Hi Peter, Just a suggestion, but it sounds like everything you're trying to do could be easily done using SVG (scalable vector graphics)...instead of PDF.
Take a look at SVGMapMaker. http://www.dbxgeomatics.com/SVGMapMaker.asp?Language=EN It's inexpensive and will give you a "scalable, zoomable map with hotlinks". You can also choose to have an InfoTool and other user events such as color-rollovers. It exports your mapwindow or layout window directly. Good luck, Denis Denis Lalonde DBx GEOMATICS Inc. 37 St-Joseph Boul Floor2 Hull, QC J8Y 3V8 tel: 819-772-2000 fax: 819-772-2001 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.dbxgeomatics.com/ --- Peter Zyczynski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thanks Philip, > > Sounds like your suggestion could be worth trying. > > Could this be attempted by someone without any prior > knowledge of the > postscript language? Are there any good > introductory PDFMARK > references on the web? Also, how do you produce a > postscript file out > of Mapinfo? > > So far my understanding of the process you described > is this: > > 1. Export my map window as a postscript file. > 2. Write a small MBX that will produce a text file > with A4 coordinates > for each hotlink object - like this: > > [/Rect [ x1 y1 x2 y2 ] > /Action << /Subtype /URI /URI > (http://www.somepage.com) >> > /Border [ 0 0 2 ] > /Color [ .7 0 0 ] > /Subtype /Link > /ANN pdfmark > > 3. Insert the header (not sure where this goes?): > > /pdfmark where > {pop} {userdict /pdfmark /cleartomark load put} > ifelse > /prun { /mysave save def > dup = flush > RunFile > clear cleardictstack > mysave restore > /dothumbnails > } def > > [ > /Count -20 > /Title (your map title) > /Page 1 /OUT pdfmark > (your layout as a postscript file.ps) prun > <------ I think the link statements go here (or > prior to the > prun) > /Title ......next map > /Page 2 > > > > For now just a few questions: > > 1. Which corner of the page does postscript use as > the origin - would > this coincide with one of the map window corners? > > 2. Where does the header get inserted? At the top > of the PDFMARK file > produced by the MBX? > > 3. I noticed "Rect" as the hotlink shape, is there > such a thing as a > polygon in PDFMARK lingo? > > Cheers, > Peter > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Philip Waight [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, 20 September 2002 4:02 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: MapInfo-L > Subject: Re: MI-L PDF hotlink web > > I think you can do what you want using a Distiller > PDFMARK job file. > > I use these job files to create a single PDF book of > multiple layouts > with > bookmarks as an index to each Layout. I note the > following example in > the > PDFmark guide: > > % Custom Link action (URI link for the Acrobat > WebLink plug-% > in) > [/Rect [ 50 425 295 445 ] > /Action << /Subtype /URI /URI > (http://www.adobe.com) >> > /Border [ 0 0 2 ] > /Color [ .7 0 0 ] > /Subtype /Link > /ANN pdfmark > > So this means if you are prepared to print your > maps/layouts to an > intermediate postscript file and then pass Distiller > a job file with > the PS > reference plus all your hotlinks (mapped to A4 page > coords), then it > should > work well. Some MapBasic which creates the hotlink > references should > be all > you need, then manually plug in the necessary header > which looks > something > like (I have never seen a more cryptic language): > > /pdfmark where > {pop} {userdict /pdfmark /cleartomark load put} > ifelse > /prun { /mysave save def > dup = flush > RunFile > clear cleardictstack > mysave restore > /dothumbnails > } def > > [ > /Count -20 > /Title (your map title) > /Page 1 /OUT pdfmark > (your layout as a postscript file.ps) prun > <------ I think the link statements go here (or > prior to the prun) > /Title ......next map > /Page 2 > > > Phil. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Peter Zyczynski" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 1:06 PM > Subject: MI-L PDF hotlink web > > > > Hi all, > > > > I'm investigating the possibility of using PDF as > an alternative to > > the HTML Image Map tool that comes with Mapinfo. > > > > The purpose is to create scalable, zoomable maps > of bus routes and > bus > > stops that will be published to the internet. It > appears that PDF > is > > the easiest way to do this. > > > > BUT... > > > > I need the bus stops and bus routes to be > clickable objects within > the > > PDF. When the user clicks on one they are taken > to another web > page. > > Essentially I'm after an embedded hotlink within > the PDF. > > > > Is this possible? > > > > So far my attempts of using PDF Writer only > produced 'dumb' pages, > the > > hotlink specified within the workspace was ignored > in the final PDF. > > > > Also I'm aware that I can introduce these hotlinks > manually using > the > > editing features of PDF Writer, but this would be > impractical as I > > have hundreds of pages to produce. > > > > Am I pursuing a dead end here? > > > > Cheers, > > > > Peter Zyczynski > > Analyst Programmer > > Insight GIS > > Australia > > Ph: (03) 6234-5833 > > Fax: (03) 6234-5899 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > www.insightgis.com.au > > > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? 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