Ideas to make a wide table fit to mobile interactive pdf

[lakeside12]

Hi all, 

I am creating an interactive pdf that needs to  contain a table that is currently formatted for a landscape A4 print. The interactive pdf is being formatted to be predominantly used on Mobile devices, and the landscape format of the table does not work well with a portrait layout. Trying to turn the phone landscape doesn't work unless the user turns on the orientation lock - which will never happen.

The table is a parts list for various size scaffolding structures. Columns 1,2&3 are the part number, part description and unit weight - all of which have to be kept. Columns 4-25 are the columns that show the relevant qty of parts required for 21 different heights of tower that can be made. Only one of these columns is really needed at any one time.

I have been trying to find a way of incorporating horizontal scrolling and/or horizontal accordions to be able to view the whole table. The other thought I had was to use buttons/combo boxes that let you pick the correct height tower in an area just above the table, then the correct 4th column appears, but nothing I've tried or found has worked yet. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks! 

[BobLevine]

You need to redesign the table. PDFs are not responsive.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@lakeside12

As @BobLevine suggested - how about creating separate tables - 21 - with 1, 2, 3, X columns - then some kind of always visible index with all X names?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@lakeside12 

If you work on Windows - here is an automated way to split a multicolumn Table into separate Tables, using my ID-Tasker tool - initial number of columns doesn't matter:

Above Task - all the clicks that would've to be done manually - when run multiple times, will split this:

into this:

Attached is this Task for your convenience. 

Free version of my tool will only allow you to load first 10x rules / commands - so you'll have to add the rest manually. 

But if you are interested, I can give you access to the full verion for free for a few days.

[lakeside12]

Hi Robert,

That looks like a real time saver. I appreciate the offer of the full version for a few days; however, I may just buy a license if it works. I have about 20 separate manuals to create, with anything from 1-4 tables in each! I will give it a go in the next day or two and get back to you if I can get the indexing and table hiding to work.

Thank goodness for contributors like yourself! It makes these forums really worthwhile.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@lakeside12

You're welcome. 

But It's just a "manual" solution. 

There is also a BatchMode - paid functionality - where everything can be 99% automated - you would open a document, hit Load Tables button - and then run a single Task on all loaded Tables - and each Table would be processed in the same way. 

Then, there is also a Super BatchMode - where you could just select folder - and ID-Tasker will open each INDD file, load Tables, process them, export PDF - as a preview for you and/or upload to an FTP sever of your client, then save and close INDD Document. 

Of course, I can prepare the above Tasks for you FoC - would just need to receive some sample files. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@lakeside12 

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[JR Boulay]

Acrobat Reader Mobile (and a few other readers too) allow the user to use the dynamic “redistribution” mode.
All you have to do is recommend its use.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Acrobat Reader Mobile (and a few other readers too) allow the user to use the dynamic “redistribution” mode.
All you have to do is recommend its use.

By @JR Boulay

Will they be able to always show first 3x columns - and then one extra consecutive column? 

[JR Boulay]

"Will they be able to always show first 3x columns - and then one extra consecutive column? "

To answer this question, you'd need to test your document in most of the apps available for Android and iOS...
Even if you deliver a properly tagged redistributable PDF, it will be very difficult to predict how it will render on all mobile devices.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@JR Boulay

But is it even possible to tag specific columns in PDF to be treated as a some sort of a "legend" and the rest to be displayed one-by-one on consecutive "pages"?

[JR Boulay]

I can't answer that, but I'm sure some other "tag" specialists can.

[BobLevine]

JR, I'm all for using the right tools but if you think anyone is going to install a PDF reader on a phone just for this, I have a bridge for sale that you might be interested in. I'm sorry, but most people aren't even going to see the recommendation and those that do will just skip the whole thing.

Me? I'd create a web page for it. Way easier to make things responsive.

[JR Boulay]

You haven't understood me, or perhaps I haven't expressed myself correctly.
It's the use of the redistribute/reflow feature (available in many apps) that should be recommended, not any particular software.

[BobLevine]

I realize English isn't your first language (but it's way better than my anything else) but yeah, I thought you were trying to get them to load Acrobat. But this is still a stretch for most users that know nothing about anything except default settings.

[JR Boulay]

Yes, DeepL helps me a lot with vocabulary, but when it comes to meaning, it's no better than I am.

😉

[Mike Witherell]

The Acrobat mobile app has a "Liquid" mode these days. That *might* help. But the bottom line is PDF does not have responsive design built into it; web page code does.