Outrageous bug on Air 2: notes DO NOT export to PDF

[LivresInOz]

I'm pretty disgusted this has not been fixed (including the latest firmware).

Demo:
https://youtu.be/enJyBf-GrSc

It's absolutely basic to the use of the device, since notes are one of the major reasons people are buying it (and it is MOSTLY good at that, with a nice writing feel).

The big problem for me here is that I don't trust Boox not to spy on my notes (esp business ideas I need to note about) so I don't WANT to have those notes uploaded to their server.

So I NEED to export to PDF and I can't because of this bug.

WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN NOTICED and FIXED?

This is one of a HEAP of shortcomings of the Boox that I will summarise in a coming post.

It has many great things, but some real shockers in the current software too.

[fbrzvnrnd]

Originally Posted by zenji

I'm pretty disgusted this has not been fixed (including the latest firmware)

It's absolutely basic to the use of the device, since notes are one of the major reasons people are buying it (and it is MOSTLY good at that, with a nice writing feel).

The big problem for me here is that I don't trust Boox not to spy on my notes (esp business ideas I need to note about) so I don't WANT to have those notes uploaded to their server.

So I NEED to export to PDF and I can't because of this bug.

WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN NOTICED and FIXED?

This is one of a HEAP of shortcomings of the Boox that I will summarise in a coming post.

It has many great things, but some real shockers in the current software too.

Uh? I can choose to export to png or pdf every single note. Where is the problem?

[LivresInOz]

Demo on Air 2:

https://youtu.be/enJyBf-GrSc

[LivresInOz]

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

Uh? I can choose to export to png or pdf every single note. Where is the problem?

Do you have an Air 2 with latest firmware?

Is there something special you have to do to start it exporting to PDF?

Check out the above video.

It does single page to PNG okay but not PDF.

I note it did export the TEMPLATE BACKGROUND of one PDF but I've tried about 10 times on different docs and it fails every time.

[zeng]

We received your feedback, could you please submit with send log option checked. so we can check the details. It could be something special in your note which cause the export issue.

[fbrzvnrnd]

Originally Posted by LivresInOz

Do you have an Air 2 with latest firmware?

Is there something special you have to do to start it exporting to PDF?

Check out the above video.

It does single page to PNG okay but not PDF.

I note it did export the TEMPLATE BACKGROUND of one PDF but I've tried about 10 times on different docs and it fails every time.

I have the Note3 with the second-last firmware (some ours ago Onyx send me an alert about the last one I still have not installed). When I click on export, I can choose if export one page in PNG or all the pages in PDF. Is this changed in last firmware?

[Markismus]

Interesting. I was able to export all my notes to PDF before upgrading my Notepro from Android 6 to 9.

Could it be related to layers? If you export without selecting a layer, you export nothing? IIRC, there was something about that. Could even be that all layers are exported, but the relevant aren't shown in NeoReader. Did you open the generated file on a PC with for example Gimp to look at the different layers?

[fbrzvnrnd]

i just tried (Note3, firmware 2021-03-31_17-52_3.1_0631e26) and I can export all the pages of a note in pdf.

[LivresInOz]

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

I have the Note3 with the second-last firmware (some ours ago Onyx send me an alert about the last one I still have not installed). When I click on export, I can choose if export one page in PNG or all the pages in PDF. Is this changed in last firmware?

You can export two ways:
- within a note
- outside of the note in the 'explorer'

At least one of these provides both those options.
The other only provides PDF.
I can't remember which tho!

[LivresInOz]

Originally Posted by Markismus

Could it be related to layers? If you export without selecting a layer, you export nothing?...Could even be that all layers are exported, but the relevant aren't shown in NeoReader.

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

I have the Note3 with the second-last firmware (some ours ago Onyx send me an alert about the last one I still have not installed). When I click on export, I can choose if export one page in PNG or all the pages in PDF. Is this changed in last firmware?

In my Air 2 with latest firmware, you can export two ways:
- within a note: pdf or png, with choice of all layers or visible layers (I tried both)
- outside of the note in the 'explorer': PDF only

Only PNG works for me

[LivresInOz]

Originally Posted by Markismus

Did you open the generated file on a PC with for example Gimp to look at the different layers?

Good advice.

1) I just exported those notes to PC and indeed they are complete.

2) HOWEVER on the device NeoReader opens a blank page.
a) This includes if you move the pdf to a different folder

3) Funnily enough other readers on the device such as Xodo and EZPdf DO show it properly

[Jötunn]

I don't have that bug (build 3.2_0ae74d7d5d, note air 2). The converted pdfs open and perform flawless with neoreader.

Also I haven't experienced any problem exporting notes via pdf to my desktop but I have severe performance issues with the pdfs with Foxit. I can not even scroll because the lag is so extreme. Seems to be a Foxit problem. Open onyx note pdfs via firefox or edge works fine. The notes don't have any layers nor are the pdfs large (yet). I probably have to look for an alternative pdf reader on my Win10 desktop (it's a midrange gaming rig, so it is certainly not a hardware issue).

All in all I've experienced some weird not reproducible behaviour with the notes app on note air 2 like severe lag while note taking, some parts of the screen not reacting to pen input and weird screen flickering. Those problems appear very rarely and disapear when I reload the note.

The current state of software and firmware with 3.2 certainly needs further stability work...

[LivresInOz]

UPDATE: SOLVED!
It turns out it was just an odd choice of 'default settings': you have to 'import embedded data' to actually see your notes!

The reason that the note I had just exported as a PDF did not actually show the scribbles I had just done, is that by default, NeoReader was set up not to show such inking.

You have to select "import embedded data".

Perhaps better, go to settings and select "Automatically import embedded data" so it does it for all future PDFs.

If someone has this problem in the future:
1. Tap the middle of the pdf
2. Go to the menu top right (with the three lines)
3. Select one of those two options

Perhaps one reason they did this, is suggested by the warning dialogue box that comes up when you DO choose to import the 'embedded data', saying that it could take a long time.

So maybe doing it automatically slows down opening (though surely not by much?)

This choice by Onyx certainly creates some confusion at first: I'm a reasonably experienced user and I wouldn't immediately consider the need to 'import' the data of a note I just created.

Onyx, this can easily be fixed!
When you export a note to a PDF, a dialogue box comes up anyway.
(The first time it does) Boox could simply add "To see your notes, be sure to 'import embedded data' via the menu at top-right" or something.

On a positive note, I do like the fact that they have incorporated the ability to jump to the new note with just a tap.

(PS Don't get me wrong - there are alot of brilliant things about Boox. I remain a fan (potential privacy concerns aside!). But there are some things that are crazy-making too! Now that I know the fix though, this is not one of them)