricted columns require the sensitive-column permission; without it, provider-resolved table exports omit restricted columns before the job snapshot is hashed and rendered.

Audit and provenance

Renditions keep a generation history with the job status, source reference, selected policy, produced artifact references, and provenance details such as hashes and renderer information. Activity and audit views show the lifecycle of requested, completed, failed, cancelled, or retried jobs.

The built-in local renderer produces standard PDF output and records its capability and conformance posture on each completed job, so the artifact’s format and renderer are part of the provenance record.

Provenance helps answer questions such as:

Which source record and version produced this output?
Which generation options were used?
Was this a draft, final output, controlled copy, or external copy?
Was the output filed to DMS or kept as an artifact?

Permissions

Rendition permissions are separate from source-module permissions. Reading a source record does not automatically allow a user to generate every kind of output.

Administrators can grant permissions for actions such as:

viewing rendition jobs and provenance
requesting draft, final, controlled, external, bilingual, or table outputs
including sensitive table columns
filing generated outputs to DMS
cancelling or retrying jobs
managing rendition profiles

Document Governance - governs policies, procedures, review cycles, acknowledgements, and retention around DMS documents.
Audit Packages - uses generated artifacts when preparing review or regulator bundles.
Forms - form previews are editor aids; canonical outputs are generated through renditions.
Classification - provides the classification labels, colors, and handling context that generated outputs can display.