FR: Improve "Highlight Destination" behavior during rapid continuous navigation (Global dimming overlap issue)

[rakunavi]

Hello all,

I really like the new 'Highlight Destination' feature added in build 10.8.0.405! However, I have noticed a critical usability and logical issue when using the "dimming the rest of the page" option during rapid, continuous navigation.

The Problem / Logical Flaw
The dimming effect works beautifully like a music fade-in/fade-out if I stay on the destination page for a few seconds. However, when I click multiple bookmarks/links in quick succession, or when I quickly jump back to the previous view using the Mouse Back Button (Navigate Backward), the dimming effects overlap heavily with each other.

Crucially, this dimming effect does not just apply to the currently visible view; it applies to absolutely all pages in the document simultaneously, including off-screen and unrendered pages.

When moving quickly from page to page, these global fade effects combine and layer on top of each other. This creates a confusing and chaotic "flickering/pulsing" wave of brightness changes across the entire document that makes me feel dizzy (screen sickness).

• Animation.gif

While the "Highlighting (red animation)" option feels natural because it only targets a specific local spot, the "Dimming" option becomes overwhelming because it globally targets every single page in the background.

Measured Duration Metrics
I captured the dimming behavior using OBS Studio to measure the exact duration of this visual effect. Here are the measured metrics for the dimming animation:

• Fade-in (0% to 100%): ~0.7 seconds
• Sustain (Holding 100%): ~1.5 seconds
• Fade-out (100% to 0%): ~0.7 seconds
• Total Animation Duration: ~2.9 seconds

Based on this data, if I use Mouse Back Button (Navigate Backward) to jump back to a previous page within 1 second—which was completely out of view and not rendered a moment ago—that page is already in the middle of the dimming/fade animation triggered by the previous navigation. I am forced to wait at least 1.9 seconds (and up to 2.9 seconds if I return instantly) for the residual dimming effect to completely disappear. This nearly 3-second global animation cycle completely defeats the purpose of fast navigation.

What makes it noticeable is that when I navigate back immediately via Mouse Back Button (Navigate Backward), the previous page appears already at its maximum dimming level. Starting from the darkest state right after a quick jump slows down my workflow, as I have to wait a moment for the page to become bright again before I can comfortably read.

• Animation2.gif
  The attached GIF (captured via ScreenToGif) displays a yellow circle around the cursor when the left mouse button is clicked,
  and a purple circle when the mouse back button is pressed. This makes it easy to identify which mouse action was performed at a glance.

The Impact of Dimming Effects on Users' Real-World Use Cases
There are two very common and legitimate use cases where this slow animation heavily disrupts the user's workflow:

• "Flash" Scanning / Structural Mapping: Users often click through bookmarks rapidly not to read the full text, but to visually map the document's structure and organize their mental layout (similar to flashcard memorization). Forcing a 3-second visual cooldown per click completely breaks the rhythm of this fast scanning method.
• Instant Back-Navigation via Mouse Back Button (Navigate Backward): When jumping to a link and returning to the original context immediately, even a 1-second unavoidable dimming state on the source page breaks the reading flow. In professional document review, a 1-second visual delay every time you navigate back is a major bottleneck to cognitive focus.

Therefore, this is not an edge case of operating "too fast"; it is a direct hindrance to efficient document navigation.

Suggested Solution
I would like to request the following logical improvement:

• Reset/Interrupt on New Navigation: When a user performs a new page navigation (clicking a link/bookmark or using Mouse Back Button (Navigate Backward)), any ongoing dimming/fade animation across the entire document should be instantly terminated/cleared, rather than layered on top. This global reset will prevent the jarring "pulsing" wave of multiple fade effects, reduce unnecessary rendering load, and ensure a smooth, immediate reading experience.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

Best regards,
rakunavi

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[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, rakunavi

Thank you for the details and animations showcasing the issue. I have raised this with the Dev team for review.

Kind regards,