Help finishing this action

[drcpub]

A solution please.

I was able to come up with this one click workflow with help from this forum, Thank you

The last hurdle I need to over come is removing the container box from around the line objects on this sheet

In the action:
First, it sets up the new trim box to 1/8 inch in from top and 2 sides and sets the bottom trim along the art box.

Second, it removes all lines, ( in this case the trim marks from the individual supplied pdf, based on color space of the marks )

Third, it selects the color Die and using NOT inverts selection, and then removes all objects left on the page

Fourth, any left over clipping objects and forms are removed, (not sure why forms are in there, but it works )

Lastly, Then I removed the pdf identifiers, pdf name and date on supplied pdf or printed out by Indesign, because they are a different color space as registration color, they were selected easily.

After running this, I am left with almost what I need. The problem is each Die colored score line, 4 of them, each has its own container box or what ever it is called that goes around the Art box of the pdf. If I draw a marquee over any edge, all 4 score lines are selected. If I click left one time on the edge, I select one of the scorelines. In wireframe mode an X is visible showing the selection. What I need to do is remove the container boxes, leaving the Die color score lines. My work around has been to select each score line, holding down Shift, 4 times, cutting to clipboard, then marquee of the edge and delete all container boxes, then Pasting back in place the score lines.

I supplied a link to the action that I made and a sheet test pdf

Also if someone could tell me what that box is called that I keep referring to, I would be appreciative.

Thank you again in advance, hopefully one day I can contribute to this forum, instead of relying on your expertise

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18DSr5c ... p=drivesdk

[CruzinCooler]

Hey drcpub,
Go old school and through Acrobat > Export to Postscript, distill, run your action and all is good.
I know not the best way to resolve the issue but done quickly and got rid of all the other crap in the file.
I'll PM you.

[freddyp]

The container box as you call it is a form. You can easily see that when you use the "Object browser" from the "PitStop" menu.

Screen Shot 2023-02-23 at 10.53.39.png (23.63 KiB) Viewed 7657 times

These forms have nothing to do with interactive forms where you can fill in information. They are just PDF constructs for grouping objects in a certain way and although indispensable in many cases they also often do not really contribute to the structure of the PDF, as is the case here. On the other hand, if they do not really contribute they also do not hurt, so why do you want to get rid of them?

You could now say, but I have "Select forms", "Remove selection" in my Action List. This only removes empty forms. If you removed non-empty forms you would be in for a very big surprise because forms are all over the place (plus forms within forms within forms).

[drcpub]

The main and only reason I need to get them off the page is because of the die convertor. They might be using software or hardware or a combination of that gets in the way of their cad. All I know is the directions they send to use require us to remove them, Have tried to send it to them like that, and all they did was send an updated bill for the adjustment.

As I mentioned, selecting only the red rules, cutting to pasteboard, removing the form lines, then pasting back in, is how I have been doing it. I'm trying to achieve a one click option. Is it possible to incorporate the copy paste scenario into the action as I described? So it could be used for items that have form boxes, with in the document? Sometime simple graphics come along with those same form paths.

Hey thanks for the informative info, Really helpful!!!

[freddyp]

Cutting/copying and pasting through the available actions for that will not help because the forms are kept. This is a reasonable approach because the transparency properties of the form can influence what the objects inside the form look like, so cutting an object in a form and pasting it outside of a form can theoretically result in a visual difference. In your case it will not make a difference, but the cut/copy/paste actions keep the form to be certain. On top of that the fact a decent PDF consumer should be able to handle forms, so there is no reason for removing the forms.

However, there is one thing you can do: flatten the PDF in a separate step after applying your Action List. Flattening a PDF gets rid of all transparencies, also the transparencies of a form, so the flattening step also gets rid of the forms.

[ScottHaugaard]

Flattening as a separate step looks like it will work for @drcpub, to send dielines to a vendor.

Is there a way to automate this? I am unable to Select Content That is Visible, and then Resize Crop Box to Selection because the Forms are getting in the way.

[freddyp]

Flattening a PDF is part of the functionality of PitStop Server so it is easy to automate.

[drcpub]

Hi, for now, I have been using CruzinCooler's advice, export to PS, distill Standard, than running my action gets me there, Sadly no flattening in Pitstop or in Acrobat that works