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Participating Frequently
January 4, 2021
Question

To replace many similar objects with fillable form boxes

  • January 4, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 1222 views

Hey, Thank you for all the help! 🙂

An example screenshot is attached.


I have a .PDF with hundreds of pages and this is an excercise book which includes many dotted lines as objects (not recognized as simple images, but maybe some vector images???). So it looks like this:

 

Blablablablabla ..................... blablablabla ........... blablabla.........

Blabla ..................... blabla ...........................blabla ........... blablabla

Blablablablablabla ..................... blablablablablablabla

 

And I'd like to replace the dotted lines (objects) with fillable form boxes. But when I select one of these dotted lines = objects inside of Acrobat it only let's me to edit it in Illustrator or other software but I can't replace them all with fillable form boxes.

I know Acrobat has a built-in form maker / recognizer but that's just didn't work on my .PDF so I'm searching for a real solution. Acrobat couldn't recognize these dotted lines = objects and couln't replace them with fillable form boxes.

As I said this is an excercise book which I'm trying to turn to a little interactive = fillable form.

It would be cool to have a chance to add and set requirements (if the correct English words typed into a formbox or not...... Like it could give a sign to the user as a correction) to the form boxes with some script like some batch action or something but that's another level.... I'd be glad if I could replace the dotted parts with fillable form boxes.


Thank you for all the help! 🙂

An example screenshot is attached.

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 4, 2021

I have developed a (paid-for) tool that does something nearly identical to what you're describing. It converts sequences of two or more underscores to text fields, with 100% accuracy.

It can be found here: https://www.try67.com/tool/acrobat-reader-convert-underscores-to-text-fields

It can be easily adjusted to use periods instead of underscores. You can contact me privately via [try6767 at gmail.com] to discuss it further.

TomWAAuthor
Participating Frequently
January 4, 2021

When you've paid for a software like Acrobat which promise you a built-in tool like "form field auto detection" which doesn't work well..... then it's not the right solution to buy another thing to solve the problem.

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 4, 2021

OK, then your options are to wait for Adobe to adjust their tool (I wouldn't hold my breath...), write your own script, or do it manually.

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 4, 2021

You can't replace the dots with form fields. You can add form fields with white background.

TomWAAuthor
Participating Frequently
January 4, 2021

But Adobe Acrobat Pro DC couldn't recognize well where to put the form fields (onto the dotted lines), so is there any solution for that? I don't want to place the form fields one by one...... It's like hundreds of dotted lines in the .PDF......

The automatic recognizer didn't work well. It put the form fields on everything but not where the dotted lines are, so another solution is needed like a script or anything else please.

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 4, 2021

May be that you can create a script for this.