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When I try to move a database field on top of an image (or PDF object),
writer won't let me place it on top of the image.
Is there a way to put a database field on top of an image?
Hi,
When I try to move a database field on top of an image (or PDF object),
writer won't let me place it on top of the image.Is there a way to put a database field on top of an image?
If you try to insert the fields by dragging and dropping on top of the image, then this will only work for the first field, and only on the first line of the page, and even then only if the image is arranged in the background apparently, at least from my testing - in other words, completely useless.
If however, you drag and drop your fields first, and then insert the image and set that to wrap in background, you can put your fields more or less wherever you want.
Alex
Ok thanks. I tried that. It worked. You need a form with a transparent
background which took a little work with gimp (
http://www.ehow.com/how_8422694_remove-white-gimp.html). Then I used a
table to place the fields where I wanted them.. So I can see a method to
get this handled.
What would be much easier would be to be able to make the image a
background layer or a watermark (like microsoft), overlay it with a
transparent table and then place the fields to match the form. I wouldn't
have to go the extra step of making the background transparent. If you
have a lot of fields, it's a lot of clicking.
The other way I could do it is have a blank form, place the fields on a
transparent table for precise locations, then overprint the hardcopy form.
Then I would have to scan the completed document. Either way - there are
some extra steps to get what I want, but it can be done.
So... Thanks.
Hi 
Wow! The hap seemed to make that quite complicated in Gimp. I just
1. right-click on the layer in the side-panel to "Add Alpha Channel".
2. then up to the top-menu-bar to click on "Select" and "Select by colour"
3. click on the colour i want to "see through"
4. hit the delete key (well, press it softly really)
5. save in a format that does support transparencies, such as NOT jpg
That would get the insides of all the boxes/fields in one go.
Tbh i thought there was a way of setting an image to be at the very back or even as a water-mark. Draw might be better for this and then create text-boxes over the parts of the image you want to write on.
So, i am not quite sure why we went the Gimp route but i like using Gimp and it's good to learn new tricks with it.
Regards from
Tom
Hi Howell,
Ok thanks. I tried that. It worked. You need a form with a transparent
background which took a little work with gimp (
http://www.ehow.com/how_8422694_remove-white-gimp.html). Then I used a
table to place the fields where I wanted them.. So I can see a method to
get this handled.
I am a bit lost as to what it is exactly you are trying to achieve.
You don't say what it is you want as your PDF document and what that has
to do with Writer ?
For example, in Base, you can create a database form with a background
image that will have some degree of transparency.
You can also do this independently as a Writer document, into which you
insert your fields from your database. It is possible to insert and
image in this Writer document which can be set to be a watermark, i.e.
with a degree of transparency.
Where does the PDF come in ? Are you exporting your form to FPDF ?
Sorry, but I guess I'm missing something.
Alex
Hi
I think he is trying to fill in a form that has been sent to him as a Pdf. Either that or trying to fill in a form that has been scanned in as a Pdf.
Regards from
Tom
Piece of cake with Draw. I've done it. Now if the OP wants automation, I can't help there.
Girvin
Tom Davies wrote:
Hi
Hmmm, i always struggle with it quite a lot. Not that i have done it much. Only tried 1 or 2 times tbh but both times it was a pita.
Regards from
Tom
That is correct. These are forms that are available to me as pdf's without
fillable fields. Even if the fields were fillable - I want to fill them
from a database. I'm not the creator of these forms so I have to work
backward from what I receive.
I have only done it 1 or 2 times myself, but that has not been my experience. Yes, there are different types of pdf files out there. Some, the pdf form could actually be modified, the others, not. However, just positioning text fields in the form blanks was easy enough. Once I got one text block formatted to what I wanted, I just copy-pasted it into the other fields and edited the text. Making the text field bigger or smaller to account for different sizes of form fields was not a problem for me in Draw - just grab the tags. I even was able to scan my signature in as a graphic and paste it in the proper place. That took a bit of technique, since the graphic was not transparent and if it were not small enough to fit in the space allotted, it would blank out parts of the form around it. I recommend just keeping the scan edges close to the script and it should be okay.
Why did I do it? My handwriting is not what it once was and I wanted the reader to be able to read my entries without mistakes. As it turned out in one case, they messed it up anyway! 
Girvin
Tom Davies wrote:
OK, then Girvin's advice about using Draw is probably the best thing, or else invest in a specific PDF converter software that will turn your PDF image form into an editable one.
Alex
Alex Thurgood wrote:
Le 21/06/2013 20:46, howellsilverman a écrit :
That is correct. These are forms that are available to me as pdf's without
fillable fields. Even if the fields were fillable - I want to fill them
from a database. I'm not the creator of these forms so I have to work
backward from what I receive.OK, then Girvin's advice about using Draw is probably the best thing, or else invest in a specific PDF converter software that will turn your PDF image form into an editable one.
Alex
Maybe. Except for the OP's comment: "...I want to fill them from a database. " That implies that the OP wants to do something like mailmerge, where database record data fields are inserted into the Draw text blocks. I am not sure Draw supports that. I suppose the Draw image of the pdf form could be inserted into a Writer document as a background (something like a watermark) and then mailmerge type fields could be put on top of the Draw image with frames, but I have never done that. BTW: I have never used mailmerge, so this is all speculation on my part. It is something I would try if I were having the OP's problem.
Girvin
Using the form with a transparent background & a table with lots of rows &
columns to place the fields approximately where I wanted them in writer
worked for me. It was a bear putting the fields where I wanted them and
the long names writer generates make it difficult to see and place fields
where you want them if you have a lot of little boxes to "x". If I spend
enough time with a really complicated form, it will do what I want.
I saw that the cutepdf guys sell a sdk / library that allows you to define
fields on the pdf form, then send the field data to it and it populates the
form and I presume there is some way to save / print it. Anyone know of an
open source library to accomplish this ?