How to highlight words/sentences in PDF files?

KarlVoit · 07-19-2019, 10:13 AM

Hi,
I just got my new Boox Max2 Pro and updated to the latest firmware + SW versions.
Neo Reader shows v3.0 and I do think this is the app used for PDF files.
However, I could not figure out how to mark and highlight words or sentences within a PDF file. This is actually my main use-case: reading and highlighting text in PDF whitepapers.

I found out that this is possible within epub files but this is nothing I need (so far).

Therefore: can somebody give me advice how I may read + highlight text in PDF files with this neat device?

Randy11 · 07-19-2019, 10:44 AM

Hello,

A long press on a word activate the highlight mode, with the stylus or the finger. After, select all the text that you need.

KarlVoit · 07-19-2019, 10:56 AM

Hello Randy11,

Thanks for your reply.

I found out that with a long-press of a finger, I'm able to invoke the highlighting dialog. (Although it is annoying to wait for so long.)

However, using the stylus, I can only draw - even when long pressing somewhere for a while: take the tip of the stylus, place it on top of a written word, wait without moving.

I checked on my normal computer: the PDF document does feature a word layer and does not only consist of an image layer.

It is awkward to ask but is there something I could do wrong with long-pressing via stylus?

KarlVoit · 07-19-2019, 11:06 AM

AND: I'd love to have highlighting in this manner: https://youtu.be/SSv0g-pYMAk?t=539 - is this still possible with the most current version?

nozonyan · 07-20-2019, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarlVoit

AND: I'd love to have highlighting in this manner: https://youtu.be/SSv0g-pYMAk?t=539 - is this still possible with the most current version?

just disabled the scribble mode. Once you open a book tap in the middle and look among the icons which will appear on the top bar. One of them disables scribble mode. After that you can use the pen as if it were a finger. Problem is you won't be able to write. So, if you switch often between highlighting and writing it's quite a pain in the ass. I don't write, ever, so I just keep the scribble option permanently off.

KarlVoit · 07-20-2019, 02:20 PM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by nozonyan

just disabled the scribble mode. Once you open a book tap in the middle and look among the icons which will appear on the top bar. One of them disables scribble mode. After that you can use the pen as if it were a finger.

Sorry, I can't locate the icon to disable scribble mode: see images as attachments

The leftmost icon in the top right corner of "menu app" (left of the dictionary icon) did look like disabling scribble mode. However, it disables the pen altogether, not only scribbling.

Do you have an older SW version?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nozonyan

Problem is you won't be able to write. So, if you switch often between highlighting and writing it's quite a pain in the ass. I don't write, ever, so I just keep the scribble option permanently off.

Since I do highlighting all the time and very rarely scribble, this would be almost no issue to me.

nozonyan · 07-20-2019, 07:33 PM

yes, that's the icon. Once you click it you should get a message "pen disabled" but it shouldn't actually disable any interaction with the pen, just the writing functionality. That's how it is on mine. Latest FW version.

KarlVoit · 07-21-2019, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nozonyan

Once you click it you should get a message "pen disabled" but it shouldn't actually disable any interaction with the pen, just the writing functionality.

I played around a while to find out that this is also working on my device. However, I must not touch the display with the palm of my hand while trying to mark words: put down only the stylus tip, wait for two seconds and then I may start to mark words.

Not the UX I was expecting but with your help I could make it run.

More and more I tend to think that I'd like to read a full manual. So far, I could not find any. Do you - by any chance - do have an idea about a manual?

I have tons of questions like "what does the save button do? whenever I close a PDF without saving, annotations are still there after re-opening. There is export for writing to a new PDF file but what about the save button?" and similar ones about the icons all over the place. And it's tedious for me and for nice forum people like you to answer these things one by one ...

nozonyan · 07-21-2019, 10:46 AM

The only manual I know of is the one included as a PDF in your device. You can also download it from here https://www.boox.com/downloads/ but it is very basic indeed.

KarlVoit · 07-21-2019, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nozonyan

The only manual I know of is the one included as a PDF in your device. You can also download it from here https://www.boox.com/downloads/ but it is very basic indeed.

Well, I could not locate the manual on my device. So thanks for the URL - it answered some of my questions already.

xxtraloud · 11-30-2020, 08:24 AM

In the manual it says that you can draw a box and the content of the box will be highlighted but I can't make it work.

Has anybody been able to do it?

07-19-2019, 10:13 AM	#1
KarlVoit Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Onyx Boox Max2	How to highlight words/sentences in PDF files? Hi, I just got my new Boox Max2 Pro and updated to the latest firmware + SW versions. Neo Reader shows v3.0 and I do think this is the app used for PDF files. However, I could not figure out how to mark and highlight words or sentences within a PDF file. This is actually my main use-case: reading and highlighting text in PDF whitepapers. I found out that this is possible within epub files but this is nothing I need (so far). Therefore: can somebody give me advice how I may read + highlight text in PDF files with this neat device?

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07-19-2019, 10:44 AM	#2
Randy11 Wizard Posts: 1,138 Karma: 1577094 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Samsung EB60, Onyx M92, Onyx Max2	Hello, A long press on a word activate the highlight mode, with the stylus or the finger. After, select all the text that you need.

07-19-2019, 10:56 AM	#3
KarlVoit Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Onyx Boox Max2	Hello Randy11, Thanks for your reply. I found out that with a long-press of a finger, I'm able to invoke the highlighting dialog. (Although it is annoying to wait for so long.) However, using the stylus, I can only draw - even when long pressing somewhere for a while: take the tip of the stylus, place it on top of a written word, wait without moving. I checked on my normal computer: the PDF document does feature a word layer and does not only consist of an image layer. It is awkward to ask but is there something I could do wrong with long-pressing via stylus?

07-19-2019, 11:06 AM	#4
KarlVoit Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Onyx Boox Max2	AND: I'd love to have highlighting in this manner: https://youtu.be/SSv0g-pYMAk?t=539 - is this still possible with the most current version?

07-20-2019, 07:33 PM	#7
nozonyan Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2016 Device: none	yes, that's the icon. Once you click it you should get a message "pen disabled" but it shouldn't actually disable any interaction with the pen, just the writing functionality. That's how it is on mine. Latest FW version.

07-21-2019, 10:46 AM	#9
nozonyan Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2016 Device: none	The only manual I know of is the one included as a PDF in your device. You can also download it from here https://www.boox.com/downloads/ but it is very basic indeed.

11-30-2020, 08:24 AM	#11
xxtraloud Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: DX	In the manual it says that you can draw a box and the content of the box will be highlighted but I can't make it work. Has anybody been able to do it?