Pdf annotations export

MAX2 SERIES
#21

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

#22

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

#23

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.

#24

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

#26

Hello Daniele, sorry for the late reply here. Yes, you could directly open PDFs from Dropbox with NeoReader, then edit files using NeoReader. It will not sync automatically and you shall upload the file via Internal Storage/ Downloads to upload the PDFs you have edited before on your Dropbox. Then you could see the edits and continue to modify on other devices. FYI, Syncthing works well for syncing documents across devices. Learn more from this post.

#27

Just updated to V2.2.1. Now I am able to edit and directly sync pdfs using neo reader to the cloud drive (google drive). My file browser is solid explorer. This make the device very useful for handling lots and lots of pdfs on the cloud drives.

#28

Hi Claire,

Thanks for the info. However, that workaround of manually uploading is not necessary. Dropbox works out of the box on MAX 2 Pro with the November update and syncs pdf annotations IF you open the pdf from its true location, NOT from the dropbox app.

What works for me on MAX:

  • install dropbox app and sync pdf (i.e. initial download to MAX)
  • go to the storage folder where dropbox stores the files. On my device that is: Storage/Android/data/com.dropbox.android/files/randomnumber/scratch
  • there you can find the pdfs and work with them as usual (open in NeoReader, annotate, close (autosave))
  • once the file is saved, dropbox syncs as it is supposed to
  • I usually leave the folder with pdfs open and have no problems at all

I am quite happy with that setup. Especially because I have linked my dropbox pdf repository on my work station to Zotero. So my annotations move seamlessly from the MAX to my reference management system Zotero on my work station.

3 Likes
Academic workflow
#29

Cas your method work if you do an higlight into boox then open pdf from pc. This method work also with the oldest version of firmware. But if you do an highlight form pc, then open with boox you cannot modify that. And what about modify into the pc a note done into boox? Not work, at least not work for me. Boox must do a serious accademic workflow or this device are, for me, not usable.

#30

Do you provide a cloud service with which I am able to to sync all content of my Max 2 Pro and automatically upload my updated annotations and highlights?

#31

We are sorry to inform you that this kind of cloud service is not available now and will try our best to make it available in the near future.

#32

Hi all,

For Boox to be a truly useful productivity tool, the highlighting and annotation needs to be as simple as possible. Currently, these actions are slow and clunky in NeoReader (unless scribbling). Users at this thread have come up with a great proposal to fix this. Please consider heading over there and voting!

1 Like