Hyperlinks in PDFs

[jcolesRA725]

Hi everyone

A lot of the drawings I create usually have notes which reference to specific documents, such as letters which I have saved in a PDF format. We then have to send these massive packages to our clients, then they have to keep opening and closing lots of different PDFs to know what we're talking about.

Is there a way to hyperlink these documents in a drawing so that they can be sent to our clients and all they have to do is click on the note and the correct document pops up? I was thinking that maybe it will all need to be sent in a zip folder similar to an eTransmit, or is there some way of uploading all the hyperlinked documents to the cloud and we only have to send them the drawing?

Many Thanks

Jon

[pendean]

You want a hyperlink in a PDF to open another PDF at a client PC?
Or want a hyperlink in a PDF to open another page in the same PDF?

[john.vellek]

Hi jcolesRA725,

So that I can get a better idea of what you are trying to do, let me put my spin on things:

You have a set of drawings that you want to share. Are you sharing them in DWG format or do you share them in PDF or DWF format?

In these drawings, you want to create hyperlinks to documents either on a shared web site or a folder that you are also sharing.

To create a Hyperlink in AutoCAD, select an object and then use Hyperlink command from the command line or from the ribbon icon.

I like to put all my support documents (such as Word, PDF, or Excel docs) all in the same folder as the drawings. You can insert hyperlinks to these documents, other locations in your drawing, or even to an email address.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post fully solves your issue or answers your question.

[john.vellek]

Hi Jon,

I am checking back to see if my post helped you with your problem or if you need additional assistance or information. Please add a post with your results so other Forum users can benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if my post fully solves your issue or answers your question.

[jcolesRA725]

I am trying to hyperlink a PDF to open another PDF at a client PC. They won't have access to our server, so the hyperlinks won't work from their PC.

In my drawing, there is a note that is referring to a letter (which I have in PDF format), and I want our client to be able to open this letter by clicking on the note.

I have been able to set up the hyperlink to search for the letter in the same folder as the drawing (similar to using eTransmit), but I'm wondering if there is some way of using the cloud, by uploading the letter, and sending the drawing via email? I have zero experience using the cloud so I don't know if this is possible.

Thanks for your input so far.

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @jcolesRA725,

I understand what you are attempting to do but I worry that there are numerous ways this could break and that you can't control the process. I suggest merely appending  the letter pdf to the drawing PDF and then you can link internally in the document.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post fully solves your issue or answers your question.

[pendean · Accepted solution]

There is nothing you can do in AutoCAD.

You can hope your client/files recipient allows their PDF viewer to hyperlink and that they also place all the files you send them in one folder (and not try to read it direct from the email client) and so many other factors out of your control there is no guarantee of success.

Same for clouds: that cloud server may or may not allow a PDF viewer to do what you want, you cannot control it.

The ONLY successful way everyone can do it is to use hyperlinks to like to files on YOUR website or very public FTP sites and nothing local to the user or the cloud server at all.

Good luck.

[knuppej98]

Hi everyone,

i like to use hyperlinks in my dwg drawing at certain points. so when you click on a point a pdf file opens up in acrobat reader.

But when i share my dwg file the hyperlinks won't work anymore because they reply to file destinations which are stil on my PC,

But when i sent a drawing is sent the pdf files with it in the same folder, stil the don't work because hyperlink thinks they are still on my PC.

Does anyone know how to solve this

Thanks,

Joe

[john.vellek]

Hi @knuppej98,

I don't seem to have this issue. Can you share your files that include a hyperlink to a PDF?  When I make my link I use relative path. Is that what you are using as well?

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[knuppej98]

Hi John,

i always use (use a relative path for hyperlinks)

The main problem is, when my colleague opens up a zipfile is send him, (which contains pdf files and a dwg drawing) the hyperlinks insite the dwg won't work anymore. He will get a message when clicking that the hyperlink destination cannot be found.

Hopefully it is clear now!?

Joe

[john.vellek]

Hi Joe,

Can you share the files with me so I can see if I can break down what might not be working properly for you? I tried this in 2018 and 2019 product and it seems to behave normally for me.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[andrew8QEC8]

Your PDF editing software of choice may be capable of creating this ability, like in Blu-Beam; it is under Tools> Hyperlink.