Mapsoft
ThumbNails
Version 1.5
A Publishing Tool for use with Adobe Acrobat
(Version X upwards)
Running under WindowsTM Operating Systems
Issue 3
January 2021
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Introduction
You can use the Mapsofts ThumbNails tool to embed thumbnails within a document. A thumbnail is a miniature view of each page within a document. Thumbnails can be displayed in the Thumbnails tab located to the left of the document window (called Pages in Acrobat 6). You can choose if you want thumbnails to be embedded within your document or if you want them to be exported into separate image files. If you create external image files you can use them in desk-top publishing (DTP) or web design. The ThumbNails tool allows you to specify if these image files should have borders around them, which would make them easier to use in publishing.
You can also use the ThumbNails tool to remove any existing embedded thumbnails from within a file.
Thumbnails are an in-built feature of Adobe Acrobat. Under Acrobat Versions 5, 6 and 7 thumbnails are generated, but not embedded, automatically.
Using ThumbNails
To create thumbnail image files or embed thumbnails for the current document:
1. Open the file for which you wish to create thumbnails. These can be created as either external image files or can be embedded into the source document itself.
2. Select Plug-Ins > Mapsoft >ThumbNails ... from Acrobats main menu.
3. The
ThumbNails dialog box then displays:
4. Ensure the Create Thumbnails radio button is selected.
5. Choose if you wish to either Embed Thumbnails in the document itself or Create Images in a separate file.
6. If you choose to create the thumbnail images in a separate file you must:
q Enter the name of the directory to which the image files are to be saved in the Save To field. You can use this fields associated Browse button if you wish.
q Enter the prefix of the new files into the Prefix field.
q Select the format of the external image file in the Format field.
q Ensure the Create Border Around Images check box is checked (the default) if you want a border to be created around each image. Then select the line width (in pixels) you require for the border.
7. Regardless of whether you chose to create thumbnail images in a separate file or to embed them into the current document, you must now enter the Page Range and Page Spread details for those pages for which you wish to create thumbnails.
8. Optionally enter a name for your current configuration/settings into the Name Configuration field and then click Save to save it. You will then be able to re-use this definition with Mapsofts unique macro builder tool, Automator, which is available for purchase from the Mapsoft website: www.mapsoft.com. Automator allows you to use ThumbNails in batch mode across multiple documents and/or to use it in conjunction with other Mapsoft publishing plug-ins.
9. Click OK to create thumbnails either as embedded images in the appropriate document or as separate images in a new file depending on the options you have selected.
To remove thumbnails from the current document:
1. Open the file from which you wish to remove existing thumbnails.
2. Select Plug-Ins > Mapsoft >ThumbNails ... from Acrobats main menu.
3. When the ThumbNails dialog box displays check the Remove Embedded Thumbnails button.
4. Enter the Page Range and Page Spread details for those pages from which you wish to delete thumbnails.
5. Optionally enter a name for your current configuration/settings into the Name Configuration field and then click Save to save it. You will then be able to re-use this definition with Automator.
6. Click OK to remove any embedded thumbnails from the specified pages.
Saving a ThumbNails Configuration
To save a particular ThumbNails configuration for later re-use, simply enter a name for it into the Configuration Name field, then click the Save button. This makes configuration available for re-use in another session of ThumbNails.
Once saved, you can delete any existing ThumbNails configurations you no longer require simply by selecting the appropriate one from the drop-down list in the Configuration Name field and then clicking the Delete button.
ThumbNails Options
The following options can be set in the ThumbNails dialog box:
Create Thumbnails |
Check
this check-box to embed thumbnails. Thumbnails can either be created in the
source file, by clicking the Embed Thumbnails button, or exported to
external image files by clicking the Create Images button. If you
choose to create the thumbnails in external image files the following options
are also available: |
Remove
Embedded |
Check this box to remove any existing thumbnails already embedded within a document. |
Page Range |
Specifies
those pages for which you wish thumbnail image files to be created: |
Page Spread | Specifies the page spread, of pages lying
within the specified page range, for which thumbnail image files are to be
created: |
Name Configuration | The name under which your new configuration is to be saved. Saving a configuration ensures you can use it again, or you can use it in conjunction with Mapsofts Automator tool |
Specifying Page Ranges
If you only wish to create thumbnail image files for certain selected pages choose the Specified Pages Only option from the Page Range. You can then type the numbers of the pages for which you wish to create thumbnail image files into the text box at the foot of this field.
Thumbnail image files can be created for non-contiguous pages, and/or ranges of pages. For individual non-contiguous pages type the page numbers of the relevant pages, separating each by a comma. For example to create thumbnail image files for pages 6, 12 and 15 type:
6, 12, 15
Any spaces are ignored, so you can enter them or not as you prefer.
You can also specify a range of pages for which thumbnail image files are to be created. To do this type the starting and ending numbers in the range, separated by a hyphen. For example to select pages 3 through 19 of your document type:
3-19
If you omit the first number in the range, the first page of the document is assumed. Similarly if you omit the last number the final page of the document is assumed. Thus if you were to enter:
3-
thumbnail image files would be created for all pages from page 3 onwards. If you were to enter:
-28
thumbnail image files would be created for pages 1 though 28 of your document.
You can specify both non-contiguous pages and ranges of pages at the same time. For example to select pages 3, 8, 9, 10, 14, and 18 type:
3, 8-10, 14, 18
Once youve typed in a page range definition, if you subsequently click the All Pages button the page range definition is retained so making it easy to go back to it should this be required.