DACapturePage Reliability

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   I have been using QuickPDF for a few years now and I understand the complexities of extracting text, memory issues, rendering etc. To be honest, I would not want to depend on QuickPDF for certain functions (especially rendering).

But, for those who have the source code (and understand it), how reliable is DACapturePage? I am considering using it in an automated environment with a wide variety of PDF's to handle imposition. I just don't want to go down that path if DACapturePage (and DADrawCapturedPage) is a complex portion of the code and cannot be relied upon.

Thanks in advance,

Brandon

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brandon Members Profile Find Members Posts Beginner Joined: 16 May 07 Status: Offline Points: 6	Post Options Post Reply Quote brandon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: DACapturePage Reliability Posted: 16 May 07 at 3:19PM
	I have been using QuickPDF for a few years now and I understand the complexities of extracting text, memory issues, rendering etc. To be honest, I would not want to depend on QuickPDF for certain functions (especially rendering). But, for those who have the source code (and understand it), how reliable is DACapturePage? I am considering using it in an automated environment with a wide variety of PDF's to handle imposition. I just don't want to go down that path if DACapturePage (and DADrawCapturedPage) is a complex portion of the code and cannot be relied upon. Thanks in advance, Brandon

brandon Members Profile Find Members Posts Beginner Joined: 16 May 07 Status: Offline Points: 6	Post Options Post Reply Quote brandon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 May 07 at 12:29PM
	Well, I got no response so I'll respond to myself. I have tested about 50 different PDF's generated from several different applications. So far only 1 PDF was unreadable after processing. Here is what I am doing: DAOpenFile DANewPage DASetPageSize (of new page) DAFindPage (find 1st page) DACapturePageEx (1st Page) DADrawCapturedPage (on new page 2) DASaveAsFile (give it a new filename) The one file that is unreadable gives an error when the page is displayed in Acrobat 6 Professional. It say "An unrecognized token 'qqQ' was found." The first time I tried to open the same PDF file with Acrobat Reader 8.0 it crashed completely. The 2nd time I tried it I got an error "Could not find the XObject named 'iSQPCap1'. The original PDF file is PDF version 1.5 format. It can be opened and printed fine from both Acrobat Pro 6 and Acrobat Reader 8, so I have to assume that QuickPDF is doing something to the file during the capture and draw methods. Anybody want to take a peek at the PDF before and after and see what is going on? Thanks, Brandon

Ingo Members Profile Find Members Posts Moderator Group Joined: 29 Oct 05 Status: Offline Points: 3524	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ingo Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 May 07 at 2:50PM
	Hi Brandon! Marian had told it already in another thread... The DA-functions were made to solve the memory-problems ... with less success. It seems that few DA-function aren't complete identical (inside) to there equivalent function (same name - without DA). Perhaps you should make another test with the "normal" functions? BTW: I've never thought that your test would bring this result. I've thought that there were more broken files ;-) Best regards, Ingo

marian_pascalau Members Profile Find Members Posts Debenu Quick PDF Library Expert Joined: 28 Mar 06 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 278	Post Options Post Reply Quote marian_pascalau Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 May 07 at 3:05PM
	Hi brandon, I have sayed in another thread that DA* function does not work well with PDF Indirected objects. Please use the normal functions in future, and avoid the DA interface as much as possible. Thank you Ingo for answering this one. Best regards, Marian

brandon Members Profile Find Members Posts Beginner Joined: 16 May 07 Status: Offline Points: 6	Post Options Post Reply Quote brandon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 May 07 at 3:54PM
	Thanks Ingo and Marian. My long term goal will be to draw a captured page on to the background of possibly 10,000+ pages. Do you still think normal functions will work or might I have memory issues? Thanks in advance, Brandon

Ingo Members Profile Find Members Posts Moderator Group Joined: 29 Oct 05 Status: Offline Points: 3524	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ingo Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 May 07 at 4:02PM
	Hi! Like we can always say: It depends on ... ;-) The pages are only one point. How many objects? How many embedded pictures? How many ... How many ...? I've lots of pdf-files on my disks. Over 90 percent are below 1 mb, 8 percent between 1 and 5 mb and (perhaps) 2 percent up to 262 mb. The 90 percent are fine with QuickPDF... the 8 percent i think "okay... many mbs need much time" ... the 2 percent often needs the task manager ;-) I can live with this and most of my customers, too. Best regards, Ingo Edited by Ingo - 29 May 07 at 4:03PM

brandon Members Profile Find Members Posts Beginner Joined: 16 May 07 Status: Offline Points: 6	Post Options Post Reply Quote brandon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 30 May 07 at 1:53PM
	Just thought I would give an update. We tested quite a few PDF's using capturepage (normal function - no DA) and we have not found a PDF yet that has caused an issue. Right now we are just capturing page one and drawing it on page two. We don't have any pdf's generated from Acrobat 8.0. I would be curious if there would be any problems. Regards, Brandon

Ingo Members Profile Find Members Posts Moderator Group Joined: 29 Oct 05 Status: Offline Points: 3524	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ingo Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 30 May 07 at 5:25PM
	To all members: Few pdfs made by acrobat 8... with encryption and without encryption... with main password and without... with more than one page... would be good to have for testing. If somebody have such files please put it online and post the links here. This could be good for all of us. Thanks a lot in advance. Best regards, Ingo

marian_pascalau Members Profile Find Members Posts Debenu Quick PDF Library Expert Joined: 28 Mar 06 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 278	Post Options Post Reply Quote marian_pascalau Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 May 07 at 9:23AM
	Hi there, despite the answer from Ingo (hope he is not opset with me) I would be glad to receive your PDF files (any format posible). Please feel free to send me as much documents (PDF 1.7 Version) as you can to quickpdf(at)qmx.net . The solution maybe will not be exposed in public, but through sponsoring it may be another case ;-) Best regards, Marian

Ingo Members Profile Find Members Posts Moderator Group Joined: 29 Oct 05 Status: Offline Points: 3524	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ingo Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 May 07 at 2:02PM
	Marian. We're all developing for and mainly with QuickPDF. So to get access to new pdf-files is for us very essential, too. So again my plea to all: If anybody hase few new pdf-files like i described please upload them for a short time and post the link here. Thanks a lot. Best regards, Ingo

marian_pascalau Members Profile Find Members Posts Debenu Quick PDF Library Expert Joined: 28 Mar 06 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 278	Post Options Post Reply Quote marian_pascalau Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01 Jun 07 at 5:02AM
	Ingo, you are right. This is the best way of course. ( I was just thinking simpler :-) )