Pdf annotations export

I now use ES file explorer to browse cloud files and xodo pdf to edit and annotate. This combination allows the files to be edited from Gdrive directly and saved back to original cloud location (easily accessible by pc, phone). But the biggest downside is that there is nearly a 1 second lag when using the pen. So what I am using is temporary and not a full solution.

Onyx definitely needs to provide better way to

  1. directly edit and save pdf files to the original location in the cloud and
  2. integrate faster pen response in third party apps like xodo pdf and onenote.
    Solving the above will make the device really useful for students and researchers with lots of pdfs.

I also use the boox max 2 a) for browsing, email, b) to remote desktop (coding and other complex tasks), and c) as a second monitor. They all work good (could be improved) and do not have fundamental pain point like (1) above. There is some mouse lag (like pen lag in 3rd party apps) but I use touch to move mouse which helps.

Overall I enjoy my max 2. I really hope Onyx fixes (1) and (2).

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Yes, very important also for me. Please add this function

Why doesn’t NeoReader allow us to choose the name and location of exported annotations? It seems like such an obvious feature to implement. I get very frustrated by this as well because I then have to clear up unnecessary folders and rename files afterwards. Wasted time housekeeping when I could be editing.

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This is absolutely necessary for me. Has there been any progress towards this?

Hello, it is available to choose the location of exported documents for Neo Reader in the latest firmware.

Thanks for the reply Claire!

So here is my specific use case:

I store my PDFs in the cloud on MEGA. Would I be able to download the MEGA app through Google Play, sync up my files onto the Boox Max2 Pro, open a PDF with NeoReader, make scribbles and highlights, save the changes, and then see those highlights reflected when I open the same PDF on my laptop?

Or do I always have to export the changes to a new PDF?

Hello, we have tried to download the Mega on Max 2 and found that the PDF document could not be opened with Neo Reader and you are suggested to download the document first and then try to open with the Neo Reader.

Thanks for your quick reply Claire. That’s unfortunate about the Mega app.

Are there any other cloud service apps that Neo Reader can open PDFs directly from and then save to as described in my previous post?

The Onyx website mentions Dropbox for the Boox Max2 Pro. Can Neo Reader open directly from Dropbox? (https://www.boox.com/boox-max2-pro/)

If not, are there other PDF annotation apps available on the Boox Max2 that could open a PDF from MEGA?

Thanks!

We have tried the documents on Google Drive and you could directly open with Neo Reader. We have seen other people trying the Dropbox and it could be opened directly with Neo Reader.

Ok, so am I correct in assuming that I cannot save my edits to the opened PDF directly to the original file on Google Drive or Dropbox?

In other words, can you confirm that it is not possible to directly overwrite the original PDF after making edits in Neo Reader–I would have to export the edits to a new copy of the PDF, and then manually go in and overwrite the old one using my computer?

If this is true, are there other apps like Xodo that would allow me to annotate the PDF and directly save the edits to the same file in the cloud?

The workflow for .pdf edits is a lot simpler and more convenient on a Sony DPT-RP1:
When you edit a .pdf on a Sony DPT-RP1, the comments are written directly into the .pdf file. This means no need to export from a database, no need to manage several files.

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I am using Note pro and would like to exactly have the same. Open from synced Dropbox folder, directly save back handwritten annotations to same file that syncs with Dropbox.

The annotations are embed in original Pdf documents now, and you do not need to export the document separately.

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Fantastic, Claire, thanks!

You are welcome!:grinning:

Hi @claire, does this mean that with the Boox Max 2, it’s possible to open a PDF from Dropbox or MEGA using NeoReader, make edits, embed them, wait for the PDF to sync to cloud, and then see the edits on another device?

Similarly, will edits made on another device sync and appear in the PDF on the Boox Max 2?

Thanks!

Hi @claire,
Many thanks for this! I was about to give up on my Max2 as I couldn’t seamlessly include it into my workflow. Now it is much better.

One issue remains, though: NeoReader seems to save the annotations in a nonstandard format that creates problems with other pdf readers. For example, on Xodo on Windows 10, I can see the annotations, but they appear “flattened” into the file, i.e. do not logically register as annotations that I could e.g. select or edit.

More seriously, the annotations don’t show at all on several Linux readers (which probably all use the same poppler pdf library), e.g. evince. To make the annotations visible there, I need to first run them through ghostscript (gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dDOPDFMARKS -dNOPAUSE -dQUIET -dBATCH -dPrinted=false -dPreserveAnnots=false -dPassThroughJPEGImages=true -s
OutputFile=$outputfile $inputfile)

Especially the latter problem might be fixable by checking that the annotations are actually stored in a format that follows standard conventions.

Many thanks again for being so responsive!

All the best,

Phil

Dear, please note that you still need to sync the notes you have edited on Neoreader on your Dropbox account manually.

Hi Claire Ty for yours kind replies, but i don’t understand. May you tell us if it’s possible to: open PDF from dropbox (or alternative program) using NeoReader, edit PDF file, and then see the edits and modify on another device? I can’t done it. Ty very much. This is a very important feature for an accademic e-ink device.

I second Daniele. The uncertainty over this capability is the main thing preventing me from purchasing a boox device.