So I started using livecycle because the forms one can make are astounding, its a great program except for sending the forms out to be filled in especially to those only with reader. I've looked over a lot of past discussions and the answers seemed too complicated. Here is a workaround for not so computer savy folks like myself.
First, create your form, use everything the software has to offer to make your form exactly like you want and yes you can use the "submit by email button" that's what it's for.
Second, once the form is complete one seemingly complicated step to fix the "attach as pdf instead of xml" if your form keeps attaching as "xml" if it already attaches as "pdf" then skip the rest of the "second step"
go to the top and click the "view" menu, then select "xml source"
then go back to top and click the "edit" menu then select "find"
type "xml" without the quotations and keep clicking "find next" until you see the "submit" line (eg. <submit format="xml")
change the "xml" to "pdf"then go back to the "design view column" if you get a "parts of this or that cannot be whatever" message just click ok or ignore
Third, assumming you used the "submit by email" button like you should be the find that button and click the center somewhere, too the right a "field" box comes up
enter your own email address, you can enter an stock email subject to or leave it blank
also, a bit further down it says "presence" then "visible" I like to change "visible" to "visible (screen only)" this way it does not show on the printed version. That is one of the things i like the most about this program, you can put text boxes, signature boxes, any kind of
box and make it visible, visible only on print, only on screen, etc. you just have to play around. It's nice to put a large text box with instructions for how the person should fill out and what to do that helps them and doesn't show up on print.
Ok, the above is a lot of words but if you print it out and follow step by step you'll see how easy it is and after a couple runs you won't have to look at your cheat sheet again.
Fourth, So, it was easy to figure out how to make a form the frustrating part was sending it out to be filled in save, printed whatever then sent back to me (now you). the problem is, the form has to be distributed to be approved so to speak. If it is just for one person that is no big
deal, just first click "file" "save as" give it a name it reverts into adobe pro and asks how you would like to distribute, follow the instructions you send it to whomever you like they fill it out and submit it back because your email address is linked to the "submit as
email" button. But what if its just a form you want on the company share drive anyone can open fill out, save, send to you or send to someone else, that's where it's tricky.
Fifth, Distributing to yourself so you can approve the form for world wide dissemination.
Same procedure as above for the single recipient but instead of sending to someone else you send it back to yourself by entering your own email address again when it asks "how would you like to distribute your form--same as above"
click "send now via email" enter your address they will return it to (but it's not they this time its really yourself)...follow the instructions, specifiy a generic folder that will collect data (you can delete later, you don't have to collect data unless you want)
put in your email address as the recipient. change the stock email subject and message if you'd like, then click done, it will email you the form. close out the live cycle and adobe programs and go to your inbox (may take a min)
Sixth, open your attachment.(no remember you submitted the form to yourself but think of yourself as someone else like a customer) when the form is open you can enter stock fields if you like or do nothing...click the submit by email button, follow the instructions and s
send it back to yourself again (don't get confused...it's really you as the customer sending back to yourself as the owner of the form) if you are a criminal think of it as like "laundering money through a bank" you are laundering the form through your own email system
close out the form and go to your inbox again an open the returned form. now when you open it there is something new. there is a box that says "this file is a completed form (even though you didn't enter any data---it's a laundered form now) and leave it on the
"add to existing data set" which is the one you created earlier in the generic folder....click "ok", now the form changes once again, there is a new look to the top, don't worry about it just go to the top right of the form and click on "options" then "save file as" give it
a name again and remember where you saved it to. then close adobe and say yes when it asks you if "you want to save changes to your data set"....say yes!!
7th, forget the data set, no longer is important...find the form you saved and open it. go to the top and click the "advanced" button then "enable user rights in adobe reader" then click "save now" this is the final form so name it appropriately and place it where you want
people to find it, they can now open, fill out, print, save as, email, whatever. The only downside is if they use the submit by email it automatically defaults to your email but when their email client opens they can delete your address and put someone else if they want.
thats it...lots of words but it really is easy after you do it a couple of time. the final downside, if the final form works but you decide to change anything on it with LiveCycle, you have to go back through all the steps or it will tell whoever opens it in reader that the original
has change and they cannot do anything with it, but it's ok, make your changes or improvement, by now you are an expert at laundering live cycle forms, take you 5 min, no worries!
Happy Laundering!!
Sean
NOTE: this procedure only validated with LiveCycle 8.0
