Exclude certain files from file selection

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Thomas Kregelin
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Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Thomas Kregelin »

Dear all,

For a conversion job (Files to PDF) I want to select all supported file types but I want to exclude PDF-files. Somehow I thought this exclusion would be easy to manage but I cannot find a fitting filter option.

Background for this is that I want to create an additional PDF files for all supported files in a folder. The created PDF files need to have the same file name as the source file except the extension of course (xyz.docx -> xyz.pdf).

However, any existing PDF file shall not be handled by this conversion job. In the end I want to use this job in a Folder Monitor process.

Is there a filter option that I can use?

Regards,
Thomas
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Radi - Tracker Supp
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Radi - Tracker Supp »

Hello Thomas,

In order to be able to exclude PDF documents from the formats you would like to convert, you need to deselect All supported files in the File types filter and then select only the extensions you would like to convert.
image.png
Regards,
Radi
Thomas Kregelin
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Thomas Kregelin »

Dear Radi,

thats what I thought in the beginning. However, this selection seems only to narrow down the list of possibilities that are available in the main file selection, as the dialog mentions:
grafik.png
If I exclude PDFs from that list I don't have that choice in the main file selection, however, I still have to make a choice, which files I want to convert:
grafik(1).png
When I choose Word-Documents for instance, all else supported files are not covered. I cannot make multiple selections in the main dialog.

Am I missing something?

Regards,
Thomas
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Radi - Tracker Supp
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Radi - Tracker Supp »

Hello Thomas,

You are correct, this only modifies the drop down list and the tool works as intended.

You will need to create separate tool/monitor for each file type (group).

Alternatively, you can move the converted documents to a separate folder to avoid converting PDF documents every time you start the tool/monitor.

Regards,
Radi
Thomas Kregelin
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Thomas Kregelin »

Radi,

Creating a seperate tool/monitor for each file type (group) seems rather over the top since that are quite a few tools necessary to cover all supported files/groups.

Also I cannot create two Folder-Monitor processes for the same folder. PDF-Tool does not allow for that.

Moving the converted files ino a separate folder is unfortunately not an option since the files are needed in the same folder the source files are in.

Is there a chance to have a feature included into the Filter Files Action that enables the user to exclude certain files (a "NOT" option)?
grafik.png
Regards,
Thomas
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Radi - Tracker Supp
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Radi - Tracker Supp »

Hello Thomas,

I'll forward this request to our development team for consideration. Please note that I cannot guarantee that this will be implemented in our products.

I'll let you know as soon as I have any news on the subject.

Regards,
Radi
Thomas Kregelin
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Thomas Kregelin »

Thanks!

I bet other users will be interested, too.
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello Thomas,

Our devs did agree that it would be a good addition if you are able to use the checkboxes to create a custom file filter, and asked me to make a ticket for this:
#6366: PDF Tools: Support custom file-filters in ChooseInputFiles action

Tickets are internal only, but we have your mail and link to this topic in the ticket - so as soon as there are any news in it - I will update this topic accordingly as well!

Kind regards,
Stefan
Thomas Kregelin
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Thomas Kregelin »

Thanks a lot!
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

:)
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello Thomas and all,

Just a quick update that this ticket has been resolved, and the fix was included in build 367 released last week.

Kind regards,
Stefan
Thomas Kregelin
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Thomas Kregelin »

Dear Stefan,

Thanks for the update. I am on version 368, however, I cannot find the appropriate option.

The goal was to select all supported files but PDF-Files for converting into pdf. Do you have a hint, how to manage that after the fix?

Kind regards
Thomas
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello Thomas Kregelin,

You will need to start with selecting the file types you want your filters to show by selecting the appropriate ones in PDF Tools:
image.png
You can then start your tool - and it will at some point get to the file selection dialogue - and will show you this:
image(1).png
When you now click the "Add Files..." button - this will open a file selection dialogue with the only file types available as per your initial set up in Tools:
image(2).png
image(2).png (4.43 KiB) Viewed 4512 times


p.s. I've just looked a bit more into that - and it seems like indeed you can't still create a custom filter that will e.g. process all .BMP and .JPG files but would exclude PDFs, or one that will at least show you the MPS and JPEGs together. I have asked the devs to clarify what was the fix they applied for the ticket from higher up in this topic.



Kind regards,
Stefan
Thomas Kregelin
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Thomas Kregelin »

Dear Stefan,

Just to avoid misunderstandings:

I will not start the tool myself manually but the tool will be used in a folder monitoring job. So the configured file filter has to be able consider all supported files without PDF-files on its own for the automated process.

Kind regards,
Thomas
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello Thomas Kregelin,

Thanks - yes - automated tools will be affected by that as well. So I am waiting for further feedback from our devs - as when they reported that the ticket is fixed - I just did the earlier post, but didn't test the feature at the time myself.

Kind regards,
Stefan
Thomas Kregelin
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Thomas Kregelin »

Dear Stefan,

I am now on Version 10.0.0 Build 370.

Now I find the compound filter option and it works great with manually using the tools.

However, the folder monitoring does not work with the compound filters. Somehow the folder monitor does not recognize the docx-file in this filter setting, while manually starting the tool lets me choose the docx-file with this setting:
grafik.png
Do you have any suggestions what to do? Is there maybe some hickup in the code that prevents folder monitoring from using compound filters?

Kind regards,
Thomas
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

Hello, Thomas Kregelin

Could I ask you to export your custom tool and send it to us here, so we can test with it on this end? It would also help to have screenshots of the folder monitor settings, you have selected, so I can check if anything is conflicting there.
If the tool contains any sensitive information, you can email it to us via support@pdf-xchange.com, with a link to this post.

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

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Paul - Tracker Supp
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Re: Exclude certain files from file selection

Post by Paul - Tracker Supp »

Hi,

Bug confirmed. I am afraid this will not work in the Folder Monitors until the bug fix is released in the next build currently slated for the week of August 21~26.

Kind regards,
Paul - Tracker Supp
Best regards

Paul O'Rorke
Tracker Support North America
http://www.tracker-software.com
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