Form Properties: Actions

Actions Properties are available for all fields to link user events to actions. A user generates an event by interacting with the document, which in turn invokes the specified actions.

Trigger: Determines the type of event that will invoke actions. There are six trigger types:

  • Mouse Up: This action is triggered when mouse button is released.
  • Mouse Down: This action is triggered when mouse button is pressed.
  • Mouse Enter: This action is triggered when mouse cursor first hovers over a field.
  • Mouse Exit: This action is triggered when mouse leaves a field.
  • On Focus: This action is triggered when the mouse is clicked on or tabbed onto a field.
  • On Blur: This action is triggered when the mouse loses focus on a field.

Add Action: Click to add an action to the actions list. The Action dialog box appears. There are two types of actions that can be added: Basic and Form.

Basic Actions allow navigation through a PDF, web page, or file on the file system. The various types of basic actions are described below.

  • Jump to:
    • Page: Moves to a specific page number in a selected PDF. The current document or other PDF documents may be specified. The scale factor and zoom level may also be set.
    • Place: Moves to a predefined Place, as defined on the Links tab, on a PDF (see the documentation on the Links tab in the Revu help guide). The location of the Place can be changed later without breaking the action.
    • Space: Moves to a predefined Space, as defined on the Spaces tab, on a PDF see the documentation on the Spaces tab in the Revu help guide). If an action is set to a Space that is subsequently deleted, the action will bet automatically converted to Snapshot View, as described below.
  • Snapshot View: Moves to a specific, zoomed-in area of the current PDF. This option is useful for zooming into specific views of a region of a large format drawing, such as a particular elevation detail. Click Get Rectangle to define the area of the drawing to jump to.
    • Tip: Attempting to set a Snapshot View to another page fails if anything else is clicked before setting the view (for example, scrolling down to another page or selecting it from the Thumbnails tab). To successfully set such a Snapshot View, either zoom out so both pages are in the workspace (eliminating the need to click on anything else), or move the form field to a place near the destination, set the Snapshot View, then move the form field back to its original location.
  • Hyperlink: Opens a specific web page or other URL.
  • Open File: Opens a file.

Form Actions are related to the fields in the PDF document. It is here that JavaScript calls may be invoked based on a specified trigger.

  • JavaScript: JavaScript may be invoked as an action for a trigger. Use this field specify the trigger.
  • Reset Form: Resets part or all of the form fields.
  • Submit Form: A form may be submitted in PDF, FDF, or HTML form to a URL waiting for submittals. Click Options to configure submission options.

The Actions List shows the actions to be invoked by the selected trigger. To add a new Action, click the Add Action button beneath the Trigger drop down box. The Basic Action dialog box appears.