PDF Packages and Learning Modules
The new PDF Packages feature in Adobe Acrobat 8 is ideal for instructors and trainers to create content complete with an examination form. In this example I created a custom cover page for the PDF Package that is used for some instructor and couse information. The form fields contain class meeting hours, instructor office hours, a couse description and similar data.
The main document is a learning module with reading and recommended resources. Navigational buttons are contained on the document for easy browsing. When a student finishes reading over the learning module a simple button click opens the thrid file in the PDF Package. This file is a form enabled with Adobe Reader usage rights. The student completes the exam in the free Adobe Reader software and clicks the Submit button to send the exam back to the instructor. Since the form is a single PDF document, only the exam results are returned to the instructor.
Take a look at the video to see some possibilities for creating courseware using Adobe Acrobat Professional and some of the new features in Acrobat 8.
December 24th, 2006 at 11:14 pm
hello Ted,
Can you help me with this Acro-8 Package Cover Page problem? I created a PDF Package in Acrobat 8. I chose to use the first document (a complex form)as the cover page. Sadly, I did not realize that the default cover page would have told users that they needed to use or upgrade to the free Reader version 8. So I’ve had to send a separate e-mail to inform them of this necessity.
Subsequently we made substantial upgrades to the form within the package and saved the package several times over. Now it seems that the form exists only as a cover page and can’t be accessed as a separate PDF. I have 3 weeks of workproduct on the form and want to correct my initial error and have a package using the Adobe default cover page and this form as a member PDF of the package. But I can’t seem to free it from being a “cover page” rather than a true PDF file.
For example, I deleted all files but the cover page and saved the package PDF with only the now “cover page” within. I then attempted to add the package PDF to a new package hoping that the cover pages would revert to a separate document but it doesn’t work. I get a message stating that the PDF I’ve attempted to add is a package and that the PDF’s within have been added to the new package. But nothing is added. My hours of work form is only a unaccessible cover page that isn’t seen.
It’s as if the form simply doesn’t exist outside of its cover page existence. I cannot free my much changed form from the status of “cover page” to a distinct PDF document.
Help!
December 25th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Hi Leoniter,
Sometimes things can get down right frustrating, can’t they?
The solution to your problem is really quite simple and perhaps you’ve found it by now. Just view the cover page in Acrobat and select Document > Extract Pages. The cover page will get extracted as a separate file and you can save as PDF without saving it as a PDF Package.
ted
December 27th, 2006 at 6:39 pm
Sacre bleu! Oh, I feel such a fool! Thank you ever so much. It worked just as you said and we have our form back as a PDF.
April 3rd, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I am constantly being prompted to download upgrade to Adobe 7.0 Professional. I keep trying to implement the upgrades, but the next day, I get prompted to upgrade again as if nothing has happened. Is there a way I can turn this off so it doesn’t do this automatically? I would prefer to manually check for upgrades rather than have the system do this automatically.
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Select Help > Check for Updates. After Acrobat checks for updates click Preferences in the dialog box and you’ll see the Adobe Updater Preferences dialog box. Remove the checkmark where you see * Automatically check for Adobe updates *
ted
November 20th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
New and Used Book Reviews…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…