Is there an intuitive way to edit a behind text comment when there are multiple overlapping text comments?

[rakunavi]

Hello all,

In PDF-XChange Editor, if a text comment with a small box exists behind a text comment with a large box, you need to devise an operation in order to edit the small box text behind in the Z-order. If the Z-order is not changed, the operation should normally be as follows.

1. Select the comment containing the text comment you want to edit using the Select Comments Tool.
2. Deselect all text comments except the one you want to edit by using Ctrl+Click.
3. Click to enter the text comment editing mode.

Since Build 384, you can directly edit the desired text comment in the comment pane. However, if the PDF file contains a large number of comments, there is a time lag between opening the comment pane and displaying the desired comment and being able to edit it.

In the validation shown below, two text boxes are placed on top of each other. The text box "25 YEARS" is placed most behind in the Z-order and has a smaller box size than the other. I would like to try to change it to "27 YEARS", but would like to know if the method shown here is the best for the current PDF-XChange Editor.

• PDFXCE.gif

• SampleFiles.zip

In Drawboard PDF, however, as long as the Text comment tool is selected, you can select the comment you want to edit without worrying about the Z-order of the text comment.

• DrawboardPDF.gif

As is true of the Lasso Select tool, we users do not want to worry about how it operates when we are performing an operation. The more intuitive the operation is, the more we appreciate it because it does not interfere with our thinking. In this sense, there still seems to be room for improvement in the way the text comment behind in the Z-order is edited.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message

Best regards,
rakunavi

- PDF-XChange Editor Plus Version: 10.2.1 build 385
- Drawboard PDF Version: 5.39.17.0
- OS Version: Windows 11 Home 23H2 Build 22631.3155
- PC Model: Lenovo IdeaPad C340-15IWL, HP All-in-One 22-c0xx

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, rakunavi

At the moment, This would be happening because the larger box is overtop of the smaller box. You can rectify it by simply selecting the smaller box, right clicking, and choosing "arrange > move to front":

image.png

I will speak with the Dev team to see what other improvements we can make here, but I cannot promise more than this.

Kind regards,

[rakunavi]

Hello Daniel, thank you for your prompt reply.

I am glad to confirm that my understanding of the current situation is correct.
I hope there will be improvements in this area in the future.
Please give my best regards to the developers.

Best regards,
rakunavi

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, rakunavi

ill just leave this here for you
#6795: FR: Allow intuitive selection of comment object which are not in the foreground.

Kind regards,

[PHK]

The use of Layers might help in this sort of situation.

By putting different sets of Comments on discrete Layers, the User can hide/reveal the respective layer comments for editing.

[rakunavi]

Hello PHK, thank you for your comment.

I too think the workaround you mentioned of using layers is a particularly useful technique when editing text comment behind link. I often set links on a separate layer. For this as well, since Drawboard PDF allows editing text comment under link without complications, it would be great if PDF-XChange Editor could do the same.

Best regards,
rakunavi

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, rakunavi

Drawboard PDF allows editing text under links without complications, it would be great if PDF-XChange Editor could do the same

We do already offer this, simply use the "edit text" tool, and you are good to go, this bypasses link objects to edit the base content text below it. For links that are inside of a comment popup, you need to use a modifier by default to click the link, so regular editing is already possible. The only remaining point of trouble here is selecting comment items which are overlapped by a link object.

Kind regards,

[rakunavi]

Hello Daniel, thank you for comment.

Of course, I am talking about the link that overlaps the comments. I routinely review my posts and continue to refine them for better wording after posting to the forum, but this time I was not able to do so in time by a margin of 7 seconds.

I apologize for the confusing wording.

Best regards,
rakunavi

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, rakunavi

No worries, I am glad that I was able to answer fast enough to catch you off guard at least
In that respect however, I cannot promise much. Link objects generally should overlap comments in a PDF, and they are not something considered "transparent" since they contain an action. So this would fall into a hard to handle area, say for example, someone wants to make a spot into a clickable link, then later someone comes along and highlights that text to help draw attention to it. Now, anyone who tries to click that link, is selecting the comment.
If you need a link Inside of a text based comment, we allow that, simply right click while editing the text in a comment, and choose the hyperlink option. Otherwise, the "link tool" is intended to be used in conjunction with base content items.

Kind regards,

[David.P]

Hello all,

When doing the same as described in rakunavi's original post above, but with base content, it is possible to select elements that are behind other elements in Z-order by alt-clicking on them.

It would be great if this behavior could be introduced for comment objects as well.

Best regards,
David

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, David.P

That's what this ticket is here for

ill just leave this here for you
#6795: FR: Allow intuitive selection of comment object which are not in the foreground.

Kind regards,