PDF text flow

[PhilHibbs]

Can someone who knows about PDF authoring explain to me why the text order in the RQG rule book is wonky? It always finds results in the right hand column first, then the left column. And you can't select text that flows from the bottom of the left column to the top of the right. It's so consistent that it almost has to be deliberate!

[David Scott]

30 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

Can someone who knows about PDF authoring explain to me why the text order in the RQG rule book is wonky? It always finds results in the right hand column first, then the left column. And you can't select text that flows from the bottom of the left column to the top of the right. It's so consistent that it almost has to be deliberate!

This looks like it's PDF viewer dependent. My main viewer (PDF Expert) doesn't exhibit any of those features. I tested it with searching for the and it moves in sequence left to right column and here's some text selected bottom right to top left: 

Identical behaviour in the default PDF viewer for a Mac (Preview)

and Acrobat Reader

I work with this PDF all the time and have not experienced either of the issues you have highlighted.

Sometimes there will be issues with tables, but I specifically have a viewer that switches between table and column mode when copy and pasting. Some PDF viewers aren't too smart.

 

 

[g33k]

Huh.  I also get wonky searching in my PDF-reader.  But it's a *DIFFERENT* misbehavior.

 

Searching for "Orlanth" in the RQG core rulebook.

I'm not entirely clear WHAT the behavior is... it seems to be finding entries for only 1 column, on any given page.  Sometimes it sees "Orlanth" in 1st column but not 2nd, sometimes it sees entries in 2nd column but not 1st.

Edit - confirmed as PDF-viewer sensitive.
I had been using the default "View" app built-in to Chrome on a Chromebook.
Re-opening the SAME file using the Dropbox "PDF Viewer" function, I find all(*) instances, in the correct order

(*) n.b. I did not actually count all 300+ instances of "Orlanth" and check the ordering of them

Edited October 24, 2022 by g33k

[PhilHibbs]

I'm using Acrobat Reader.

[PhilHibbs]

Oh, it works ok on the Introduction page that you showed, @David Scott! Every page after that that I have tried is wrong though.

[Bill the barbarian]

1 hour ago, PhilHibbs said:

Oh, it works ok on the Introduction page that you showed, @David Scott! Every page after that that I have tried is wrong though.

When time permits I will try Davis Scott's (PDF Expert) and see if I get the same results... Until the I can confirm similar results to yours with both Acrobat and with Preview on MacOS. Worthy of a note, I had terrible results with the Red Book of Magic and the Runes that powered spells and ending up working with Simeón Cogswell  for a week trying to find a better result. Conclusion was that Adobe handled it, Preview did not. I wonder if PDF Expert will be this months solution.

Quote

To Err is human, To truly f*¢k up requires a computer! 

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Bill the barbarian

[Bill the barbarian]

On 10/24/2022 at 4:34 PM, Bill the barbarian said:

When time permits I will try Davis Scott's (PDF Expert) and see if I get the same results...

Ah, actually, even if it does work miracles, never mind making text selection and searching better... it will not work for me. It costs 104 canuck bucks... each and every year you use it. WOWSERS! This is a professional solution for someone with a pro needs and/or either a lot of spare bucks or customers that will help pay for the subscription. Sorry folk, at this point I will bow out of testing this puppy. 

[g33k]

On 10/24/2022 at 3:34 PM, Bill the barbarian said:

Quote

To Err is human, To truly f*¢k up requires a computer! 

I can truly f*¢k up without any computer assistance whatsoever, ThankYouVeryMuch!

My wife will attest.