Blank preview

I'm testing critical functionality of the ActiveX library (5.22) before turning down or going for making a web-application. The application is to make users select a template, change some text and see a preview before approving the changes to be saved in a new file, ready for printing..

Initially I tested the SavePagePreview function that seem to work as expected, but in the second round of test where I'm using a premade PDF and altering the value of a form field - the render is totally white/blank.
After further testing I'm able to have it render added/drawn text, but the rest of the content already in the file (text, image and form field) are not rendered.

This is unfortunately a showstopper, so I'm in need for some help/advice..

BTW; I have tried the RenderDocumentToFile function as well, but that function has a serious limitation as it seem to ignore / not use the setting of temp path/file. It seems to generate a temporary file in the system32 folder - something the webhost never will allow to give rights to..

I intended to clean up the ASP test-code and make some structured notes before gracefully taking your generous offer Marian. As I did, I managed to have the RenderPreviewToFile work as intended without it complaining about the lack of access-rights to the system32 folder. I also checked the access-rights to the folder, and it was not left escalated from my previous testing.

Happy as I was, I scrapped all ASP.NET testing (although I expect some challenges there too later on), and ventured on to see if I could manage to have it render the content of the form-fields as well, and I did - using the FlattenFormField function.

The code did not change and flatten all fields (function returned 0), but for some weird reason, moving the code lines (order of fields being changed - they are actually changed by name. not index) it did change, flatten and render all fields.. 8o)

Now I need to check the current test-code on another computer and then request my web host to install/register the ActiveX so I can test it live.

It's not weird, but expected behavior.

When you flatten a field, it no longer exists in the PDF document. Therefore, if you flatten what had been referred to as index #1, the field that was previously #2 is now #1, etc. The correct methods are to flatten from last to first, or to always flatten field #1 if going from first to last.