Many of you have seen this cool feature in Microsoft Word documents or Acrobat PDF forms. It allows for users to fill out PDF forms right on their computer. For business this saves time, money, and duplication of information and effort.
HTML Online Forms
Many web sites have some type of form to capture and process information using a variety of mail form processing scripts.
A good example of an online form is the employment application. However, web owners should be aware of lengthy or complex forms that load slowly even over a high-speed connection.
PDF Online Forms
You should consider using a dynamic PDF form which can be constructed to allow users to type their information directly into the PDF. Once users access the form, you can provide two options:
1) Allow users to save the PDF document to their computer so they may complete it at a later time. Once the form is completed they may email it back to you as an attachment or print it out for faxing or mailing.
2) Require users to immediately complete the form. Once the required data is filled in, users can click submit and automatically attach the PDF as an out-going email without any additional interaction by the sender.
Saving Time, Money and Resources
In some cases it is advantageous for a business to receive important data in a formatted PDF form versus capturing data via a web-based form. Good examples of when to use PDF forms include: mortgage applications, employment forms, credit applications, membership forms, and medical questionnaires.
Think of the time and resources that can be saved when a perspective job applicant completes your multi-page online form in its original form. It also removes the guess work from having to decipher handwriting because ‘all penmanship talents are not created equal’.
You can convert most PDF files into a PDF Form. However, to do so, you’ll need to purchase and install a full version of Adobe Acrobat. All you need is a little HTML know how and a hosted web service account to get you started and you’ll be on your way to becoming an Adobe Acrobat Form Maker Pro!
Ricardo Vidallon is company owner and creative designer for
http://www.visionefx.net
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Adobe announced Acrobat 3D, finally. This is their first foray into 3D. I wrote earlier that they are missing the boat on 3D.
The premise of Acrobat 3D is to enable smooth collaboration amongst various non CAD users within the organization’s workflow i.e. sales, marketing, visual merchandising, channel management, etc. who traditionally could not view designs in 3D. With 2D pictures of 3D products, much data is lost, making the process inefficient and unproductive.
For a while now, CRM and PLM vendors have been looking for a good bridge. The only one that existed so far was Autodesk’s DWF, which works with AutoCAD / Inventor design files.
However, in the Mechanical Design marketplace, the major houses are:
1. Dassault, which owns CATIA (high-end 3D CAD), Solidworks (mid-market 3D CAD), a PDM called SmarTeam, and a PLM product called Enovia, which IBM Global Services sells and integrated.
2. Parametric, which owns ProE (high-end 3D CAD) and Windchill (PLM)
3. Autodesk
4. UGS (recently LBO’d by SIlverlake and Bain)
5. think3 with ThinkDesign, ThinkID, ThinkTeam - all mid-range products.
Given that any 3D Viewer product such as Acrobat 3D will need to pass through a CAD-engineer’s hands, to be written into an Acrobar readable format, it is safe to assume that having deep-pocket CAD relationships would be immensely valuable.
So, let us see who has what in terms of viwers:
Autodesk has DWF. No one else has anything else. However, there are some independent viewers out there, Right Hemisphere and TornadoVIZ. In fact, it is Right Hemisphere’s technology that enables Acrobat 3D, Adobe Ventures has an investment in the company along with Sequoia Capital, and it would be safe to assume that Adobe will buy this company eventually.
I have heard, however, that Acrobat 3D is a very heavy product. In comparison, TornadoVIZ has a very light-weight technology, which would, by and large, need to be an essential characteristic of any 3D viewer such as the ones under discussion.
While Adobe will try to be Switzerland, and not take a preferred CAD system position, it is likely, they will get locked out of the Autodesk eco-system. If I were Dassault, then, would I want a proprietary viewer (perhaps via a Tornado acquisition), or would I be okay with Adobe’s neutral position?
Silicon Valley Entrepreneur and Strategy Consultant Sramana Mitra writes about Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, Emerging Technology, Market Moves, and sundry other topics in her Blog “Sramana Mitra on Strategy”. Read more of her writings at http://www.sramanamitra.com
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