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PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

  • 1.  PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 08-28-2018 21:29

    Is there a setting to keep PDF imports Unselectable by default and not visible on Locked view filters? These are my settings but if this view filter is current at the time of import, the PDF will be visible and selectable. We rarely need a pdf to be selectable and we definitely don't want it visible if the view filter is set like the screen snap below. I can't seem to pinpoint the issue because it appears to work "correctly" with the first image imported but goes awry from there......

     



  • 2.  Re: PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 08-30-2018 10:30

    Glenn

    I just ran a test as follows

     

    I opened my Default Template that has a bunch of Layers, Layers and Layer Groups set up as well as a bunch of View Filters. All my View Filters except one have the switch to disable newly created or imported layers from being added to my View Filters.

     

    I imported a PDF Page and scaled / oriented it

    I extracted the vectors from it and created a lot of new layers with the linework

     

    All of my View Filters that had the switch disabled were left intact - the new layers are not visible in those View Filters

    The one View Filter where the Disable Switch was enabled had all the newly created Layers and Linework as expected

     

    So I cannot recreate what you are seeing at my end - I guess I need a little video from you and the source data / PDF to see what is going on if you truly have this issue (I have never seen that but you are / were using an older version so this may have been addressed long ago unless you are still seeing this in 4.11).

     

    I did find a couple of issues with PDF Import yesterday that have been addressed for the upcoming Patch - those related to extracted Vector data creating duplicate Layer Names if I have a Template with the Layers already created and assigned to Groups (I was trying to create a Project Template for Michigan DOT Project PDF files (a giant PDF with all the project Data on one PDF (or 3 PDF files) which are all set up in Michigan DOT Layer Standards - so a template with Groups would make managing the data easier - however I found that it just duplicated the layer names (and I thought that this might be what you were seeing in some way) - we also found that if I import a Layer/Groups.Layer file into a project where the Layers already exist the existing Layers did not get Grouped into the imported Group Structure - so we have also amended that today to fix that problem - all other Layer settings (Color, Linestyle, Lineweight etc get left alone, we just update the Group to which the layer is assigned now).

     

    So to follow this up, please provide a PDF File (and the sheet that you are extracting), I will need your Project Template I guess so I am matching to your View Filters etc. and then a short video that demos your Import Process, Settings selected for PDF Extract and the end result showing me the View Filters that are getting updated - the developers tell me that the PDF importer doesn't do anything specific with View Filters so they cannot see how this is happening - I need to be able to reproduce it if they are to act on this issue.

     

    Alan



  • 3.  Re: PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 08-31-2018 08:08

    Sorry Alan, I should be more specific..... I am talking about the actual image.... When I import the image it is visible and selectable on Locked filters. 

     

    I.E. here is a Locked View Filter with the Georeferenced Images Settings unchecked.

     

    Here is the same View Filter after importing an image with the locked view filter active. I would expect the Georeferenced Images to remain unchecked. Maybe this is by design so the user doesn't think there was an import error being that the image would not be visible after the command is executed....

    This is the V-4.11. In older versions it would come in as visible and selectable on all view filters..... So the improvement does help!



  • 4.  Re: PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 08-31-2018 09:14

    Glenn

    Because the PDF has to be located and Oriented it has to be visible on

    Import otherwise you would not see it and would not be able to scale or

    orient it - If it disappears after you have scaled and oriented it then

    that would likely be confusing also for the user, I will give this some

    thought - but this is likely by design and through User Experience Testing

    that it is this way.

     

    Agree that having to take it out of Locked View Filters afterwards is a

    pain - it should likely only affect the current Plan View View Filter - I

    would need to check - and maybe if you change VF and change it back it does

    disappear ? Need to validate that

     

    Alan



  • 5.  Re: PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 08-31-2018 09:39

    Yes it's not that big of an issue now that "selectable" is default off. In the past, that was more of a pain due to a simple selection of any object would prompt the additional selection box with all the recently imported images that were visible along with the object you actually wanted. I think it is much more manageable as is now. Thanks!!



  • 6.  Re: PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 11-15-2018 05:33

    Could there be an option " Include newly imported pdfs" just below " Include newly created layers and surfaces"? This would keep the visibility for imported images off by default and give the user flexibility as to which view filters they want to have that new data populate. This would allow you to go in and turn those previously imported pdfs off and prevent new ones from being added to views that do not need that data.

     

    This would help me tremendously because every time I import a PDF, I have to go through my various view filters and make sure I have turned off the unnecessary images. 



  • 7.  Re: PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 05-17-2019 03:16

    @Alan Sharp could there be a way to only add this image to the active view filter? This is something I fight with constantly. It is particular a nuisance on view filters that you want to keep certain images on and they get flooded over with newly imported images. 



  • 8.  Re: PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 08-13-2019 07:31

    I want to just re-raise this idea. I use a lot of filter groups which I like but the downside is when you import images, they show up on every view filter. This clutters up the screen and slows down TBC.

     

    This is also a huge pain when you have filter groups dedicated to data for deliverables. 

    #enhancementrequest



  • 9.  Re: PDF Imports to Locked layers as Visible and Selectable

    Posted 05-17-2019 09:39

    I second to this.