Personalized symbol field in fillable PDF

[caliel_ml]

Is it possible to create a personalized "checkbox" field in fillable pdfs in Acrobat? The file needs to work well in all PDF readers, but it is a digital product for a game (TTRPG), and I am having trouble with implementing 2 personalized fields:

1. A check box that is a "death check" on the game is represented as a vector illustration in the PDF file. This vector is meant to change color when checked, but I can't find a way for it to consistently do so. I implemented this by creating the initial file via the Indesign fillable pdf feature, but after making final adjustments at Acrobat, this checkbox reaction became inconsistent.

2. One feature of the game has many levels of expertise, and I would like to make a fillable field that could have four modes: Empty, a full dot, a dot inside a circle, and half a dot. It is a signal that is known to players and it would be great to use it somehow for the digital fillable PDF.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

You can use a button for that. A simple script can cause it to change its caption each time you click it. Try searching the forum for "tri-state button".

However, this will not work in all PDF viewers. Only in those with a decent support for form fields and scripts.

[caliel_ml]

Thank you for the help!

I didn't expect the button function to work in those cases. I will try it out and probably generate a simpler version of the pdf for less compatible PDF readers.

[Thom Parker]

Look at the toggle button example here:

https://www.pdfscripting.com/public/Free-Sample-PDF-Files-with-scripts.cfm

The sample is also a good way to test the compatibility with other PDF viewers.