Fillable forms question - FrameMaker to PDF - Without losing copy protection options

[Sean_Aikins]

Hello,

I'm looking for a solution that will allow us to integrate fields in a Chapter Review-style question area where users can comment their answers (instead of using StickyNotes). It must disallow printing/copying etc to meet content protection requirements. I've dug through all of my options and can't seem to find any viable method without allowing the "Edit Content" option which allows users to copy the content.

We're currently using FrameMaker 9 but will be jumping to TCS5 soon.

As an example, we would want something like the following question, which exists in a FrameMaker document, to be commented on:

2. Which DID/DNIS mapping is recommended for mapping a single extension?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Thank you in advance for any assistance with this.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I think Shlomo’s Timesavers programs help this process out – google him

[Shlomo Perets]

I just came across the question, Sean.

Thanks, Jeff, for pointing to TimeSavers. Indeed, FrameMaker has no such capabilities built-in, but with the FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers + Form Assistant add-on, all PDF form fields can be defined through hypertext markers in the source FM file (so that they are present in the PDF automatically upon saving the FM file/book as PDF).

With Form Assistant v3 + FM10 or later, markers can also be inserted through custom dialog boxes (with all versions, markers can be inserted through Special > Hypertext).

I have a free one-hour webinar today (Feb 5, 10am PT), with an overview + demonstration of  the process, with Q&A: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/885499830

The webinar weill be recorded, so a link for later viewing will be available as well.

[Mike Wickham]

Shlomo, do you have a link to the recorded Form Assistant webinar? I was

unable to attend.

[Shlomo Perets]

Creating Interactive PDF Checklists with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers + Form Assistant

Wed, April 23

(free 1-hr webinar; no fluff, no hype, no nonsense; starting 9am PDT)

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/886165534

[Bob_Niland]

> It must disallow printing/copying etc to meet content protection requirements.

ebook format copy protection is largely an illusion. Leaving aside the availability of euphemistically named "password recovery" software, the widespread availability of low-cost (often bundled free) OCR software means: If you can see it, you can recover the text, unless it's heavily CAPTCHA'd.

Even if the user is blocked from reading the computer's frame buffer (i.e., prevented from using the PrintScreen key on Windows), most cell phones now have cameras with more than sufficient resolution for full text recovery. Some users even know how to turn off the flash .

If the supposedly eyes-only document is available on the web, I would not be the least bit surprised to learn that one or more search engines has already OCR'd and indexed every word in it (you can be sure that the NSA's has).

Managers asking for copy protection need to realize that they are making the authoring task much harder for little benefit, and often creating pointless annoyance for end users. Copy protection might briefly deter casual copiers, but is no obstacle at all to anyone the least bit tech savvy.

If copy prevention really matters, each copy of the document needs to be computer-generated for the specific licensed end user, with user-customized, easily traced content.

All that aside, and assuming management can't be dissuaded on the copy protection issue, does TimeSavers support insertion of form fields while preserving security settings?

[JuleeBruce]

Search for the document titled "Cooking up Enhanced PDF with pdfmark Recipes"