Sign Documents Preview

[AGS1980]

In PDF Tools 10.1.3, while signing the PDF at specify placement option preview the simple document only showing. the actual document is not displayed.

Screenshot 2023-11-24 175101.png

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello AGS1980,

That is indeed just a preview, as you could be setting up that tool while you have no files loaded, and then be running the said tool on thousands of files. So indeed the PDF Tools previews will use a generic page template and not show you a specific file.

Kind regards,
Stefan

[kirkup]

I'm sure that in an older version, once you ran the tool, it would preview the actual file so you could select the box you needed the signature to go into.
What I don't need to do is open up a PDF and start taking measurements to place the signature.
Can we please have the ability to load the first file as a preview so we can place the signature in a specific spot.
This would come in very hand when having to sign drawings in a signature box that moves between clients.

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello kirkup,

I do not recall the PDF-Tools ever being able to do that.
And if your documents are not identical in size - you might need to manually sign them one by one, as this tool would automate the process, but place the signature at the same position on all pages / in all files.

Kind regards,
Stefan

[kirkup]

Stefan, that's the whole point of this tool. I have to sign over 300 drawings that require my signature in the exact same spot on all 300.
Then when I change clients and need to sign a different set of 300 drawings, the signature box is in a different place. Having the preview would make it so much easier than having to measure and change dimensions.

[kirkup]

I'm not sure what version this is, but the screen shot is from a work instruction clearly showing being able to pick the signing area in the preview.
And this is how I recall it working, but the latest version doesn't do this.

image.png

[IundS]

I can affirm, that the preview was working in version 9.
After Upgrade to version 10 a dummypage is shown.

This tool needs a correct preview.
How to know where to set the signature, if you have a dummy preview?

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello IundS, kirkup,

That preview is shown when you start the tool - it can show you a preview as you already have a file (or list of files selected).
That same feature still works in the current version - when you manually start the "Sign Document" inside PDF Tools you can then see and visually adjust the location of the signature rectangle:

image.png

However while adjusting the defaults for the tool (before you've started it) - we can not show you a preview of an actual file as none is selected at that point - so we use the tangram template page:

image(1).png

So to get your desired preview - just start the tool so that it's actually running and asking you for file input etc, and in the step when it comes to signing - you will have a preview of the actual file you selected.
Kind regards,
Stefan

[kirkup]

Stefan,
Looks like I've found a bug in the machine.
I followed your instructions and still didn't get the preview.
So I reset the tool back to default, and there it was. The preview was back.
But once I selected "Multi-Threaded Processing Mode" the preview was no longer available.
Turned "Multi-Threaded Processing Mode" off and the preview returned.

Can you look into why this would be the case?

[IundS]

Many thanks kirkup,

I tried both, with multi-threads and without and it really shows the preview, if you disable multi-threads.
And it shows dummypage, if multi-thread is enabled.

Screenshot attached
I cleared the content, cause of confidential-reasons. But it shows the preview and you can set the rectangle at the correct position.

Screenshot 2024-01-25 125811.png

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello IundS, kirkup,

Thank you both for your input and for narrowing it down!

It might be a technical limitation when Multi Threading is turned on. To be certain I will speak with our dev team and would let you know as soon as I have their feedback. If it is a bug - you can be sure we will squash it!

Kind regards,
Stefan