Fixed Position, Scrollable Comment Box SOLVED

[shade-cabin-hammock]

Hi,

Working with some documents that have mathematical formulas of a theoritical nature.

I've remade several pages to have huuuuuuuuge margins, so I can add extensive text commenting.

Thing is, it's a constant battle with font size. As more data comes in I'm continually have to

Reselect the text box.
Add more comments.
Select all.
Shrink all.
Add more comments.

All in an effort to keep the comments either next to the formula in question or from spilling off the page.

Is there any commenting tool that would just be an always-visible / on the page SCROLLING comment box? Such that I could anchor it in one spot, and then just keep typing into it, AND it's on the page?

Sort of a rectangle that shows 4 lines, and you could type in as much as you want?

I know double clicking highlights has that telescoping beam of color, and then something very similar: a rectangle with the copied text of the highlight. You can type endlessly into it and it scrolls.

It's less than right for my purposes as it would make the pages a bit too busy.

Since I've got those wide margins, would be a bit smoother if there was just a scrolling text box I could SET next to a diagram.

Anything like that among our commenting set, or otherwise?

I know the comments. PANE works in a very similar fashion. But, due to the somewhat brain-bending nature of this work, it'd just be easier if the comments were smack dab next to the equation / diagram in question. Also, the scrolling of the comments - don't get me wrong, LOVE the Comments pane! - but for this use case, fixed on the page right next to what it's about would be exactly right for me.

Sincerely,

SCH

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Maybe you should try the "Sticky Note" comment.

You can put a Sticky Note wherever you like. A double-click on the Sticky Note opens its textbox, a textbox that you can make as small or large as you like, and move wherever you like it to be. A vertical scroll-bar is automatically there when needed.
You can close the textbox by its little cross in the upper right corner. Double-click on the Sticky Note icon to re-open it.

More info about the Sticky Note tool in the on-line manual:
https://help.pdf-xchange.com/pdfxe9/sticky-note-tool_ed.html

Regards.

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello,

I think that popup comments is a creative solution, but they do have the issue that they always try to be visible, even when you are zoomed in on a specific area, if you have dozens of them constantly open you will find your screen extra cluttered.

AS such, the best option here may not be comments at all, but "form fields". If you create a text box form field, with a static font size, and enable both "multi-line" and "Scrolling"

image.png

Than you can achieve this effect, where the beginning is visible as needed, and you can select the field to edit or scroll and view the remainder (click the Gif below to make it play):

PDFXEdit_N0XwowsQda.gif

You can learn how to place and configure form fields here: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... -PDF-forms

Kind regards,

[shade-cabin-hammock]

Hi Willy & Daniel,

Willy, thank you for taking the time to suggest the sticky note. It's one I haven't used before. Do you use it at all?

Daniel, I think that the text box form field is sort of a PERFECT fit for what I'm wrangling with here. I suppose it should NOT surprise that the opppptions! WOW! I tried to find bucket seats and whale tail. I'm sure they're in there SOMEWHERE! D

AND! I can see in advanced search Form Fields are possible - so that's GREAT!

Please a couple of questions - any way to suppress the wee green bar that advises

"This page has forms."

I saw I could collapse it. Any way to turn it off from showing?

Once I get a "Form" form - such that it'll be my go-to design, is there any way to define a "Default" form field style? Or should I just go grab a previously "optioned" one and cut and paste it? Or, is there some OTHER better way?

Thanks for taking the time to mull my question over and applying a novel solution. Among the many advantages of PDF-X, none is quite as admirable as your team's sense of seeking to apply the tools to each obstacle in a consistently creative manner. Done with enthusiasm and brio. Thank you, Daniel!

Sincerely,

SCH

[Willy Van Nuffel]

@SCH Thanks for your answer.

I do not often use Sticky Notes myself, but it all depends of what you need and what you prefer.

While using forms, you can:
1) Turn off the green bar with Form-information via File > Preferences > Document Info Bar > Form (un-check)
2) Set the properties from a specific Form-Text-box as default, by first going into the Form-ribbon, click Select Fields, click the preferred text box, right-mouse-click and "Make Current Properties Default".

Kind regards.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

[shade-cabin-hammock]

Hi Willy,

BOOM!

Bless you, mate! We need to borrow the X from PDF X-Change editor and put in your name, too - for EXtra deep know-how! THANKS, Bro!

Stefan! Man - with users as knowledgeable as Willy you guys may be able to finally get a few minutes down time from fielding all the questions!

Thanks, lads.

Sincerely,

SCH

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello shade-cabin-hammock,

Shhh - don't let everyone know our strategy
And we are secretly 'prepping' you to join Willy soon

On a serious note - happy that we can help and really appreciate Willy's input as well!

Kind regards,
Stefan

[Willy Van Nuffel]

[shade-cabin-hammock]

!

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

[shade-cabin-hammock]

Gggggggrrrrreeetings, fellows!

Ah! The dreaded fly in the ointment...

Comments on the text.

I need to be able to add highlights and commenting. ...

I'm thinking that...this may blow up my ability to use form fields. Am i right?

Is there any way to add highlighting / commenting to the contents of the Form Fields, specifically the Text Box?

Short of that...any other scrolling item you all can see?

Fingers crossed!

Sincerely,

SCH

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello shade-cabin-hammock,

You can't really "highlight" the text inside a form field - but you can change the colour, add underline, use different fonts in the same field:

image.png

When creating it make sure that "Allow Rich Text" is turned on:

image(1).png

Kind regards,
Stefan

[shade-cabin-hammock]

Hi Stefan,

Ah! Yep, yep! Got it.

Thanks again. The weekend's here at LAST! Can you BELIEVE it?

Sincerely,

SCH

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

[shade-cabin-hammock]

GGGGGGreeeeetings, Dr. S!

Please forgive me for re-opening this question to add a follow up relative to...

Floating?

Is there any way I could get the text box Form Field to...float? So that, the box would just hover in one place and I could write in it as I page through the text?

Sincerely,

SCH

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello shade-cabin-hammock,

No - the form field is part of a document's page - it can not "float" above the page. The only 'floating' objects are the pop-ups for comments. So that takes you back to the "sticky notes".

Panes can be undocked from the Editor's main window and be truly floating, but those are components of the Editor UI and not part of the PDF file, and you are trying to have both a note taking tool and store it inside the PDF.

Kind regards,
Stefan

[shade-cabin-hammock]

Hi Stefan,

Ah! Yep, yep. Got it.

THANKS! ))))

Sincerely,

SCH

[Willy Van Nuffel]

I do not know if it helps, but when you go into the Forms-ribbon and click "Select Fields", you can then still drag the Form Text Box to any place you like on the page.

Kind regards.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello Willy Van Nuffel,

Thanks - that works indeed - but my understanding is that SCH wants to have a floating box where they can add notes - but that box should be pretty much static on the screen (and stay there even when you navigate to other pages).
So my thought is of e.g. a notepad window floating at the desired location that can be Alt + Tabbed to/from, add new notes to it, and then and the end of the work session just transfer all those notes to one fixed place in the PDF file if those notes need to stay inside the file.

Kind regards,
Stefan