| Author |
Message |
Brian E. Trimble, CDT
Senior Member
Username: brian_e_trimble_cdt
Post Number: 138
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - 11:03 am: |    |
I've noticed recently that pdfs that I have been sent for review don't allow me to copy specific text from the document. Instead the whole page is just one "image" that you can't edit or select text from. This is frustrating from my standpoint as I can't copy and paste text from the original pdf into my word document where I am suggesting edits.
Is this just a setting within Adobe or is this a wholesale change by specifiers to disable editing? |
Colin Gilboy
Board Administrator
Username: admin
Post Number: 17
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - 11:07 am: | |
The document was probably scanned rather than saved as a pdf from Word.
Colin Gilboy
Publisher, 4specs.com
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Ronald L. Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: specman
Post Number: 1624
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - 12:17 pm: | |
Also, Adobe allows the creator to establish security settings for a document. You will notice that AIA contract documents cannot be copied, edited, or inserted into other PDFs.
I have this come up frequently with geotechnical reports from consultants. When they secure their report, I cannot add it to the project manual PDF. and have to issue it as a separate document.
Ron Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP
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John Bunzick
Senior Member
Username: bunzick
Post Number: 1920
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - 02:35 pm: | |
If it is scanned as Colin noted, but does not have the security as Ron noted, the subscription version of Adobe Pro can perform OCR, after which you can copy what you need. I'm not sure if Adobe Reader has OCR or not. |
Dave Metzger
Senior Member
Username: davemetzger
Post Number: 815
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - 06:41 pm: | |
Ron, issuing the geotechnical report as a separate document is not a bad thing. It's not a contract document and so, IMHO, should be made available to bidders separately from the project manual. |
David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: david_axt
Post Number: 2031
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - 07:13 pm: | |
Getting off topic here but I agree with Dave. The geotechnical report is (was) typically issued separately so as not to be confused with the Contract Documents. Back when I was assembling project manuals, the project architects got tired of requests for the reports so I put them in the project manual but with a coversheet that said:
"The following Geotechnical Report is provided in this Project Manual for convenience only. It is not part of the Contract Documents. Bidders/Contractors should only use the information contained in the Drawings and Specifications to prepare their bids.”
David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Specifications Consultant
Axt Consulting LLC |
Ronald L. Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: specman
Post Number: 1625
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - 07:22 pm: | |
Dave:
This can be part of the available information in Division 00: 00 31 32 "Geotechnical Data"
Ron Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP
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John Bunzick
Senior Member
Username: bunzick
Post Number: 1921
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2023 - 02:23 pm: | |
Just thought of another way to address this. If you are suggesting edits that will be returned to the geotech for them to address, you can do this directly in the document with Adobe Reader comment tools. You can then save the PDF with comments and send it back. There are several tools; highlighting, typing text in the document, or attaching a comment with extended text, etc. Adobe reader is a free download.
I used to put information to bidders in the project manual, well labeled, the geotech report being the most common. |
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