Combine PDF's but fields are blank!

[ranran]

I just purchased the pro version of Viewer so that I could combine pdf's.

However, when I try to "insert" one pdf to the end of the other, the resulting inserted pdf is completely blank - all the fillable text is gone.

Did I just waste my $35??

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi ranran

merging conventional PDF documents and merging PDF forms are very different beasts and while merging non-form PDF's is well supported there are many variables involved when it comes to forms. It may be that we can help you get these forms merged if you send us the source files to look at.

It is also not clear to me if the forms are merging OK but the data in the form fields is lost or when you say the form is blank if you mean both the data and the text that is not is a form field.

Can I get you to supply the 2 source PDF files and the output, in a zip archive, posted to this thread and I'll take a look. If you prefer not to post them on the forum for privacy reasons you van email them along with a reference to this thread to support@pdf-xchange.com.

regards

[ranran]

thanks for replying.

I work with many pdf documents that are forms - text with "boxes" to be filled in.

I have a 100 page document in about 7 sections - all fillable, and have been filled.

Unfortunately, while the basic forms seem to merge/combine ok, *none* of the entered data gets merged.

It would appear if I print the pdf's via my cutepdf printer, I am able to then combine the pdf's, but that is a labour intensive step that I'd rather not have to deal with. Furthermore, rarely, my cutepdf-ghostscript setup doesn't quite recreate the documents exactly as the originals.

This is why I thought I'd bite the bullet and get the pro version of the viewer so that I could directly combine the separate pdf's.

Basically, you are telling me that pdf viewer can combine non-form pdf's, but can't handle pdf's that have fillable data?

I actually have access to adobe acrobat Pro v9 as I work in academia, but unfortunately Acrobat has this highly annoying habit of merging document *sections* across multiple documents that have the same section title. If I have 4 pdf's each with an "Abstract" section, each of the "abstract" sections from the now combined 4 pdf's actually have the *SAME* abstract as the first document being combined. Ridiculous behaviour.

So, my options:

1. Adobe - deal with adobe combining sections and not just the whole documents
2. Exchange Viewer - lose the form data altogether
3. "Print" the pdf via cutepdf-ghostscript and *then* combine the documents. I assume this means that this process somehow strips the metadata identifying identical sections/loses the "form" aspect of the pdf so that Adobe and Exchange viewer can now combine the documents...

Still..that's so...cumbersome.........

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

hi ranran,

I see your problem. I'm not sure if the advances we are making to form support in the coming versions will help. I'll ask one of the developers to comment.

[ranran]

*sigh* I had no idea that Tracker software had a qualifier on the 'pdf merge/combine' support. I naively assumed that meant any pdf, not just certain types.

Well, given that you do not offer refunds, does the pdf tools product correctly recognize form pdf's or is that software also lacking?

R

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi again ranran,

PDF-Tools is not going to, at this point in time, offer a different result.

As you have noticed merging forms is not trivial and I am not ware of any product that can do this without the issues you cite.

In all fairness I would like to point out that you are comparing a $35.50 product (PDF-XChange Viewer) with a $449.00 product (Adobe Acrobat Professional) and I note that the free alternative could not handle the forms at all and converted them to simple PDF documents.

There is hope yet - we are currently developing a "Forms Builder" application and it it may be possible that this will do much that you are asking. Again I will need one of the developers to comment and they will not be available now until tomorrow.

Sincerely

[ranran]

Don't get me wrong - I have switched all the computers I manage from acrobat reader to Xchange viewer. I tried foxit for a while, but that had such massive print issues I wound up abandoning it.

By far, your pdf reader has been the most robust "adobe-alternative" reader I have yet used, and up 'til now have been very pleased with it. I guess I'm just a bit disappointed after having been on the fence for about a year now, finally deciding to pay for the upgrade only to find it didn't do what I expected. Guess I should have done more research first.

Although, I wonder how "adobe-alternatives" are going to deal with this new portfolio thing adobe's introduced. I messed with it in the hopes that might do what I wanted, but good golly that is a clunky thing as of now...

So, is there any "timeline" to dealing with the forms? Not being a programmer, I have no idea why they are more difficult, but....... given how the business/academic worlds have moved to pdf forms, it would seem a feature that should be relatively high on the priority list....

Ran

[Ivan - Tracker Software]

PDF-XChange viewer doesn't copy form fields during page insertion. There were many reasons why it was not implemented in current version (and, to be honest, in common cases it is not an unambiguous task - fields may, and often do, have scripts and documents may contain document level scripts that define functions used by these scripts, destination document may have fields with similar names etc.).

[eva]

Hi,
instead of printing the pdf via cutepdf-ghostscript you could try to "flatten commands" and then combine the documents. For my - rather simple - forms this works fine.
eva

[ranran]

thanks for the tip - I was just reading about 'flattening' in adobe last night and wondering if that would work.

I'll have to give that a try as it would greatly simplify my combining process...

Thanks,

Ran

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello Ran,

We would love if you post your comments after trying that out

Best,
Stefan