A Suggested Mode for Tablet Users

[lester1027]

Dear All,

I have noticed that when I use the stylus or fingers to read and annotate the pdf documents with xchange editor, I have to often change back and forth between the 'select text' tool and 'hand' tool. Then I realize I do not have this problem while using smartphones to read passages. Is it possible for xchange editor to add a tablet mode such that when the stylus hovers above the words the 'select text' tool is shown and when it hovers above the blank space the 'hand' tool is shown?

Thank you.

Regards,
Lester

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello lester1027,

Thanks for your post and suggestion.
I will pass it to our UI developers for consideration!

Regards,
Stefan

[Vasyl-Tracker Dev Team]

Hi Lester.

Thank you for suggestions.

when the stylus hovers above the words the 'select text' tool is shown

- I believe it can be implemented for most cases, as special option.

when it hovers above the blank space the 'hand' tool is shown

- there will be a conflict in case, when you have activated any commenting-tool. For example, with the activated Rectangle tool, you will be not able to start creation of new Rectangle-comment on the blank space of page because the Hand tool will capture all mouse/stylus/finger events in that space..

Best Regards,
Vasyl.

[lester1027]

Then the "hand+select text tool" can be deployed as an extra tool such that it is a standalone tool different from "hand tool" or "select text tool" or other annotation tools. Thank you.

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

I am sure Vasyl has a good plan for this, but I will be sure he sees your suggestion.

Have a great day!

[Vasyl-Tracker Dev Team]

Hi Lester.

The option for "hand+select text tool" will be added in the next upcoming release. Thanks for the suggestion.

Cheers,
Vasyl.

[lester1027]

Thank you very much for your prompt reply and valuing users' suggestions.

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

[RLM]

Currently, you really need a mouse and keyboard to use PDF-XChange as a reading device.

For tablet mode, ideally we should be able to scroll and select text without changing the active mode (e.g., highlight, underline, select text, hand tool etc). The default mode is scrolling, but a long press over text activates text selection mode, with an option to move the selection handles. When the finger or stylus is removed from the selected text, a floating toolbar appears and allows the user to select an action (e.g., highlight (several styles), underline (several styles) copy, delete, define, etc.).

Thanks.

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Thanks for the suggestion RLM,

I will make sure Vasyl has seen this and takes it into consideration!

Regards,
Stefan

[RLM]

One more thing - the stylus on my surface pro always uses pen mode. It's not possible to set it to any other mode, such as highlight. That makes it useless for me.

Also, highlights from other PDF programs are not handled the same way in PDF-XChange. They can't be edited at all.

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hello RLM,

You should be able to change the tool in use for your stylus, by selecting a new tool with the stylus itself. Is this not working for you?

Regarding highlights, might I ask what editing you refer to? when you select an existing comment, we offer numerous formatting options to be edited, the only thing you cannot do is physically move the highlight, which to my knowledge most of our competitors do not allow either. Could you clarify what about highlights you are unable to edit in our software, that you can in another (and which software that is)?

Kind regards,

[RLM]

Thanks again for your response. Regarding the stylus mode stuck on the pencil tool, I found that turning off "switch to pencil tool with digitizer" in "Comment Options" fixed that problem.

Regarding highlights - this is not really a PDF-XChange issue per se, but other PDF editing tools (e.g., Foxit, Mendeley Desktop (a reference manager with a PDF editor inside), and Drawboard PDF) handle highlights using a different approach, so that their highlights are not editable in PDF-XChange, and vice versa. The highlights form other tools look different as well - with Foxit, it seems to change the actual text color, rather than use a true highlight like PDF-XChange - but I'm not sure about this. Foxit highlights even caused PDF-XChange to complain about errors in the file. If I stick with PDF-XChange, there is no issue. So, if you can get a really good tablet/stylus experience implemented, I won't need any other PDF tools.

Thanks again for your quick responses and advice.

[Vasyl-Tracker Dev Team]

Hi RLM.

For tablet mode, ideally we should be able to scroll and select text without changing the active mode (e.g., highlight, underline, select text, hand tool etc). The default mode is scrolling, but a long press over text activates text selection mode, with an option to move the selection handles. When the finger or stylus is removed from the selected text, a floating toolbar appears and allows the user to select an action (e.g., highlight (several styles), underline (several styles) copy, delete, define, etc.).

In the new upcoming build we added new option for the Hand tool that sounds 'Select Text/Images'. By default this option will be turned off. You will be able to enable it on Format tab in Ribbon or on Properties toolbar in Classic (also available in Properties pane). For sure - this property is especially for the Hand tool, so please be sure that this tool is active before. When this option is turned on:

- On the desktop: you may scroll pages by mouseDown->mouseMove->mouseUp process, as usual. But if you pause the mouse over the text or an image just for 1/3 sec, then a new mode is activated to select text/images (cursor is changed) and now you will be able to select text by mouseDown->mouseMove->mouseUp or select image by simple leftClick/rightClick. The dblClick, triClick, fourClick works for the text as well too. To cancel the select-mode you need a simple click outside of the text/pictures. Also, any fast mouseMove-gesture immediately cancels the select-mode and switches back to the normal Hand's logic.

- On the touch-screen: the touchDown->move->touchUp - it scrolls pages, as usual. To start select text you need just simply tap any text and it will activate the text selection mode. Or you may simple tap on any image to select this image immediately. To cancel the select-mode you need to tap outside of text/images. For sure, the touchDown_outside_text_and_images->move->touchUp - it cancels the select-mode AND also scrolls the pages, to get the natural behavior. Also, for case when page has no regions without images or text, to have ability to cancel the select-mode - any touchDown_on_image->move->touchUp gesture immediately cancels the select-mode, switches to the Hand tool and scrolls the pages. Or you may tap outside of page as well.

- On the touch-screen with the stylus/digitizer: the behavior is the same like with the mouse on the desktop.

Please try this new feature in the new build and let me know if something is wrong for you with it.

The special floating toolbar we will add soon, in the future builds..

Cheers.

[RLM]

This sounds excellent - can't wait to try it!

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

[RLM]

This is a great start for a tablet mode!

I suggest for trial use: changing back to hand mode when the stylus is 1) pressed on the glass for @ 1/2 second, 2) not moving, and 3) no text is selected. I also suggest that the speed required to switch back to hand mode is maybe a bit slower. I find myself selecting text when I really want to move the page, although I can cheat by rapidly moving the stylus up and down to engage hand mode. Currently, I sometimes have to swipe very fast to switch to hand mode. However, if text is already selected, I think I should probably have to tap the screen (i.e., to deselect the text/image) before hand mode can resume. I would also like to see the page scroll a little faster with the stylus, and perhaps all these settings could be configurable.

Also, it would be great if double clicking a word would always start selection mode and also would select the word. Having "selection handles" to help resize the selected text would be great too.

Here's something that would help me in tablet markup mode (e.g., highlight, underline, etc): If my stylus did the markup, but my finger moved the page.

Thanks!

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello RLM,

Many thanks for your comments on the new fature!
I will ask my colleagues who worked on it to take a look and make sure that those are considered for future improvements!

Season's greetings,
Stefan

[Vasyl-Tracker Dev Team]

Hi RLM.

changing back to hand mode when the stylus is 1) pressed on the glass for @ 1/2 second, 2) not moving, and 3) no text is selected

Good idea I think. Will try to add it in the future builds.

I also suggest that the speed required to switch back to hand mode is maybe a bit slower.

You are right probably. But we need to investigate it accurately. Also would be better to make this parameter customizable by user.

I would also like to see the page scroll a little faster with the stylus, and perhaps all these settings could be configurable.

If I understand you correctly, do you want to scroll pages on the distance that exceeds the exact distance you move the pointer?
If yes - that will be unusual behavior for many users I guess. So, it may be added as an additional option, but I'm unsure at the moment.

Also, it would be great if double clicking a word would always start selection mode and also would select the word.

It works already in 335 build for the mouse or for the finger but problem is that with the stylus is too hard to tap twice exactly on the same point on the screen. We will try to fix this issue for sure.

Having "selection handles" to help resize the selected text would be great too.

Yes, we planning to add it in the upcoming builds.

Cheers.