Sequences

A Sequence is a Tool Chest feature that allows a text based markup to have a sequence assigned to the primary text element so it will increment in value each time that the tool is added to the PDF. The updating sequence value can be numeric or alphabetic. The image below shows a Sequence that has been added three times to the PDF.

ClosedUsing a Sequence on a PDF

Sequences automatically behave as if Reuse is enabled on the Status Bar, meaning that once activated every click of the mouse places another copy of the markup (in this case, the next value in the sequence). To place a sequence on a PDF:

  1. Go to View >  Tabs > Tool Chest or press ALT+X to show the Tool Chest tab.
  2. Click the desired Sequence tool in the Sequences & Actions tool set. If you have created your own Sequence tool and placed it in another tool set and wish to use it, click it instead.
  3. Click the PDF to place the first Sequence markup and continue to click to place more. With each click, the value of the next Sequence markup automatically increases.
  4. Press ESC after placing the last Sequence markup.

The Sequence icon shown on the Tool Chest tab automatically updates to show the next value in the sequence. In addition, the triangle icon shown in the lower-right corner of the icon changes to orange to indicate that the sequence is in use. The image below shows two Sequences, with the one on the right in use.

ClosedResuming a Sequence

You can continue to a sequence at any time, even if you have stopped and used another tool or if you have opened a PDF that contains a sequence. To do so, use either of the following methods:

ClosedSelecting All Members of a Sequence

To select all the members of a sequence at once, right-click any member in the sequence and select Select Sequence. All of the members of the sequence will be selected.

ClosedResetting a Sequence

Resetting a sequence allows you to place multiple sequences on a PDF using the same Sequence tool. By default, once a Sequence tool has been used to start a sequence on the PDF, any subsequent use of that tool will continue that sequence. To reset the tool and start a new sequence using the same tool, right-click the tool on the Tool Chest tab and go to Sequence > Reset.

ClosedRebuilding Sequences in the PDF

In the event that you change some aspects of a sequence that has already been used on the PDF, you can choose to rebuild the sequences that have already been placed so they conform to those changes. This generally only applies to changes made on the Sequence dialog box.

The first way to rebuild existing sequences appears when a change is made to the sequence: making an applicable change on the Sequence dialog box will automatically bring up a dialog box prompting you to rebuild the affected sequences. Clicking Yes to this dialog box will rebuild those sequences automatically.

Sequences can be rebuilt later as well. Right-click the tool on the Tool Chest tab and go to Sequence > Rebuild Sequences in Document.

ClosedEnabling or Disabling a Sequence

You can temporarily disable a sequence, allowing you to place the "base" markup. To do so, right-click the tool on the Tool Chest tab and go to Sequence > Enabled. When Enabled is checked, the markup behaves as a Sequence tool with all the appropriate properties; when it is unchecked, it behaves like any other markup.

ClosedCreating a Sequence Tool with a Numbered Count

You can create your own Sequence tool, allowing you to customize its appearance. The example below describes creating a basic Sequence tool out of a shape created using the Rectangle markup tool, but you can use nearly anything (including Snapshots or Images).

  1. Create a Text Box markup that contains some text.
    • The text itself does not matter (it won't even be visible in the final product), though it's a good idea to include as many characters as there are likely to be digits used when counting with this sequence. For example, if this Sequence tool might be used to count more than 100 items, use three characters. This allows you to ensure that there is enough room for three-digit numbers in your Sequence tool.
  2. Right-click the Text Box markup and select Properties.
  3. Make whatever changes to the appearance of the text and the Text Box itself that you wish on the Properties tab. One setting that is strongly recommended is to change the Alignment to Center Alignment (found toward the bottom of the Appearance section) so the text will remain centered when the sequence value is double digits.
  4. Create a Rectangle markup around the Text Box markup.
    • While the Text Box markup is a necessary part of the sequence tool, the shape around it is not. You can use any shape markup you wish (including one created with the Snapshot Tool or the Image Tool) or even no shape at all (just skip ahead to step 8 if that's what you're doing).
  5. Right-click the Rectangle markup and select Properties.
  6. Make whatever changes to the appearance of the text and the Text Box itself that you wish on the Properties tab.
  7. Group the Text Box and Rectangle markups into a single markup.
  8. Go to View >  Tabs > Tool Chest or press ALT+X to show the Tool Chest tab.
  9. Drag the markup from Recent Tools into My Tools (or another tool set; the rest of this procedure assumes you moved it to My Tools).
  10. Right-click on the markup in My Tools and go to Sequence > Define. The Sequence dialog box appears.
  11. The default settings will create a standard sequence tool that starts at 1 and counts up by 1 every time it's placed. Click OK to accept the default settings.

You will see two things change on the tool's icon. First, the text you initially entered in the Text Box has been replaced with your Sequence tool's starting value (by default, a 1). Second, a small triangle icon has appeared in the bottom right corner of the icon. The image below shows a "before" and "after" view of a Sequence tool created using the above process.

ClosedThe Sequence Dialog Box

The Sequence dialog box contains the following options that can be set when defining a sequence tool:

Numbering

Style: Defines the number or letter style of the Sequence.

Prefix: Adds text that appears before the Sequence text.

Suffix: Adds text that appears after the Sequence text.

Start: Sets the start value.

Increment: Sets the rate at which each new Sequence will be incremented.

Options

Reset Sequence Per: Sets whether the Sequence will restart with each new Page or Document.

Renumber when markups are deleted: When selected, a Sequence will automatically renumber when one is deleted. For example, if Sequence 3 is deleted, Sequence 4, 5 and 6 will automatically be renumbered 3, 4 and 5.

The following images show how a Sequence is automatically renumbered.

Related topics

Tool Chest Tab

Count Tool