View PDFs with PDF viewer

VIDEO | Using the Online Viewer (PDF)

When you open a PDF for viewing, the PDF viewer opens. The PDF viewer is a web-based application that renders the document using your browser and can also be used to mark up documents. You can also view non-macro enabled Microsoft Office files, such as those with .docx or .xlsx extensions, and macro enabled files, such as those with .docm or .xlsm extensions.

Download PDF Viewer Quick Guide

View a document from the Document register

When you select a PDF from the document register, the document opens with the PDF viewer. The PDF viewer provides you with tools to search file text, view, and manage comments and annotations, and view links.

The PDF viewer is available for projects that started with Document release 21.5. The viewer also opens when you select a PDF document from anywhere within Document for viewing.

Locate the document in the Document register or dashboard tile. A blue icon in the PDF column indicates a PDF that you can access.
Click the View icon to load the document in PDF Viewer.

The PDF image is shown in a new browser window.

You can view the document, search for text, view and manage comments, add and view links, and add and manage annotations.

PDF viewer toolbars

The PDF viewer has toolbars for managing annotations, viewing, markups, and measuring.

Organization tools

The left side toolbar gives you tools to help you keep track of the annotations, comments, and links. You can also search for text or view thumbnails of the PDF. The toolbar is shown on all tabs of the PDF viewer.

Item number	Name	Use
1	Search tool	Search for text in the document. Use this tool for documents with searchable text. Click the search result to see the text highlighted in the document.
2	Thumbnail	View a thumbnail of each page of the document. You can scroll through the thumbnails and click to go directly to that page.
3	Comments	View comments and annotations, such as notes, shapes, pencil lines, and stamps, associated with the document. You can also create new comments or respond to existing comments. The annotations include the user name, company, date created, and the page number. Click on an annotation in the list to see the location of the annotation on the page.
4	Links	View a list of links associated with the document. You can click a link to open the specified item.
5	Documents	View a table of contents of all documents in the register. You can select a document from the list and open it in the current window instead of going back to the Documents register to open it.

Comments & Annotations Pane

The Comments & Annotations pane lets you see all comments and annotations that were added to the document.

Item number	Name	Use
1	New Comment	Lets you add a new comment to the document.
2	Filter	Lets you filter and sort comments and annotations in the list. You can filter by module, such as Mail or Transmittals, and some high-level data in the module. When you filter annotations, the filtering is also applied to the markups in the viewer. Only the annotations that meet the filter criteria are shown in the viewer.
3	Page number	The page where the annotation can be found.
4	Comment information	Lets you see the name of the commenter, their company, the commented date, and the available to option.
5	Annotation indicator	The icon shows you the type of annotation. Click the annotation to see it highlighted in the document.
6	Close out	Lets you close out the comment or annotation.
7	Release	If you are the review coordinator, this check box is shown. Check this box to release the comment or annotation.
8	Add response	Lets you add a response to a comment.

When you click an annotation in the pane, the annotation in the file is highlighted. You can also click an annotation in the file, and it is highlighted in the annotation pane.

Viewing tools tab

The tools in the Viewing tools tab toolbar let you customize how you view the PDF.

Item number	Name	Use
1	Pan hand	Click and drag to move a large drawing around in the viewing area.
2	Select text and annotations	Select existing text or annotations, so you can add or manage links or delete.
3	Zoom tools	Zoom in or out of the PDF page.
4	Marquee	Magnify an area of the page. Use the pan hand tool to move the page in the viewer. Use the Zoom out tool to return to the original size.
5	Loupe	View a magnified area of the page by hovering over it.

Markup tab

Tools on the Markup tab let you add text and other annotations to the PDF. When the Automatically save document markups setting (Settings > Project settings> Document > Comment) is enabled, your markups are saved automatically. If the setting is disabled, you must save any markups you make before closing the file. Save prompts are shown when windows, such as the Details page, are closed or when closing the viewer tab to ensure that you save all markups.

Text added to any markup, including notes and shapes shows in the Comments tab.

Item number	Name	Use
1	Pan hand	Click and drag to move around a large drawing. You can use the pan hand to click on an annotation to open a formatting slide-out panel. You can then click the Apply button to apply the formats and close the panel.
2	Select text and annotations	Select existing text or annotations, so you can add or manage links or delete.
3	Zoom tools	Zoom in or out of the PDF page.
4	Note	Add a note to the PDF page.
5	Text box	Add a text box on the PDF page. Text added to a text box is shown in the Comments field of the annotation in the Comments & Annotations pane. It is also shown as a comment in the document's Comments register.
6	Typewriter	Add text without a text box around it. The text shows in the Comments & Annotations panel as comments.
7	Callout	Add a text box with an arrow, so you can add text and point to an area of the document with a single tool. You can right-click the callout to access the callout properties, where you can adjust the appearance and font of the text box.
8	Highlight	Highlight text on the PDF page.
9	Area highlight	Draw a highlight box.
10	Shape	Draw a shape, such as a square, circle, or line.
11	Pencil	Draw a pencil line.
12	Eraser	Erase a pencil line.
13	Image	Insert a saved image.
14	Stamp	Add a stamp, such as one that shows approval or rejection.
15	Pin	Place a marker (pin) to an area of the PDF page.
16	New defect	Pin a defect to the drawing.

You can use the Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V keyboard shortcuts to copy and paste a markup. Copy and paste is supported in the same file or across files.

Format markups

When you add a note, highlight, or shape, the Format slide-out panel opens, so you can change the color and opacity. You can then click the Apply button to apply the formats and close the panel.

For other markups, you can use the pan hand to click the markup to open the Format slide-out panel, where you can change the appearance. You can then click the Apply button to apply the formats and close the panel.

Link an existing item to an annotation

You can link an existing item, such as mail, a document, or a form, to support an annotation on the PDF. For example, if you annotated a drawing with a note, you can add items to support that note.

The item to link must already exist in Document. See Link a new item to an annotation for information about creating a new item and linking it. If you want to add links to the document in general, you can use the Links tab.

Click the Select tool, and then click an annotation. A menu of linking options is shown.
Select Link existing items from the menu. A search dialog box opens.
Select the search criteria type, and then enter the search criteria.
Click Search.
Select one or more items from the search results, and then use the move right arrow to move the items to the Selected work items to link section of the page.
Repeat steps 3–5 until you have the links you want. Click Save.
Click Save in the PDF viewer.

The items are linked to the text. You can see them when you use the Links tool.

Link a new item to an annotation

You can create a new item, such as mail, a document, or a form, and then link it to annotation on the PDF in a single procedure. For example, if you annotated a drawing with a note, you can create items to support that note.

You can create and link an item to an annotation from any of the tabs of the PDF viewer. If you want to add links to the document in general, you can use the Links tab.

Click the Select tool, and then click an annotation. A menu of linking options is shown.
Select the type of item you want to link (for example, Link new document).
Create the new item and then save it.
Click Save on the PDF viewer.

The items are linked to the text. You can see them when you use the Links tool.

Pin a defect to a drawing

Summary: Pin a defect to a drawing to show where the defect is located. Using a drawing that is already in the register instead of adding a drawing to the inspection lists prevents duplicate drawings.

Considerations: The drawing must be a PDF.

Quick steps:

From a PDF drawing, go to the Markup tab, and then click New defect.
Click the area on the page to place the defect link. The New Defect Details page opens.
Enter the details of the defect, and then click Save. The defect is added, and additional defects tabs become available. The drawing, including the pin, shows in the Drawings tab. For information about New Defect Detail page, see Log defects on the web application.

What's next: You can add information on the additional tabs as needed.

Measure tab

The measure tab has tools that let you measure distances, perimeters, and areas on a PDF drawing.

Item number	Name	Use
1	Pan hand	Click and drag to move a large drawing around in the viewing area.
2	Select text and annotations	Select existing text or annotations, so you can add or manage links or delete.
3	Zoom tools	Zoom in or out of the PDF page.
4	Measure	Draw an area to measure distance, perimeter, or area. A dialog box opens that lets you specify the scale.

Automatic document linking

When you upload a PDF with searchable text (OCR), Document searches for the text for document numbers that correspond to documents in the register. When it finds the matching text, it creates a hyperlink to the document. You can click the document number link to go directly to the corresponding document.