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Sean McPartlin
Sean McPartlin Calculating status...
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How does one best make a button to jump around a PDF (interactive) on an ipad.

Jul 8, 2010 2:49 PM

I have been trying to figure out how to make an Interactive PDF document that could be loaded into an iPad.

 

We need one: Buttons to jump around the document for navigation purposes.  A button would be eaiser to press on an iPad and if each page is designed the same people will know where "main menu" and the subsection buttons are and should be able to bounch back and forth in the document pretty easily.

 

It seems that with Indesign CS5 you can make goto buttons but when you try and export them... Acrobat will not honor the goto commands so your left for dead.

 

Yes it will work nicely with export to SWF and work marviously with a flash output but there's no way to look at flash content on the iPad.

 

So I've found stuff on the web talking about bookmarks and text anchors but it seems like there are limitations with that as well.

 

What confuses me further is when 3rd party PDF viewers claim they can use goto page number.

http://www.appligent.com/talkingpdf-pdfontheiphone

see the discription for GoodReader. (it has and ipad version)

 

So is this an indesign issue?  An Acrobat 9 pro issue?  I don't get it.

 

It seems so simple.  Just want to button that would take you to say page 1.  and on page 1 have a button that takes you to page 4.

 

Does someone have any advise on how to create a PDF that could do this?

 

SWF is very cool.  But unfortunatly Steve J's personal vendettia with Flash is making it hell for simple users....

1969 Views   13 Replies   Latest reply: Petteri_Paananen, Jul 17, 2012 9:43 AM
 
Replies
  • Fred Goldman
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    1. Fred Goldman,
    Jul 8, 2010 3:58 PM   in reply to Sean McPartlin
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    Take a look at this post:

     

    http://indesignsecrets.com/from-indesign-to-ipad-an-overview-part-2.ph p

     

    There isn't much interactivity possible with PDFs on the iPad. You are better off with epub.

     
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  • Sean McPartlin
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    2. Sean McPartlin,
    Jul 8, 2010 9:22 PM   in reply to Fred Goldman
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    Ok the wood thing sounded ok.... But I wonder what it is going to cost.... Any links to this epub process?

     
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  • [Jongware]
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    3. [Jongware],
    Jul 9, 2010 1:35 AM   in reply to Sean McPartlin
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    Woodwing has a website called "www.woodwing.com"

     
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  • Sean McPartlin
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    4. Sean McPartlin,
    Jul 12, 2010 8:01 AM   in reply to [Jongware]
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    woodwing seems to have a nice toolset to make it easier for sure... but I'm not sure that is the correct direction for

    us.  As we don't want to have to submit anything to Apple.  Our needs are for internal use only and we would not be creating content for the public.

     

    I don't follow the ePup process fully...  PDF's we can load right onto the iPad.  It's a real shame about flash not working as we can make some very slick flash content right out of indesign with little effort.  (maybe the direction should be a Flash to HTML5 converter?  Goto page commands assigned to buttons would be wonderfull if they worked but when you export the doc to PDF Acrobat complains that it is not compatible.  When we export to flash it works like a charm on a PC.

     

    Haven't found a good gudie for bookmarks yet... and if that would give us buttons on each page to move the user back and forth through the document.

     
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  • Mr. Met
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    5. Mr. Met,
    Jul 12, 2010 9:34 AM   in reply to Sean McPartlin
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    I think what you call buttons is what bookmarks are for. Click the bookmark and go directly to the page/chapter.

     
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  • Folobo
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    6. Folobo,
    Jul 16, 2012 12:40 PM   in reply to Mr. Met
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    video.jpg

    Hi all, i have build a simple indd file with a video H264. I have to use it for web/screen and for ipad.

    On Acrobat Reader desktop with the solution 1 i have to click to activate and the video start (so i do not use button).

    But on ipad do not works (on ipad i use Acrobat Reader and Goodreader).

     

    So i try to place a button (2) the result is the same: on ipad i see the button but do not works!

    I export Interactive PDF document. How to solve this problem? How to start the video on ipad? With a hyperlink?

     

    Yes i read: http://indesignsecrets.com/from-indesign-to-ipad-an-overview-part-2.ph p

    many thanks.

    f

     
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  • Folobo
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    7. Folobo,
    Jul 16, 2012 12:50 PM   in reply to Folobo
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    I read also this: http://indesignsecrets.com/from-indesign-to-ipad-an-overview-part-1.ph p without find a solution!

     
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  • Kurrykid
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    8. Kurrykid,
    Jul 16, 2012 10:43 PM   in reply to Folobo
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    You are not going to get consistent results on the iPad because the PDF readers are not reliable. I have been unable to get video to play consistently with an Interactive PDF. Why not export out as an ePub and give that a try? True there will be some more work to do to get it formatted properly. However, when I export the same file that I was using as a PDF to ePub, the video plays just fine. To start the video, you just tap the video just like you do with any other video.

     

    HTH

     
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  • Folobo
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    9. Folobo,
    Jul 17, 2012 7:06 AM   in reply to Kurrykid
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    Many thanks for your support.  I can not export epub - my client ask me an interactive pdf for desktop and ipad (here i use acrobat reader mobile 10.2.1 or Goodreader). It's a big problem for me. It seems so impossible that you can not start a video or audio file in a pdf! Workaround?  many thanks f

     
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  • Folobo
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    10. Folobo,
    Jul 17, 2012 7:10 AM   in reply to Folobo
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    Please see here the known limitations of Goodreader: http://www.goodiware.com/gr-man-general.html#limitations

     
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  • Kurrykid
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    11. Kurrykid,
    Jul 17, 2012 7:22 AM   in reply to Folobo
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    Unfortunately, the interactive PDF path is just not ready for prime time on the iPad (at least that's my experience). I sent GoodReader an e-mail last month because I wanted to know if their software was capable before purchasing and their response was "Embedded audio and video are not supported by GoodReader." I was not able to get it to work through Acrobat Reader either.

     

    Let us know if you find a good solution.

     
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  • Folobo
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    12. Folobo,
    Jul 17, 2012 8:26 AM   in reply to Kurrykid
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    Let us know if you find a good solution.

     

    Sure!

     
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  • Petteri_Paananen
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    13. Petteri_Paananen,
    Jul 17, 2012 9:43 AM   in reply to Folobo
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    Try eDocker Tablet Publisher... It converts your indd layout to iPad compatible html5 publication, which you can upload to your own server. You can add hyperlinks that points to other pages with eDocker's tools.

     

    It's free to try and if you like it, you will pay only one flat fee which allows you to use it as much as you like... http://www.edocker.com

     
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