How to select ALL elements (including background/highlighted text) and drag them?

[clsven]

Assume I loaded a pdf into PDF-Xchange Editor.

Now I want to move a certain area on a webpage to a new position on the same webpage.
This area contains highlighted text as well as (other, small) background images

I switch at first to "Edit" mode.

Then I drag a rectangle which visually contains all elements I want to move later.

Unfortunately when I drag this area afterwards then highlight text strips and (other) background images are NOT moved.

Why?

How can I really move EVERYTHING which is inside the selected rectangle?

Thank you
Claudia Svensson

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello Claudia,

Base content (the text itself) and annotations (the highlight) are two distinct types of objects inside the PDF file and per the PDF specification. We do not have tools that can select and move those two types of objects together.
However you can e.g. select all of your text content - and then use the "Selection -> Transform Selection" menu - so that you can move this with an exact numerical value both on the x and y axes, and you can then select your highlights and move them with the exact same offset - so that in the end they will still overlap the text as they should.

Kind regards,
Stefan

[clsven]

Ok, thank you for the answer although it is disappointing.

So what about adding a new feature into the next release "select base content AND annotations".
Maybe these are different layers from the PDF specification point of view.

But no one prevents you from inventing a new virtual grouped/merged layer which consists of the two pdf built-in layers "Base content" and "annotations". That would be (another) key feature showing that XChange Editor is better than its crude competitors?

[Paul - Tracker Supp]

HI clsven,

it certainly bears thinking about. Editing PDFs is not trivial, the format was never designed to be manipulated the way users demand of it, the challenges here are huge.

We are always thinking about how to make this editing experience better and your input here is valued. We will do what we can in this area, no promises as to what will eventuate though.

[clsven]

ignore

[Paul - Tracker Supp]

He he - well it's valid input, I'm not sure we should ignore it completely!

It is a very desirable thing, integrating and simplifying the Editing process. From the get go the way editing PDFs works has been a challenge and we are doing what we can.

But no one prevents you from inventing a new virtual grouped/merged layer which consists of the two pdf built-in layers "Base content" and "annotations". That would be (another) key feature showing that XChange Editor is better than its crude competitors?

I do not want you to think that what you posted is not of value. It is and who knows what it could trigger...

Thanks for being an active part of this community.

[David.P]

Hello all,

What I usually do in this case, I first move the base content, but using the keyboard (e.g. by pressing SHIFT+arrow keys which I believe is the standard keystroke for "Super Nudge"), counting the keystrokes until I reach the move destination:


Then I select all comments, and move them by the same number of keystrokes.

This works very well, except for text highlights. These cannot be moved for some reason, but must be created anew at the new location.

Hth & Best regards
David

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hello, David.P

Glad to hear you have a functional solution for most cases.

Highlights (and most text annotations for that matter) are a bit of a special situation, it was (and still is) an active decision, not only by us, but by the PDF community as a whole, not to select and move text annotation comments. This is because highlights, strikeout, "replace" etc comments are designed to overlap with a specific passage of text, which can cause just as many, if not far more issues when scrolling through a document if they are accidentally mis-placed.

Generally PDF comments are designed to be placed on a document either after critical editing (such as moving base content text) is done, or only temporarily to indicate an edit to be made, and then removed. As such, I am afraid that it is highly unlikely we will see a change in the handling for these comments types anytime soon.

Kind regards,

[David.P]

Hello Daniel,

Highlights (and most text annotations for that matter) are a bit of a special situation, it was (and still is) an active decision, not only by us, but by the PDF community as a whole, not to select and move text annotation comments. This is because highlights, strikeout, "replace" etc comments are designed to overlap with a specific passage of text, which can cause just as many, if not far more issues when scrolling through a document if they are accidentally mis-placed.

This explanation for the non-movability of directly text-related comments like highlights, strikeout etc. being a feature instead of a bug makes a lot of sense.

Also, it is possible to flatten such comment elements, then they can be moved together with the text.

Thanks & Best regards
David

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]