PDF XChange Forum

Is it possible to add such a new property to these objects?
Sometimes I need to draw a curve (spline) instead of a polygon line with "sharp" corners.

Hi Gnatix,

Thanks for the post - Can you send a picture that demonstrates what you're looking to achieve, I'm not entirely sure that I understand as it stands.

Cheers,

Hi Will,
thank you for your reply.
Enclosed please find a picture which shows what I mean.

Hi Gnatix,

Thanks for that - I'm not sure if we can add these, as the ISO specification may not allow it, but I'll pass that along to be double checked as I'm far from an expert in the specification.

Cheers,

This feature (rounded corners on rectangles) is a common feature of other pdf editing software. See attachment.

Hello Alan,

Thank you for your post and welcome to our forums. Unfortunately, these rounded rectangles are nonconforming and are not treated as annotations, but base content. Currently we know of no conforming PDF software that offers rounded corner annotations. Could you please provide a few examples?

Thank you!

Yes, I attached an example to my original post. But if you did not see that one, I've attached an example of a manufacturer's PDF file to which I added several rectangles with rounded corners (solid red rectangles and dashed blue rectangles were added by me). The editing software I used allows the user to determine whether corners will be square or rounded, and allows the user to select the radius of rounded corners; also the user can choose line weight, line color, line style, etc. of the rectangle. The software is very inexpensive. BTW, what do you mean by "nonconforming"?

Hi Alan,

I believe there might be a slight misunderstanding.
We did see your file - and Patrick commented based on that.
The objects you have shown are base content elements: It is possible to add objects with rounded corners in this way - but Annotations are quite different internally in the PDF specification, and currently no PDF software we know of offers annotations with such rounded corners. The original enquiry was for annotations specifically - so that you can then edit them further if needed.

So if you have an example of a file with such rounded objects that are actually annotations (showing as objects in the Comments pane in the Editor and not in the Content one) - then we would like to take a look.

Cheers,
Stefan

Hi Stefan,
Thanks for your reply. OK, I think I understand the difference between annotations and base content. But I still have not been able to accomplish the goal! Every tool I look at that has a rectangle (including text box) is apparently an annotation tool. I can't seem to find the rectangle "content" tool. Please go through an example to add a "content" rectangle, and then round the corners (so that it will "appear" to be an annotation, or call-out).

Thanks,
Alan

Stefan,
As I was thinking further about this issue and my last reply, I'm now not sure that I do understand the difference between "base content" and "annotation." You stated that the rectangles (with rounded corners) in the examples I attached were "base content" rather than "annotations" and that they could not be edited further if needed.

Actually, those rectangles COULD be edited further if needed. When using that editing software, the file is saved in .pfl format that the software can re-open and edit further if needed. When all editing is complete, the .pfl file is saved to a .pdf format that can be opened with Adobe, etc. that reads PDF files. So, once the file is save in PDF format (which is the files I attached and sent to you), I suppose you could say any editorial markings are "base content."

So, you asked if I could send you an example of a file with such rounded objects that are actually annotations, the answer is yes and it is attached. It is a .pfl file of the same original file I attached previously [the added rectangles are different from the first .pdf files I sent since I deleted my original .pfl files]. Also, I changed colors in some rectangles, and I varied the corner radii so you can see that colors and corners are determined at the discretion of the user. Also I rotated one rectangle to show another option available to the user. So, will PDF-XChange open a .pfl file created by another software? If not, I also attached the final PDF version of the file. Of course, the added rectangles can not be selected and edited further in the PDF file (but they can be edited further in the .pfl file).

Hmmm...well I thought I would attach the editorial version (.pfl) of the file but this forum would not allow that attachment. A pop-up window said the .pfl file is "an invalid file extension." But I did attach the PDF file as described above. If you give me an email address, I'll send you the .pfl file.

v/r,
Alan

Hi Alan,

Actually, those rectangles COULD be edited further if needed. When using that editing software, the file is saved in .pfl format that the software can re-open and edit further if needed. When all editing is complete, the .pfl file is saved to a .pdf format that can be opened with Adobe, etc. that reads PDF files. So, once the file is save in PDF format (which is the files I attached and sent to you), I suppose you could say any editorial markings are "base content."

This is because no PDF software can handle rounded corner annotations, but base content can be pretty much anything. So the PDF is converted to a proprietary PFL format. Then, so that the file can be viewed in PDF readers, flattens these rounded corners into base content.

OK, well I guess I still don't completely understand the issue between "content" and "annotation." I just know that using the software I used previously, I could insert rectangles with rounded corners...and I can't do that with PDF-XChange. Although there is much I like about PDF-XChange, I regret not being able to do some things I've been accustomed to doing. Thank you for assisting me.

Hi Alan,

The main thing is that those objects you have shown us are not annotations.
They are entirely different beasts internally in the PDF structure, and annotations can not be made with rounded corners it would seem.
Yes this is a solution that other product was offering - with making those objects base content, but for now we are not planning to add the ability to draw vector objects straight as base content.

Regards,
Stefan