Grouping comments

[carlosmpa]

Hi again
I am wondering if we can group different comments into a single one. Then this group is a single object we can move around, align with other items etc.
This would be very helpful when using XChange for schematics (which happens to me very often).

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello carlosmpa,

I am afraid that the PDF specification does not really provide for grouping of objects on the PDF page, so the closest I can offer is to e.g. open the comments pane, and group objects there (you can e.g. create separate subject 'groups'), and then when you open the comments pane, group your objects by subject and click on the subject - it will select all the objects of that 'group' so that they can now be moved together:

image.png

Kind regards,
Stefan

[benep]

Grouping of comments / annotations is specified:

In PDF 1.6, a set of annotations can be grouped so that they function as a single
unit when a user interacts with them. The group consists of a primary annotation,
which must not have an IRT entry, and one or more subordinate annotations,
which must have an IRT entry that refers to the primary annotation and an RT entry whose value is Group

See e.g. page 619 in the 1.7 PDF reference: https://opensource.adobe.com/dc-acrobat-sdk-docs/pdfstandards/pdfreference1.7old.pdf

And as Daniel mentioned it will be supported in the (near) future:
viewtopic.php?p=167622#p167622

Stefan's suggestion is pretty helpful for the time beeing, thanks alot.

Greetings

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello benep,

I need to read a bit more of the spec it seems!
I knew that you could have replies to annotations, but was not aware until now that the reply type can also have a "Group" value - and effectively group those annotations together. I presume that is the implementation Daniel mentions in the other topic and I will check with our devs for further info on the subject.

Kind regards,
Stefan

[bugmenot]

And as Daniel mentioned it will be supported in the (near) future:
viewtopic.php?p=167622#p167622

I came here looking for help on how to group comments/annotation and find that it is not possible because somehow this core quality of life function was forgotten (?)

So just to clarify Daniel's comments; it is not a feature and might be added at some point in the future, rather than "will be" in the "near future".

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello bugmenot,

That is correct - it is in the to do list but for now we do not have a specific date for which this is planned to be available.

Kind regards,
Stefan

[carlosmpa]

Hello carlosmpa,

I am afraid that the PDF specification does not really provide for grouping of objects on the PDF page, so the closest I can offer is to e.g. open the comments pane, and group objects there (you can e.g. create separate subject 'groups'), and then when you open the comments pane, group your objects by subject and click on the subject - it will select all the objects of that 'group' so that they can now be moved together:
image.png

Kind regards,
Stefan

Hi Stefan, I am missing the option to create the separate groups, cannot find it in comments pane.

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, carlosmpa

What Stefan has done in his example is select the group of comments, and change their subject to a single shared name:

PDFXEdit_2qbphUmeGI.gif

Then sort the comments pane by subject:

image.png

After which they can be selected through the comments pane directly:

PDFXEdit_rHInGun3og.gif

Kind regards,