Work with PDF Objects

You can use PDF objects to attach documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) to a report in CDM for reference.

PDF objects can be included in the report for reference while you are working on the report, but they are not generated upon output.

Note: Because PDF objects are not included in the generated report, PDF objects cannot be included in the Table of Contents.

Important: When the file is open, PDF objects in CDM have the same functionality as Adobe™ Reader or Adobe Acrobat. The advanced functionality for Adobe products is beyond the scope of this guide. However, some topics are included for your convenience. For more information, see the Adobe documentation.

Password Protection for PDF Objects

In CDM, you can protect your PDF files with password security to prevent unauthorized users from copying or extracting information.

CDM does not remove the password protection on PDF files. If the PDF file can be opened and viewed, it can be attached to a report and viewed correctly. If you want to prevent unauthorized users from copying or extracting from a PDF, use the security settings in the application used to generate the PDF.

However, if password protection is in place to prevent the PDF file from being opened, CDM cannot display the PDF file.

Add a PDF File to a PDF Object

You can attach a PDF file to a PDF object in CDM.

PDF files can be added to a report for reference purposes but they are not generated upon output.

1. Open the report that you want to work with.
2. In the report tree on the left, right-click the name of the report and select Add Child > PDF Object.
3. In the Open window, navigate to the PDF file that you want to attach to the PDF object and click Open. The PDF object is added to the report tree and the PDF file is opened in the work area.
4. Click Manage object workflow to configure report object permissions as necessary.
5. Save your changes to the report and check in the PDF object.