Self-Contained PDF ?

[Korotvicka]

I do not know the jargon and never used Acrobat before three days ago.  Forgive my naivete.

I have made a pdf with mutiple/clickable links.  Most of these are web links.  I have no worries about these.

Some of these "links" , however,  are to external graphic files on my PC...which have to be opened in an image viewer app/software/program.

I don't want to incorporate these "linked" visual graphic files into the body of the pdf...so I need a way to embed/include/attach them that makes them available/clickable/viewable without being linked to my PC.  I want to be able to copy this pdf to a thumbdrive and hand it to someone with this SELF-CONTAINED pdf.

Creating a separate images folder is not an option.

Make sense?

Possible?

Kevin

[try67]

Yes, and yes.

You can attach files to a PDF file via the Attachments panel in Acrobat (it has an icon of a paper-clip, and used to be on the left-hand side, before Adobe "renovated" the UI and moved everything around). Basically, just open this panel and drag & drop the files into it, and they will become a part of the PDF, while still existing as stand-alone files.

Creating a link to those files is trickier, though. It requires using a script.

The basic code is this:

this.exportDataObject({cName: "TargetFile.jpg", nLaunch: 2});

Replace "TargetFile.jpg" with the actual name of the file you attached and want to link to.

The user will also get a warning message confirming they wish to open this file, but they won't need to save it. It will be saved as a temporary file, and then opened directly.

[Korotvicka]

Sweet!

I'll try it out and get back to you. Thanks, So much!

[Korotvicka]

Every attempt produces an "invalid" file prompt.
I have tried editing existing links and making new ones. Could the script
have been updated or altered in some way?

[try67]

Can you post a screenshot of the error message, and of the action you added to the link?

Or share the actual file with us?

[try67]

PS. Be aware this will likely not work in non-Adobe applications, or on a mobile device.

[Korotvicka]

1) Are you suggesting that even if we solve this error issue, if the recipient does not use Acrobat as their pdf reader, it may not work anyway?

2) I'll  post what you've asked, but first, could you clarify just WHERE I am to replace the generic script you send with the one with the correct TARGET file? 

[try67]

1) Acrobat or the free Acrobat Reader, yes.

2) Under the Action associated with the link. When you create it select "Custom Link":

Then under the Actions tab select "Run a JavaScript" and enter the code:

[Korotvicka]

try67,

Being very new to all this, I've been banging my head all day on the wrong doors.

I had to step away, re-evaluate my need and do another Google search...which brought me to an old response post OF YOURS! 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/linking-to-attachments-already-in-a-pdf/m-p/35173...

Your last sentence enlightened me to the very thing I've missed all day.  You can attach different graphic formats, but  only OPEN pdfs.  I converted my graphics to .pdfs, re-attached them and all now works as I intended. 

I'm sorry for my earlier ignorance.  I didn't know how to ask the question and then interpret your answer.

didn't-know-what-I-didn't-know

Thanks again.

Kevin 

[try67]

If I said that then I was not entirely correct. It is possible to link to non-PDF files, using the method I described above. However, that is more complex and less "global". Links to PDF files (using the method I described in that thread) are much more likely to work in other PDF viewers (although, there are no guarantees), other than Adobe's. That much is true.

[Korotvicka]

I'll go with attached pdfs, then. I've tried three readers now. It is flawless.

Thanks again.