Wishlist for XChange-Editor (and some other products)...

[Puffolino]

In general, I work with the XChange-Viewer day by day and it does a great job for me - most of the time (a offline help function could be fine in such situations, for instance to remember which shortcut resets the line width or so).
When I was installing all the tracker software I have license for, I saw another reason, why I love the 'Viewer' - it can be downloaded as a portable solution, which means, it will be in the directory I'd like to have it.
Not so an easy job with all other programs, for example if you want to install the printer driver into a directory called 'PDF printer' this can't be done because another sub directory 'PDF-XChange 5' will be created. No idea, if the additional directories 'Vault', 'PDF-XChange 5\Temp' etc. can be deleted or not or how to change the printer name 'PDF-XChange Printer 2012'.

Feature Request 1 (all apps): I would prefer to have more control what will be installed in which directories and where possible, allow even portable solutions

I am not sure, but I fear the actual licence may not allow portable installation, right? I observed the following behaviour when using an 'old' (which is on my USB memory stick) and a 'new' version on my computer. Every time I start the old version, the license for the newer seems to be deleted and have to be reentered as soon the new Viewer will be started. I am also unsure what happens now, when I want to use an app on my USB memory stick on a computer of someone else? How to keep the license information local on the stick, so it does not be copied into the registry of the computer?

Feature Request 2 (printer driver): allow to set the printer name and check the language files ('Optimization' will be changed to a nonsense text in german)

I wanted to change/add a headline in an existing pdf document, but failed to choose the (embedded) font to keep the look and feel.
Feature Request 3 (editor): allow to set the font for text objects and reset distortions (which happen when changing the size of a text frame)

Feature Request 4 (editor): when deleting an object (Text, Image etc.) in the editor, the cursor seems to jump to a undefined position in the document, I would prefer that the cursor is moved to its parent object

Thanks,
Michael

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the post - as before, I'll address each point in turn:

Feature Request 1 (all apps): I would prefer to have more control what will be installed in which directories and where possible, allow even portable solutions

This is only possible for the Viewer, Editor and (possibly) PDF-Tools. We do have a portable version of the Viewer that is current, as you've noted, but the only portable version of PDF-Tools is quite and I've been told by the Dev. Team it isn't currently possible to create a newer version. The printers cannot be made portable, as installation an interaction with Windows is necessary for them to function. As for a portable Editor, this is planned for the future, though for now I can't say when.

Regarding the licensing issue, I would suggest downloading the latest portable version from here:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/downloads

Failing that, please try deleting the Settings.dat file in the portable directory. A new one should be creating once the Viewer is opened and you can then re-enter the license under Help --> Enter a serial key.

Feature Request 2 (printer driver): allow to set the printer name and check the language files ('Optimization' will be changed to a nonsense text in german)

Renaming the printers can be done already, see here:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowledgeba ... ge-Printer

The language files can be checked and edited already, but you will need our language tools to do so:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/translation_tools

Feature Request 3 (editor): allow to set the font for text objects and reset distortions (which happen when changing the size of a text frame

Perhaps I'm not fully understanding, but this can already be done with the Edit Content tool (Tools --> Content Editing Tools --> Edit Content tool), please make sure that you have the Properties toolbar enabled (Ctrl + E to enable, or View --> Toolbars --> Properties toolbar).

Feature Request 4 (editor): when deleting an object (Text, Image etc.) in the editor, the cursor seems to jump to a undefined position in the document, I would prefer that the cursor is moved to its parent object

I'm not seeing this here. Please make sure that you are using the latest build by downloading and running the following installer:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/PDFXVE5.zip

Cheers,

[Puffolino]

Hi Will,
thanks you for all your comments, I haven't checked all things for now (pdf viewer serial issue), but will do that as soon as possible. I know, that a driver won't be possible (that's why I said "where possible" ), but hopeful some of the other programs will get a shift to portability somewhen. Anyhow the installing procedures will give us more control in the nearer future to specify the full path (including the directory name) a little bit sooner.

Renaming the printers can be done already...

Thanks, haven't found that, I gave up after Windows 8 has ignored my attempts using 'F2'...

The language files can be checked and edited already...

Thanks again, I will do that soon...

...can already be done with the Edit Content tool...

No, when I add text, the embedded fonts are NOT listed in the font selection and when changing the box size around text, the font will be squeezed.

I'm not seeing this here.

I have the actual version and the issue is seen here. just load the example file from my other posting, go to the last page and show all objects. Use the cursor keys to select a text object, press delete. The cursor disappears. Now press down, the cursor will be seen on the top of the document (page 1).

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi Puffolino,

No, when I add text, the embedded fonts are NOT listed in the font selection and when changing the box size around text, the font will be squeezed.

I'll need to talk to the Dev. Team about this, to see if we should be showing this and, if not, if we can.

I have the actual version and the issue is seen here. just load the example file from my other posting, go to the last page and show all objects. Use the cursor keys to select a text object, press delete. The cursor disappears. Now press down, the cursor will be seen on the top of the document (page 1).

I'm still not seeing this, even with the example from your other post. Could you try using a different mouse, if you have one available and see if you see the same thing?

Cheers,

[Puffolino]

I'll need to talk to the Dev. Team about this, to see if we should be showing this and, if not, if we can.

Thanks, not only the "missing" fonts are a little bit uncool, I also believe changing the rectangle around a text shouldn't distort it
Remark: I wanted to correct some wrong words from the OCR layer which can theoretically be done when clicking into the rectangle around the selected word. This has worked here only when enlargimg the rectangle what also shows the word in huge letters inside the box

I'm still not seeing this, even with the example from your other post. Could you try using a different mouse, if you have one available and see if you see the same thing?

I'm doing all these things with the keyboard, not the mouse. Using cursor up/down to the page I want to see, cursor right to open the objects, down to the text, again with the cursor key and 'delete', again done by pressing the key on my keyboard. That's the point, where no selection is seen in the object tree anymore.
Remark: the reason for using the keyboard - it's faster (for me), that's also why I miss important shortcuts for the PDF Viewer (like Ctrl+Enter to close the 'Document Properties' even when the 'Ok' button is not the active element, Alt+S to jump to the Security options in that dialog and so on. Or a working(!) shortcut for creating a bookmark - 'Ins' does not work when using Ctrl+Right to move to a page etc. pp.)

[Puffolino]

I have to check all points I have listed in the first posting of this thread, but after having updated to version 310, I started to check the keyboard behaviour:

Using the keyboard still do "funny" effects in version 310. After deleting an object, no element will be selected in the "Content" tree. So if you delete somethinh from page 999 and press the cursor down key after that you will find the cursor on page 1 !
But it seems also strange for me, that selecting an object using the "Edit Content Tool" does not influence the cursor in the "Content" window.

PS: in general, I would like to have better keyboard support in all tracker software products - especially for the Viewer (to close the document property dialog, to add a bookmark etc.)

[Patrick-Tracker Supp]

Hello Puffolino,

PS: in general, I would like to have better keyboard support in all tracker software products - especially for the Viewer (to close the document property dialog, to add a bookmark etc.)

Thank you for the post. Your points have been noted, however, I must inform you that development is no longer taking place with the Viewer; you will not see any of the changes in the Viewer, but rather, in the Editor.

Thanks for the good suggestions!

[Puffolino]

Feature Request 4 (editor): when deleting an object (Text, Image etc.) in the editor, the cursor seems to jump to a undefined position in the document, I would prefer that the cursor is moved to its parent object.

This behaviour is still given, which means it is non-standard (I don't know a single other windows program doing something similar for now) and makes editing (in documents with many pages) uncomfortable.
Please recheck this, it can't be to difficult to be solved.

[John - Tracker Supp]

This will not I am afraid be altered in the Viewer - ever, general development has ceased and only critical issues are investigated.

[Patrick-Tracker Supp]

Hello Puffolino,

Thanks for the post. I noticed in a previous posting that you had updated to build 310. If you are still using build 310, could you please try build 311?

Feature Request 4 (editor): when deleting an object (Text, Image etc.) in the editor, the cursor seems to jump to a undefined position in the document, I would prefer that the cursor is moved to its parent object.

I have tested using build 311 and I am not able to reproduce your issue.
Download build 311 here:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/PDFXVE5.zip
Please note: we are currently experiencing problems with downloading from google chrome. If you are experiencing any issues, please try another browser to download the installer.

I hope this helps!

[Puffolino]

Feature Request 4 (editor): when deleting an object (Text, Image etc.) in the editor, the cursor seems to jump to a undefined position in the document, I would prefer that the cursor is moved to its parent object.

I have tested using build 311 and I am not able to reproduce your issue.

I've used already 311 on Win 8.1 64 Bit and it makes exactly what I have written. I do NOT use the mouse for these actions, just the cursor keys and the delete key.

If you like I do smoe screen shots or so, just to be sure that I haven't been exact enough what I have done and what the results are.

[Puffolino]

Did some screenshots...
Bild1 shows the selected object
Bild2 after pressing the "delete" key
Bild3 after pressing the "down" key

[Patrick-Tracker Supp]

Hi Puffolino,

Thank you for your screenshots, Could you please post your file so that we can take a look at it?

Thank you!

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi Puffolino,

This has been reproduced here - I'll pass it along.

Cheers,

[Puffolino]

Hi Puffolino,

This has been reproduced here - I'll pass it along.

Cheers,

Any chances to change the behaviour of the editor?

I like to use the keyboard to control the XChange-Editor, I think, in most cases it is much faster than using the mouse. But this advantage is lost, when there's an inconsistent behaviour (or there's no shortcut for a function) - that's why the XChange-Viewer also has/d a dark side (bookmark handling etc.)

[David.P]

+1 for this feature request. More keyboard control would also improve scripting capability at the same time.

Regards
David.P

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Thanks for adding your voice David!

Cheers,
Stefan

[Puffolino]

... More keyboard control would also improve scripting capability at the same time.

Good point, thanks.

I've made a script for my students and have a text with a XFORM object saying "blah blah 2015" on each page. Now I need to change it to "blah blah 2016" by hand (or alternatively deleting it and adding a new watermark etc.)

So there would be some approaches which would be great:
* searching for a special object type (XFORM)
* searching for the next "blah blah 2015" text, selecting the object by clicking on the object and then a shortcut to get the content window active (there, pressing 'cursor left' would select the XFORM)
* selecting the page 'n' in the content window, 'cursor right' expands all objects of the page, something like 'ctrl+page down' should jump to the last object of the page, 'delete' would delete the object, 'cursor down' would jump to page 'n+1' etc.
* an advanced search function which allows different actions (select object only, select parent object, scroll to object in content window, open property dialog, etc.) when clicking on an item of the result list

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hi Puffolino,

Thanks for the suggestions! I will bring those up the next time I speak with the Editor project leader and see if those are things we are interested in developing in the future.

Regards,
Stefan

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi Puffolino,

Regarding the issue with deleting items in various panes, I was under the impression that this had already been fixed, but do see that it wasn't. I'll try to get some time with the Dev. Team to speak with them further on this.

Thanks,