Links in a pdf / Timeline ideas

Started by sinus, September 26, 2018, 04:59:06 PM

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sinus

Hi all
I have created a timeline with Design & Print. See attachement 1.
Basically I select 17 images or more from different dates and the timeline will be created with a dynamic template.
This works fine and is interesting also for private stuff, e.g. one image for one event and the timeline will be created over several years.

I do then let D&P create a pdf. I can then print the pdf-pages and tie a booklet and so on.
That is why I think, pdf is fine.

Now, first, if you have other ideas for a timeline or some small enhancement ideas, please let it know me.
Even if it is another solution (e.g Html ...).


As you can see in my second attachement, I have 3 links in the pdf (in a red rectangle and a bigger font to see it better here).
This is very interesting, because I can create a e.g. a slideshow with html and put only one image with a link for this in the timeline.

If now someone want see more, voila, he can click on the link and gets the slideshow from this event with more images.
Very nice.

Question:
My first two links are html-links, what works fine.
But I want also, that a link would open a txt - file or a doc or another file. I have tried this with the third link to a IMatch-log, but this works not.

Do someone know, how I could do this (open a text or doc-link)?


Thanks for any ideas.

Btw: I showed the timeline some family members with private images. Normally the are not that much interested, but in this case really all were very interested, because they could see the different events in a timeline, it seems more interesting to look at pictures in a timeline than in a "normal view".
Best wishes from Switzerland! :-)
Markus

BanjoTom

Most interesting and intriguing!  Can you share the dynamic D&P template that creates the timeline?  I'd look forward to trying this out . . .   And -- THANKS!   8)
— Tom, in Lexington, Kentucky, USA

sinus

Quote from: BanjoTom on September 26, 2018, 06:39:15 PM
Most interesting and intriguing!  Can you share the dynamic D&P template that creates the timeline?  I'd look forward to trying this out . . .   And -- THANKS!   8)

Tom, I attache it.
The only stuff, what you need to change is the date.
In my case I take this from the filename.

You can simply change this with the normal date-field, what you use.
And of course put away the txt-extension, I did this only, because I cannot attache the .imptx-extension directly.
Best wishes from Switzerland! :-)
Markus

Mario

QuoteBut I want also, that a link would open a txt - file or a doc or another file. I have tried this with the third link to a IMatch-log, but this works not.

This does not work where?


Timelines are cool and help people engage. And they provide an easy way to break down long periods into more manageable sections.
That's why there is a dedicated timeline view in IMatch WebViewer. It's fully dynamic and you can zoom in and out, dive into each node, ...

-- Mario
IMatch Developer
Forum Administrator
http://www.photools.com  -  Contact & Support - Follow me on 𝕏 - Like photools.com on Facebook

sinus

Quote from: Mario on September 26, 2018, 07:04:42 PM
QuoteBut I want also, that a link would open a txt - file or a doc or another file. I have tried this with the third link to a IMatch-log, but this works not.

This does not work where?

1)
Inside the pdf.
If I create with D&P a pdf, I can click in the pdf auf these two lines:

http://www.sinusbild.com/live/

file:///C:/Users/zuki/Desktop/glashuetten/index.html#


and both works really fine, the browser does open and the pages are displayed.

But I try to open a txt-file or a doc-file and this works not.
I wonder simply, is this not possible or is my link wrong:

C:\Users\zuki\Desktop\IMATCH6_LOG-map.TXT

2)
I setted these 3 lines in a attribute-field (of your fine note-app) and put this variable in the D&P template.
Works great.

I'm currently using this attribute field to store web links.
I wonder if it would be better to use the special "link-attribute-field" (data-type) instead of the normal text-field.
Would that make more sense?
Or even simply a normal metadata field (no attributes).


Quote from: Mario on September 26, 2018, 07:04:42 PM
Timelines are cool and help people engage. And they provide an easy way to break down long periods into more manageable sections.
That's why there is a dedicated timeline view in IMatch WebViewer. It's fully dynamic and you can zoom in and out, dive into each node, ...
3)
Yes, timelines are often very helpful.
And your example looks very interesting, thanks for this, Mario!

But for that I need IMatch or the "IMatch WebViewer" and I don't have both on vacation or in the restaurant or on the train.
And my parents couldn't handle it either.

That's why I try to create a reasonably good Timeline with D&P.
I can simply print some pages or even create a booklet.
Or I can send the pdf to someone by mail.

I think pdf is great for that.

What I now want to do in addition is that I can click on a link within the pdfs, and then more information will be opened.
To use this possibility, you have to have a computer, mobile phone or tablet and the like, which means, some people can't do anything with it.

But the others do and the source for all that is a D&P-template.

So I could create for example 20 pages Timeline (as pdf), in my case I use 17 pictures per page (only one per event).
That would be 340 events like birthdays, holidays, family reunions etc. in this case.

And some of these events would have such a link, which offers more information when you click on it.
As mentioned above, this works very well for websites.

Only not for text files.

Then I make a folder with the 20 pages timelines, copy the corresponding html pages for the info and I could use all that on the screen.

Imagine, I have a birthday among the 340 events. Now someone gives me his speech as Word-Doc (or txt-file).

In this case I would only have to copy this file into the "timeline folder", write the link into the field of the birthday picture (like above into an attribute field) and run the whole timeline again in D&P, because I now have the link in it.

It takes a while, but it doesn't happen that often, so it doesn't matter.

And just, I think that the pdf is a good starting point and the main source is IMatch anyway.

There are certainly special "timeline programs" with sophisticated timelines (and correct percentage of real time), but I can't imagine that they are as flexible as IMatch.

With IMatch I can quickly select images (for example from only one person as personal timeline), run D&P and end with finished pages as pdf.
Or a quickly timeline for a client over the years.

Cool!

Best wishes from Switzerland! :-)
Markus

Mario

This may be a security feature in your PDF Viewer. Probably it only allows real URLs, not links to local files.

If you declare an Attribute as a Hyperlink you can click on it to open it from the Attributes panel. And an app 'knows' that this is meant to be a link and can do stuff with that info.
-- Mario
IMatch Developer
Forum Administrator
http://www.photools.com  -  Contact & Support - Follow me on 𝕏 - Like photools.com on Facebook

sinus

Quote from: Mario on September 27, 2018, 09:20:38 AM
This may be a security feature in your PDF Viewer. Probably it only allows real URLs, not links to local files.

If you declare an Attribute as a Hyperlink you can click on it to open it from the Attributes panel. And an app 'knows' that this is meant to be a link and can do stuff with that info.

Thanks for your info, Mario!
Best wishes from Switzerland! :-)
Markus