I am looking for a good filemaker pdf plugin that will allow me to control the name and other important characteristics of the pdf.

I would like to:

Name the pdf based on data from fields.

Control the resolution of the pdf.

Control the number of copies to print.

What drawer to draw the pdf from.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I found this one.

http://www.schubec.com/en_pdfplugin.php

Does anyone have any feedback for this plugin or any others?

Jason

Have you closely investigated FileMaker 8's built-in PDFMaker?

Just and FYI. I am new at FM. I used to use lotus. I do find FM easy to use, understand and everything, but I am definitely dealing with a learning curve.

I have played with FM8 pdf. It works ok. The size of the pdf is kind of a problem. The quality I get at 1.5 megs is not real good.

I basically have a table of logos that I am placing over a background webimage that I am trying to make into a pdf. I really need to be able to name the pdf. I have read that it is possible, but I have yet to figure it out or find where it is explained in a way that I can understand.

The other thing I would like to be able to do is embed what number of copies to make, and what drawer to pull it out of, etc in the pdf.

I also need to create a record in a seperate table for each pdf I create. I need the name of the pdf and location, along with some other basic fields put into a new record. As I am new to FM, this is probably pretty easy to do, I just haven't figured it out yet.

Hopefully, you or someone can help me.

Thanks.

The neophyte.

To name the PDF, see this topic:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/169990/post/177742/hl//#177742

The resolution can be controlled in the script step Save Records as PDF, see this topic:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/169980/post/176822/hl/pdf+resolution/#176822

To create a record in a different table, you'll have to Freeze Window, then Go To Layout with a layout that contains the table. Then do a New Record,some Set Fields, and don't forget the Commit!

Be aware that FM8A does NOT support PDF in the runtimes, Only XLS in that type of function

I forgot to mention, another plugin (I believe Win only) is Affiler (www.afeina.com). It's not really a plug in, but a combo of pdftk, and ghostscript formatted to be run from the send event script step. It's kind of clunky (requires lots of pauses and tricks in the scripts, and support is dismal, up to a month response time) but it works OK to dynamically name pdf's and save folder. It can also allow you to email from within FM. Equally clunky but it works. I've found that making a variable pause field so that you can change it dynamically on slower machines works. I've actually had to have up to 4 pauses of 8 seconds each in a single print and email script. Also, when printing many page reports (like 20+) try using the number of pages divided by 2 or 3 for your pause. let me know if you need the script steps to do that one.