Merge scribbles with PDF

[nekokami]

Hopefully calibration will come soon...

(May I suggest a color other than red for your comments? There's some research on how people react to different colors in comments that suggests that a more neutral color, e.g. blue, may help students accept and use your comments more readily.)

[rrustema]

Hi,

I have tried to run ILiadPdfScribbleMerger v1.4 - src on my MacBook Pro in order to merge my annotations on the PDFs with work from my students, but it is a bit complicated for someone like me.

Could someone write me step by step what I should do to get new PDFs based on the PDFs with my annotations? They are in folders ending with .pdf, like the iLiad makes them.

So far I found an application called Java Web start in the Utilities folder and I have downloaded the zip. What next? Where should I place the material I want to have converted? Should I try to executed the .jar or the .java files?

I apologise for being such a clueless newbie, but I would like to learn to run this.

Thanks in advance,

[Bert]

@rrustema:

For a non-developer, it might be best to just use the "ILiadPdfScribbleMerger v1.7.5.zip" file from the first post, that file doesn't contain the java sources which are useless for a non-developer. Note that you best use the latest version (1.7.5 instead of the 1.4 you mentioned), because it contains some bugfixes and improvements.

For starters, the Java JRE has to be installed (version 1.4.2 or higher), you can find it at java.com. To run the program, it should be possible to just doubleclick the .jar file (If it also works that way on a mac - I've never used a Mac so I don't know). If that's not possible you have to run the command "java -jar <path to jar>" somehow (I don't know how to do this on a Mac though).

If you can get the program to start the rest should be pretty straightforward: Just open the directory containing the pdf (the folder ending with .pdf in your case) by clicking the browse button and locating the file, or just drag-and-drop the directory to the textbox.
Next you choose a merge option (the default 'create new' might be best for you - that option creates a new pdf and keeps the sources intact). Finally you select a destination (the actual file-path, "c:\output.pdf" for example") and click on merge ... that should do the trick.

[kusmi]

@rrustema:

Your MacBook Pro has java already installed, so there is no need to download java. The rest is like Bert wrote :-)

Basically, you download the "ILiadPdfScribbleMerger v1.7.5.zip" file from the front-page of this thread. If you are using Safari as webbrowser, the file is downloaded to your download folder (usually your Desktop). Depending on your settings of Safari, the file will either be decompressed already, or you just have the "ILiadPdfScribbleMerger v1.7.5.zip" there. If it is still a zip file, you need to decompress it by just double-clicking on it (Macs ship with standard decompression tools) and the result is a folder called "ILiadPdfScribbleMerger v1.7.5".

Inside this folder you will find "ILiadPdfScribbleMerger.jar" - just double-click it, it will launch the application.

enjoy!

[gmt]

Firstly, just a quick note to thank Bert for providing the java merger - much better than the iRex one.

Secondly, I use the Iliad for editing technical reports - and I wanted to be able to highlight regions of text, i.e. be able to draw scribbles underneath the pdf. It turns out this is very easy to do - if anyone is interested, please let me know.

Equally I have a version of ipdf which will also merge scribbles with the text rather than overdrawing - again let me know if anyone is interested.

But mainly just wanted to say 'thanks'.

[nekokami]

Can you highlight and bookmark the PDF as part of the merge? I really need some kind of bookmarking feature on the iLiad, and while I'd rather not have to copy the file out to the Mac to do it, I could do it that way if I have to.

[gmt]

Sorry, just highlight. Yes, bookmarks would be helpful. I have added a forward and backward browsing history to ipdf, though, if that helps. It is only valid for the current session at the moment.

[nekokami]

Maybe some way to search for scribbles/highlights? Their locations are noted in the accompanying XML file, right? You wouldn't be able to search for content (more's the pity), but you could at least skip ahead to the next annotation.

Actually, maybe a highlight mechanism could allow you to search for markups, if the highlighting feature worked less like a scribble and more like text selection (on text-based PDFs). Sort of "bookmarks-lite", storing the marks in the associated XML document, to avoid having to rebuild the PDF every time. Could that be built into ipdf application?

[gmt]

A search tool for 'next page with scribbles on' sounds quite possible - I'll look into it and get back to you. Got other stuff to do today though ... much too distracting hacking software ...

[gudbergur]

I just had to register to show my appreciation, loving this program and loving the open source goodness!

Thank you so much!

[rai]

I use 1.7.5 and I absolutely love this program! However, I have come across one annoying bug. I read a lot of scanned books (2 pages of book per one page of scan), and in order to read them on iLiad, I usually rotate pages before I upload them on iLiad so that I can read them in a continuous mode.

However, when I want to merge my scribbles, they are moved to the right, like in the first thumbnail.
I usually could make them merge correctly with iLiad companion, but as of this morning neither iLiad companion nor this program do the merger (the merged pdf has no scribbles - it is as if it hasn't been touched).

So, I tried creating pdf with scribbles only to see if there is something wrong with the scribbles, and what I get is in the second thumbnail.

Any advice? Or fixes?
Thanks!

[Bert]

@rai:

First: sorry for the late reply, I don't visit these forums as often as I used to do, so I didn't see your post before.

About your problem: I just spent quite some time trying to reproduce your problem, I'm unable to simulate it though. I tried with several dcument, rotated or not, continuous mode or not, zoomed or not ... all merged ok.

So, just to be clear:
- Your pdf contains double pages, on their side. So the pdf is like your first attachment (the attachment wasn't rotated), and you use iPdf in the landscape mode?
- You're reading your pdf in continous mode. How do you navigate? with the flipper bar? By 'dragging' the page? Both?
- Is the shift of the scribbles the same everywhere? Or does the shift increase/decrease further in the document?
- Do you read your document zoomed in or out on the iLiad?

If the documents aren't confidential, or you can create a dummy document, would it be possible to post an example of a problematic document with scribbles (pdf+scribble.irx)?

[rai]

- Your pdf contains double pages, on their side. So the pdf is like your first attachment (the attachment wasn't rotated), and you use iPdf in the landscape mode?
Yes, in the landscape mode.

- You're reading your pdf in continous mode. How do you navigate? with the flipper bar? By 'dragging' the page? Both?
Sometimes the flipper bar, but mostly by dragging the page (as the page is zoomed in, it sometimes goes too far if I use the flipper bar)

- Is the shift of the scribbles the same everywhere? Or does the shift increase/decrease further in the document?

As far I can see, the shifts are identical.

- Do you read your document zoomed in or out on the iLiad?
Zoomed in (larger page).

If the documents aren't confidential, or you can create a dummy document, would it be possible to post an example of a problematic document with scribbles (pdf+scribble.irx)?
Ok, I have uploaded original pdf and the merged pdf and manifest, but I can't upload scribble (it says "invalid file").

[daudi]

Originally Posted by rai

[...]Ok, I have uploaded original pdf and the merged pdf and manifest, but I can't upload scribble (it says "invalid file").

rename scribble.irx to scribble.txt and you should be able to upload it.

[rai]

Originally Posted by daudi

rename scribble.irx to scribble.txt and you should be able to upload it.

Thanks