How do I remove the built in toolbars from a PDF?

[Guest]

I'm using a piece of markup software to make measurements from PDF files for construction blueprints. however, some PDFs have built in adobe toolbars that override the markup toolbars of the software (It's called "Vu360" and is free online from a website) Is there an easy way to remove these built in toolbars so the software will work to make measurements?

[Bernd Alheit]

Adobe toolbars are not part of the PDF file. They are part of Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat.

[Dave__M]

I'm not familiar with the tools you are using, but you may want to try to set Acrobat/Reader to "Read Mode" by pressing Ctrl-H (or View>Read Mode).  This strips away most of the program's interface, and leaves an uncluttered screen for easy document reading onscreen.  Your tools may or may not work in this viewing mode.  As Bernd mentioned above, the toolbars are not at all part of your individual documents, and can be viewed many ways without the document changing - just altering how it is presented.

My best,

Dave

[Guest]

Sorry, Dave_M, but this has nothig to do with acrobat reader, the program I'm using is VU360. I'll try to post some screenshots to show you what's happening.

This is VU360 with a normal PDF open. Note the toolbars at the top with the geometric shapes and the list of markups at the bottom.

This is VU360 with one of the "Bad" PDFs loaded. The toolbars at the top are ghosted out, there is no markup list, and as you can see, the PDF is somehow importing the acrobat toolbars WITHIN Vu360. This prevents me from working with the PDF at all. If the reader had some way of saving a PDF out as a multipage TIF file, I could then open THAT in VU360 and work with it, but I don't see that option.

Understand now? this is not a problem with the acrobat reader, it's s problem with certain specific PDF files that are somehow able to override the native toolbars in other software.

[Barb Binder]

Sorry, Dave_M, but this has nothig to do with acrobat reader, the program I'm using is VU360

Then this is a question for The Blue Book Network - Takeoff and Markup Documents​. We can help you troubleshoot files in Reader and Acrobat, but if you are using a non-Adobe software application, you should be asking on their support forum, if they have one.

[Bernd Alheit]

Looks like that the software "Vu360" uses Acrobat Reader do display the PDF file.

[Dave__M]

Redwood Elf - Yes, your screenshots are very helpful in understanding your scenario - thank you for including them.  Please try clicking on the button I have highlighted.  It will toggle (hopefully) your view to Reading Mode.  Let me know if that works.  It appears to me that Acrobat or Reader is loaded and running in your app.  Browsers do this all the time.

Good luck, and let me know if that addresses your concern.

My best,

Dave

[Guest]

That didn't work, it's still ghosting out the markup tools. The other menus went away, but it still has the reader menup bar (the one with the forward/back, star, home buttons and the file window) This appears to be a very rare issue, since it only affects about 1 in a hundred PDF files our customers send us, which is why I assume it has something to do with a special PDF format. Like I said, about 99% of the time, the files open without the extra menus.

[Guest]

I talked to the BlueBook tech support people, and they say it appears to be a problem with the PDF itself...perhaps the file has some sort of edit-lock on it? At least that's what they thought might be the problem. the software is in its final form, since the company that made it is no longer in business, but it's being left available for free as a markup software.

So if it's ever going to get fixed, it's going to have to be on the Adobe side. Since I'm not an expert on how PDF files are coded, I have no idea how to convert the file into a use-able format like a multipage TIF format.

[Test Screen Name]

I'm thinking the files may have security set. You can readily check this by opening the file in Acrobat or Reader, using File > Properties, and clicking the Security tab. Look at the SECURITY METHOD especially.

[Dave__M]

And while you are in the File>Properties dialog box, you may want to peek at the Description tab to see if it states what the PDF Producer value says.  If you find that there is no security applied, and it is a rare file that behaves oddly, perhaps you can equate it to having been output by the same program/technique.

Just a thought.

Dave

[Guest]

neither file has security set. The PDF Producer on the Good PDF is PDFTron PDFNet and on the bad one it's pdfloot11.hdi 11.0.55.0

The PDF version on the good file is 1.4 (acrobat 5.x) and on the bad one is 1.6 (Acrobat 7.x)

To check the PDF version, can someone post a link to a 1.6 file (any old PDF would work to check the version problem)?

[Dave__M]

Those tools that you are referring to; the forward/back, star, home buttons?  Those are decidedly not being used as a PDF viewing apparatus, but I am thinking that they are web browsing tools that are being called into your program.  I believe that your program is displaying these PDF files by using Reader's browser plugin, and something is triggering it to load in a browser that is using the Reader browser plugin.  Is there an opportunity to right-click and see if there are options to force it to display the  PDF content differently?  Or to hide the browser tools?   In most browsers, pressing F11 goes to full-screen view.  Give that a try.  Is there anything in your tools preferences to alter how the PDF is presented?  Without that tool & you file, it's hard to know what's going on.  Losing the browser interface seems to be the goal at this point.  I'll continue to think on this, and if something else comes to mid, I'll let you know.

Good luck,

Dave