More options for 'Get File as Container' function

[DaveWheelock]

Hi all,

I'm using Scriptmaster's 'Get File as Container' function on a server-side script to pull in user supplied files, images, PDFs, MHTML files and excel files, from a server folder, and insert them into container fields. I'm doing this since the 'Insert fill-in-the-blank' script steps aren't supported by FM Server 12.

My issue is that I need the functionality of 'Insert PDF' so my PDFs can be easily viewed and printed. Without it, they just show up as generic files. So, I'm wondering if anyone has been successful in expanding the functionality of the 'Get File as Container' function so we can dictate the type of file we are inserting? Something like: Get File as Container (path ; filetype).

Also, if there's another way to accomplish this, I'd love to hear about it.

TIA,

Dave Wheelock

[john renfrew]

Do you mean by 'generic file' that is it not rendering a preview but showing an icon and the filename??

If it exists as a file in a container then surely any of the methods for viewing and printing are valid?

Haven't tried it but what about a script which also puts includes SetField( GetAsThumbnail) into a container for the purposes of display?

Or process them after all client side so the preview rendering works on a robot machine?

[DaveWheelock]

Hi John,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the icon and filename are what we get. The problem is, when we use the affected PDF on a Report layout, it prints as the icon/filename as well. If you use the 'Insert PDF' script step, a single page PDF prints as if it were an image.

Haven't tried SetField( GetAsThumbnail), but I'm not hopeful since this function is meant for images, and nothing was rendered in the first place. I'll give it a try, and will report back.

I'm really trying to avoid a robot scenario.

[john renfrew]

Hmmm - you are right, it doesn't work

There is a way using the icepdf library to get a thumbnail from a PDF, and it can be done direct from the container without saving to disk first..

[DaveWheelock]

I'll take a look, thanks!

[john renfrew]

http://wiki.icesoft.org/display/PDF/Converting+PDF+Page+Renderings

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