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Quinten A Sharp
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Making an email-able pdf with video. Need some help...

Jul 8, 2012 5:34 PM

Tags: #cs5 #video #indesign #interactive

Hello everyone,

 

Im working on an interactive pdf that will serve as my resume. I have an flv video that I plan on using for my intro that will fade out revealing the first page of my document when it is done playing but I have a problem. The video itself will not play.

 

So far my workflow has been to get everything how i want it within my layout and have the video placed on top of everything else. I then export the entire document as a swf and reimpoort back into indesign so that my final interactive pdf does not have physical pages (accomplising a more polisehd one page only pdf)

 

Do i need to host the viedo itself or I am missing something else? Everything shows fine in preview ( i know its for swf only but it should still work when I import the swf back into a new document) I am using the latest acrobat reader versoin 10 point something and CS5.

 

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!

1279 Views   10 Replies   Latest reply: dougofakkad, Jan 9, 2013 12:50 AM
 
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  • Jeffrey_Smith
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    1. Jeffrey_Smith,
    Jul 9, 2012 8:20 AM   in reply to Quinten A Sharp
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    Have you considered creating a PDF Portfolio? You will need Acrobat to create this slightly different style of PDF, but this format would address your needs. With a PDF Portfolio, you can have a cover page that includes a Flash Movie. You can add different pieces including resume and samples, presented in various schemes. Once completed, you upload finished PDF portfolio with embedded Flash Movie to acrobat.com. You can then send emails that will include a link for recipient to either download the Porfolio or view through a browser.

     
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  • Steve Werner
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    2. Steve Werner,
    Jul 9, 2012 8:50 AM   in reply to Jeffrey_Smith
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    I second Jeffrey's suggestion of the PDF Portfolio. Keep in mind these limitations: It will only be readable on a computer (Mac or Windows) which has Acrobat 9 or Acrobat X installed or Reader 9 or Reader X installed. Won't work on most tablets like the iPad. Won't work if they are using other PDF readers like Apple Preview.

     
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  • Quinten A Sharp
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    3. Quinten A Sharp,
    Jul 9, 2012 7:20 PM   in reply to Jeffrey_Smith
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    So will I still be alright to build everything in indesign and then export my swf file to acrobat? If Im correct I should be able to import my video and swf files into acrobat and be done...correct?

     
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  • Jeffrey_Smith
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    4. Jeffrey_Smith,
    Jul 10, 2012 9:01 AM   in reply to Quinten A Sharp
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    There are some things in your project that might cause issues. If you want your video to start automatically when recipient opens PDF, you can set this, however the first time viewer will have to accept the [manage trust for multimedia content] message before video content will play. Having multimedia and interactive elements stacked over each may become problematic for the user. And you still need to consider where the finished PDF will be hosted, it may be too large to email as an attachment.

     
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  • Quinten A Sharp
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    5. Quinten A Sharp,
    Jul 10, 2012 2:38 PM   in reply to Jeffrey_Smith
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    So far my file is size hasnt exceeded 2MB. and thats with the video embedded ( which still doesnt work). Im trying to avoid hosting anything at all and would like to have everything in one simpe pdf. Hopefully I can play with it some more in the next few days. I will keep you updated on my findings. Thank you for the help thus far.

     
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  • Jeffrey_Smith
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    6. Jeffrey_Smith,
    Jul 10, 2012 2:51 PM   in reply to Quinten A Sharp
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    Did you insert video in Indesign (and export) or insert directly into Acrobat? My choice would be to insert into Acrobat. As for the swf, if this is created in Indesign with interactive elements and exported as swf, the only way the interactive elements will work correctly is if you place in Acrobat.

     

    2MB is reasonable, but when emailing to a corporate account, this size could easily exceed their limit.

     
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  • Quinten A Sharp
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    7. Quinten A Sharp,
    Jul 10, 2012 8:35 PM   in reply to Jeffrey_Smith
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    Jeffrey,
    Thank you for the helpful input with acrobat. As far as swfs working... you can actually export a swf from indesign and then reimport it back into indesign and then export as an interactive pdf and the interactive elelments such as buttons, rollovers, animations, multi state objects, etc. will work. The video is the first thing I have had come up that will not work when reimported. Im willing to bet that I am not 100% correct when I say that everything should work but I have yet to find anything other than a video that won't following that workflow. I actually have my portfolio resume thingy with full interactive swf elements from indesign that work perfectly fine inside an exported interactive pdf. Just not the darn video lol.

     
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  • dougofakkad
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    8. dougofakkad,
    Jan 8, 2013 7:43 AM   in reply to Quinten A Sharp
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    sorry to bump an aged topic but I have just run into this same problem. i've made a SWF from indesign with a video, but opening it in acrobat results in the video displaying the poster image but not playing or displaying any controls. i can open the same SWF in a browser and have the video work fine but i'd like it running in acrobat.

     

    edit: which i'd guess makes this an acrobat issue. sorry, i didn't notice which forum this was on

     
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  • Jeffrey_Smith
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    9. Jeffrey_Smith,
    Jan 8, 2013 8:46 AM   in reply to dougofakkad
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    Try adding Multimedia (SWF) directly in Acrobat.

     
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  • dougofakkad
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    10. dougofakkad,
    Jan 9, 2013 12:50 AM   in reply to Jeffrey_Smith
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    that is what i'm doing. the video is part of a SWF, which consists of several pages with navigation buttons and a video on one of them.

     
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