Acrobat X: Manually sending a Shared Review

[Zimmerman, Gary]

When you do a server-based shared review, each reviewer's comments are actually stored separate from the review PDF, in separate XML files that are somehow linked to the PDF document.  That’s why you can have multiple reviewers reviewing and marking up the document at the same time.

If you use the option to save an "archive" copy of the file, the comments existing at the moment are all "flattened" into the PDF file that is saved, as regular PDF-based comments and markup.

Not sure how that's handled with email-distributed review copies going to reviewers who don't have access to the server where all the XML files are stored.

-- garyZ



From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Heiko Haida
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2015 2:25 PM
To: Fred Ridder
Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: RE: Acrobat X: Manually sending a Shared Review


Hi Fred,

I was also thinking of the fact that Acrobat will use a PDF file with some modifications, like the comment function readied for Adobe Reader, not the original file.
(This is a useful service and you would have to keep this in mind if your doing it without Acrobat.)

But you are right, of course it is possible to share the file and start a review-cycle the old-fashioned way, only -- probably -- this will not be so "effortless".
To me, the server-based workflow seems to be better suited for a quick and efficient review than the email-based workflow.

Best regards - Tino H. Haida, Berlin



Fred Ridder:
I don't think that's entirely true, Tino.
You can still do a email-based PDF review with an unsupported mail system, but it's not automatic and it probably won't be integrated back to the FrameMaker source (I don't know about this last because I've never tried it).
The process involves exporting the comments from the PDF that each reviewer sends and then importing those comments into the master review PDF. Look in the Options menu for the Comments List section of the Comments tool palette (or whatevertheheck Adobe calls it...) for the "Export All as Data File" and "Import Data File" commands.
Not ideal, but it works, particularly if you keep the master file up to date and in a shared location, and all the reviewers are good about grabbing the latest copy of the master file before starting to add their own comments.

-Fred Ridder
________________________________
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:50:17 +0100
From: info at heiko-haida.de<mailto:info at heiko-haida.de>
To: ljsims.ml at gmail.com<mailto:ljsims.ml at gmail.com>; framers at lists.frameusers.com<mailto:framers at lists.frameusers.com>
Subject: Re: Acrobat X: Manually sending a Shared Review

Hi Lin,
if Acrobat does not recognize the email client (like when a web-based email is used), you cannot send the file specially prepared for the review, which means that you cannot use the email review process at all (as far as I understand it).
You would not be able to store your PDF file in the specific format that is necessary for the workflow; e.g. to collect all comments in one final version at the end of one review cycle, Acrobat has to recognize the files as "original" or "commented" versions of one review process. (...I guess.)
There are two other options for a workflow which is not email-based but server-based:
1) A server-path is available for all reviewers (could be WebDAV)
2) acrobat.com could be used as a "server" (Adobe ID required for setup)
In both cases the reviewers would either work with the server copy, or work with local copies, where each comment is automatically transfered to the server copy. This way, all comments are visible immediately for all reviewers and can also be answered, which can be very useful (connection to server-path/internet must be available to "publish" the comments). This way, the comments do not have to be re-imported into the original version from all the different commented files.
Best regards - Tino H. Haida. Berlin

Lin Sims:
Acrobat X doesn't support using a web-based email for sending Shared Review invitations. It does let you manually send invitations, but I've not been able to find actual instructions for how to do that. The situation is complicated by the fact that I am using WebDAV and a cloud storage service for collecting the review comments.
I'm assuming that what you do is attach the review file to an email and send it on with whatever information is required, but you know what they say about assumptions. I'm also wondering what, if anything, will happen if a reviewer tried to open the folder Acrobat creates for storing comments on the cloud server.

--
Lin Sims
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