MAINTAINING INTERNET LINKS FROM CREATE TO PDF

William Haney · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm **Posts:** 23

Is there any way once I have created a Create document with internet links to maintain those internet links when I convert the Create document to a PDF and then run it through PStill?
:roll:

andrew · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:07 am

Apple's PDF doesn't (yet) add the links in for you - but you can add links to PStill via the script language - save the file to scripts folder - you choose a .sl script in Output Options using the popup (holding down command while selecting a script takes you to the folder):

Code:

% add a URL link to page 1, active area is given by the rectangle coordinates, color is RGB (0.0 - 1.0)

execPSCode ("[ /Page 1 /Rect [ 145 210 332 228 ] /Color [1 0 0]\n");
execPSCode (" /Action << /S /URI /URI (http://www.stone.com) >>\n");
execPSCode (" /Subtype /Link /ANN pdfmark\n");

A complete script file might look like:

Code:

define ps_do_showpage(pagenum) {
 if (pagenum == 1) {
   % it is sufficient to define such a pdfmark only ONCE for a document
   % so we only run this on the first page, it will affect all
   % pages however

   startGFX();

   % add a URL link to page 1, active area is given by the rectangle coordinates
   % Rect coordinates are in pts (1/72 inch), lower left is 0/0
   % Color is R G B [0.0 - 1.0]

   execPSCode ("[ /Page 1 /Rect [ 145 210 332 228 ] /Color [1 0 0]\n");
   execPSCode (" /Action << /S /URI /URI (http://www.stone.com) >>\n");
   execPSCode (" /Subtype /Link /ANN pdfmark\n");

   % .... more links on other pages here or other pdfmarks,
        %      outlines, javascripts, whatever ....

   endGFX();
 }
}

[/code]

William Haney · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm **Posts:** 23

Being totally Applescript illiterate what exactly do I do? :cry:

andrew · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:09 pm

Well - it's not applescript so you are lucky!

It's a language called SLANG that PStill uses to enhance what it does.
How many links are in the document? It may be impractical to write a script by hand, but you asked how to do it, not how hard it was!

Maybe in a future version, I could a feature to create that file for you. Hmmm....

William Haney · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm **Posts:** 23

Many links within a story.

That would be a great feature in you could implement it. Thank you very much for your response, Mr. Stone. :mrgreen:

andrew · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:50 pm

Send me the Create document so I can test it here....

I have graphic links working, now for text...
(but it'll be Monday no doubt)

William Haney · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm **Posts:** 23

Mr. Stone.

I sent an example file to you last night.

andrew · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:29 am

Got it, thanks!

I'm ALMOST there - I have a new menu item in Create - File - Save Other - Save as PDF with Links using PStill which automatically goes through file to extract links into the PStill script file, sets up PStill to use that file, saves the document as PDF, launches PStill, and converts the file to PDF with clickable links!

I'm still working on details about how those links look and "inter-document" linking (got the full http:// style URLS working already).

Tomorrow!

William Haney · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm **Posts:** 23

Wow!

Thanks very much.

Now, if you could design an OS X Typestyler-like application with all of its OS 9 capabilities YOU WOULD BE A KING!

Seriously. Thank you.

:lol:

andrew · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:35 pm

This version of Create has a new Menu item that works with PStill:

1. First, make sure you have added Create links to your document - either ones that link to another page, or to external links. HINT: if you are copying text from Safari, use the mouse-down/hold a second/drag the text clipping from Safari to save the embedded links [the document you sent me did not have valid links - you can check by selecting the link and seeing if it appears in the Info -> Web panel.

2. Then, choose File -> Save Other -> Save PDF w/ Links in PStill

That's all! Create makes a slang script file, installs it in PStill, set PStill to use that file, stops and relaunchs PStill, saves the document as PDF, and asks PStill to reprocess it with the Clickable Links embedded - you may have to view the PDF with Acrobat to actually get the clickable links to work though.

Be sure you remember to set PStill's Preferences -> Output Options, Control Script popup back to "1-up" before you do other processing, or you'll end up adding links to the next PDF you process...

ftp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/tmp/a/Create-2007-01-28.dmg

William Haney · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm **Posts:** 23

Tried it EXACTLY the way you described. For some reason it did not work. :cry:

andrew · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:17 pm

Download this version - I add the correct links to your document, and it did work ( I just fixed a bug involving chained text)

ftp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/tmp/a/Create-2007-01-28.dmg

William Haney · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm **Posts:** 23

Thanks, Mr. Stone.

I just downloaded and will get to it this AM and let you know.

One other thing: When I dragged text with links from Safari to the desktop the text clipping did not maintain the internet links. The linked text which was blue and linked on the NYT web page turned to black text unlinked.

Is there some other setting I should select in the finder?

William Haney · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm **Posts:** 23

Hooray! It worked.

1. I figured out that I had to select the text in Create I wanted linked.

2. In Safari, I then dragged the link to the selected text in Create.

3. Then File>Save Other>Save PDF w/Links in PStil

4. When PStill came up it saved with links. Dragged it to the desktop.

5. Quit PStill. Reopened PStill.

6. Reopened PStill and in PStill Preferences choose the name of the the file in and chose Web in the Preferences Sets Pop Up

7. Dragged the new file to the PStill dialog.

8. Opened the new file and Voila when the PDF file is reopened the file now has clickable links!

Tres bon! Mr. Stone: YOU IS DA MAN!

:lol:

andrew · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:54 am

Two things:

1. Create will automatically kill and relaunch PStill with the correct script selected - in fact the entire process has been automated, including the making of the PDF - just choose File -> Save Other -> PDF w/ Links using PStill

2. Grab this version of Create - it AUTOMATICALLY transfers links from Safari text clipping (or even Copy/Paste!) to links in Create that work ;-)

(that got broken inadvertently a few releases ago, thanks for pointing it out)

ftp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/tmp/a/Create-2007-01-29.dmg

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