Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

Forum for the PDF-XChange Editor - Free and Licensed Versions

Moderators: TrackerSupp-Daniel, Tracker Support, Paul - Tracker Supp, Vasyl-Tracker Dev Team, Chris - Tracker Supp, Sean - Tracker, Ivan - Tracker Software, Tracker Supp-Stefan

Post Reply
Mathew
User
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 7:30 pm

Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

Post by Mathew »

If you copy and paste multiple markup elements from a larger page to a smaller page, or between two pages that have different media box origins the group of elements will get re-positioned relative to one another if the copied element coordinates were outside the bounds of the new page.
To reproduce, select and copy a group of markups on a larger sheet:
image.png
Then go to a smaller sheet, and paste them. The group does not stay together. Individual elements that are outside (or partially extend outside) the paper get brought into the boundary:
image1.png
Depending on the orientation, and where the copied elements are, the whole group will get split apart:
image2.png
Expected behavior is more similar to Acrobat:
image3.png
Last edited by Mathew on Wed May 12, 2021 9:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
TrackerSupp-Daniel
Site Admin
Posts: 8371
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:52 pm

Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

Hi, Mathew

Thank you for the suggestion. I have just spoken with our Dev team on this, and after some discussion learned that this handling was changed due to exceedingly large user demand. As such, without an equally large group of requests in the other direction, we will not be considering reverting the handling at this point in time.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com
Support@pdf-xchange.com
User avatar
rakunavi
User
Posts: 858
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2021 5:04 am

Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

Post by rakunavi »

Hello Mathew and all,

I completely agree with Mathew's suggestion.

When a revised document is published, I often copy comments from the original document to the new one, but if the comments are slightly outside the page frame, the pasting position is unintentionally shifted, which is very annoying.

For example, when creating a typewriter or text box comment with no box border (zero line width), one is not necessarily aware of the size of the border. Even if the comment appears fine on the original page, as soon as the comment box extends beyond the page frame when pasting, the position of the comment box is automatically moved so that it fits into the page frame. Although PDF-XChange Editor has a "Fit Box by Text Content" feature, it is difficult to expect it to apply to all text comments.

There are two possible ways to avoid this automatic shift of the pasting position.

  • Export to an XFDF file, modify the page numbers in the XFDF file with a text editor according to the page numbers of the destination page, and then import.
    • Use the resize function to increase the page size of both the source and destination pages, then copy and paste, and use the resize or crop function to restore the destination page to its original page size.
    The first method cannot completely restore comments created by other PDF applications, so the second method is practically the only one that can be used, but neither method is very realistic.


    • This is a GIF animation. Click to play.
      This is a GIF animation. Click to play.
    In some cases, people intentionally create comments that extend beyond the page frame. For example, if you want to draw a semicircle or a quarter circle, draw the circle so that it extends beyond the page. When writing text comments across pages on facing pages, duplicate the comments and place them so that they extend across each page to form a single text comment on the facing page. When trying to set mark areas all the way to the edge of the page with the redaction function, it is tempting to set the mark areas so that they extend beyond the page borders. However, if you paste comments or marks that are intentionally set to extend beyond the page frame in this way, everything will be ruined. Even if the page size is the same, if the original comment or mark extends beyond the page border, it is already doomed to be pasted incorrectly at that point.

    Furthermore, when using the page splitting function, comments that existed at the split position will be outside of the page frame on the split page. Even if a large number of comments that extend beyond the page frame are automatically generated on the split page, there is no problem if they are only displayed. However, when it comes time to copy them, you will get a pasted result that is different from what you intended.

    Since I do this kind of work on a daily basis, I can give you many examples of inconvenient situations, but on the contrary, I have never been glad to have an automatic correction function. Even if a comment goes outside the page frame, and that is not the intention of the user, it can simply be repositioned after copying. However, if the position of the comment shifts on its own without regard to the user's intent, it is extremely difficult to restore it to its original position. I highly doubt that the current implementation reflects the wishes of the silent majority users.

    I have been aware of this topic for quite some time and it is personally one of the top 5 topics I would like to see improved in the PDF-XChange Editor. At the same time, these are important limitations that I always mention when recommending this software to third parties. I re-read this topic for posting and was very encouraged to see that the author of the first posting was the famous Mathew, who has contributed a lot of excellent JavaScript codes that are welcomed by users. Unlike the suggestions of an ordinary person like me, Mathew's suggestions must be so important because he has used the software to the utmost limit.

    Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

    Best regards,
    rakunavi

    - PDF-XChange Editor Plus Version: 10.1.1 build 381
    - OS Version: Windows 11 Home 22H2 Build 22621.2283
    - PC Model: Lenovo IdeaPad C340-15IWL, HP All-in-One 22-c0xx
    TOP desires for PDFXCE
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=39665 LassoTool
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=38554 CmtGarbled
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=37353 FulScrMultiMon
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=41002 DisableTouchSelect
    User avatar
    TrackerSupp-Daniel
    Site Admin
    Posts: 8371
    Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:52 pm

    Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

    Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

    Hello, rakunavi

    Thank you for the very well worded post, I may be able to leverage this to some degree to try and convince the Dev team. We do consider all of our clients equal, a single voice is still only a single voice, regardless of whether it comes from a free user, a small company, an SDK license holder, or a Global license pack holder, everyone has the same say in our development process, so I cannot make any promises.

    Kind regards,
    Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
    Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
    https://www.pdf-xchange.com
    Support@pdf-xchange.com
    User avatar
    rakunavi
    User
    Posts: 858
    Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2021 5:04 am

    Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

    Post by rakunavi »

    Hello Daniel, thank you for your kind reply.

    I highly appreciate the way you collect a wide range of user requests and use them to improve your products. I don't know of any other software maker's support forum that is so user-friendly and responds to requests so sincerely. I hope that the product will continue to evolve toward what it should be as the ultimate PDF editing software. Please give my best regards to developers.

    Best regards,
    rakunavi
    TOP desires for PDFXCE
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=39665 LassoTool
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=38554 CmtGarbled
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=37353 FulScrMultiMon
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=41002 DisableTouchSelect
    User avatar
    TrackerSupp-Daniel
    Site Admin
    Posts: 8371
    Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:52 pm

    Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

    Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

    :)
    Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
    Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
    https://www.pdf-xchange.com
    Support@pdf-xchange.com
    Mathew
    User
    Posts: 188
    Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 7:30 pm

    Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

    Post by Mathew »

    Thank you @rakunavi - I agree that this is one of those frustrating issues in the software that cause me to bang my head on the desk. I posted this in the hope others would chime in in support.

    Two rather painful workarounds I've been using:
    1. I'll increase the page size to much bigger than the pasted selection needs, paste it, then reduce the page size again. Or
    2. A "workaround" that tracker software offered me many years ago was for me to install an old version (7.0.328.2) as a portable version on another drive. I use that when I really need to copy and paste between two documents. (Yes this issue was introduced sometime after that version.)
    User avatar
    rakunavi
    User
    Posts: 858
    Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2021 5:04 am

    Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

    Post by rakunavi »

    Hello Mathew, thank you for your kind reply.

    Based on your hint of Build 7.0.328.2, I have checked the versions one by one and confirmed that the behavior has been changed in Build 8.0.332.0. This means that Build 8.0.331.0 is the last version that can work with the old implementation, unless there is a bug that users want to avoid. I have listed the links for downloading below, so if anyone sees this topic in a search in the future, please refer to it.

    Build 8.0.331.0 (22 Apr 2019) - Version History

    [Users must own a valid Tracker software license with maintenance covering that specific older build, to download from this page, direct links have been removed]
    - https://www.pdf-xchange.com/versio ... nge-editor
    - https://www.pdf-xchange.com/version/pdf-tools
    - https://www.pdf-xchange.com/versio ... change-pro

    Build 7.0.328.2 (28 Jan 2019) - Version History

    [Users must own a valid Tracker software license with maintenance covering that specific older build, to download from this page, direct links have been removed]

    Of course, I immediately installed Build 8.0.331.0. I hope one day I will be able to remove this version.

    Best regards,
    rakunavi
    TOP desires for PDFXCE
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=39665 LassoTool
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=38554 CmtGarbled
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=37353 FulScrMultiMon
    forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?t=41002 DisableTouchSelect
    User avatar
    Tracker Supp-Stefan
    Site Admin
    Posts: 17765
    Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:07 am
    Location: London
    Contact:

    Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

    Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

    Hello rakunavi,

    Thanks for going through the builds and figuring out which one introduced this change.
    And I've made a ticket for our devs so that this could be changed:
    #6630: Editor 381: Preserve aspect ratio when pasting content on a target page smaller than the content.

    Kind regards,
    Stefan
    Mathew
    User
    Posts: 188
    Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 7:30 pm

    Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

    Post by Mathew »

    Thank you both! Two thoughts on this:
    1. If PDF-XChange is moving comments on paste, it should look at the selected items as a group entity and move them all relative to the center point of all of them.
    2. There's a quite hidden setting: Commenting > Paste comments into mouse position. If this is not checked, there should be no movement. (But much better than having this hidden as a preference item, if it was a separate tool one could use a different key combination for both. I guess the preference is needed for the duplicate tool, unless it is part of the dialog.)
    User avatar
    Tracker Supp-Stefan
    Site Admin
    Posts: 17765
    Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:07 am
    Location: London
    Contact:

    Re: Bug: Cannot copy and paste group of elements

    Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

    Hello Mathew,

    Thanks for your input!
    I am certain our devs will take that into consideration when working on the ticket!

    Kind regards,
    Stefan
    Post Reply