Hyperlinks don't work in PDF

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AndrewScottMusic
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Finale Version: 26.3
Operating System: Mac

Post by AndrewScottMusic » Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:56 am

I'm trying to export my Finale 27 file as a PDF.

https://andrewscottmusic.com/downloads/ ... -Solo.musx

It's all going fine except for the very last line.

I've inserted a hyperlink to my website.

However, in the PDF, the link doesn't work.

I'm on a Mac.

Is there any way to fix this?

Here's the PDF:

https://andrewscottmusic.com/downloads/ ... e-Solo.pdf


Bill Stevens
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Post by Bill Stevens » Mon Aug 15, 2022 11:52 am

I don't have an answer to your hyperlink question, but that can-can is by Offenbach.

::: Bill
Version 26.3 / 27.4 / Mac OS 10.15.5 Catalina
Finale user since the beginning of time.

AndrewScottMusic
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Post by AndrewScottMusic » Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:51 pm

O yes.
Point taken.
Thanks Bill.
I will correct that.

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motet
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Post by motet » Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:16 pm

On Windows, at least, if you create the PDF by printing to a PDF virtual printer, it will contain the hyperlink. File menu or Graphics tool exports, no,

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michelp
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Post by michelp » Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:45 pm

It should work (I use a Mac and Finale 26.3.1). I selected the text and then Hyperlink in the Text menu.
Check this :

https://app.box.com/s/ly38s5jeg14m3hpd6i28hlzf82bvtj4e

https://app.box.com/s/x70tjq45gfhsv31zl8u31ljakfi61mhg

You can edit the text and keep the link.
Michel
MacOsX 12.7.4, Finale 27.4.1 & 26.3.1, Mac Mini Intel Dual Core i7 3Ghz, 16 Go Ram. Azerty kb. MOTU Midi Express XT USB, Roland Sound Canvas SC-88vl, MOTU Audio Express. 2 monitors (27"' pivot, 24'"), JW Lua, RGP Lua

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wessmusic
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Post by wessmusic » Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:19 am

Creating a hyperlink in Finale is not an ultimate solution, because for me (OS Mojave, Finale 26.3 - 27.2) only Preview and Safari can open such links (I assume the Mac version of Finale is optimized this way), but not Acrobat Pro DC, Chrome, etc.


I would suggest an alternative that works successfully with the above programs.
For this purpose I use Acrobat Pro DC (however, I don't know if the regular Reader can also generate similar links, as well as other programs for PDF editing).

Here are the steps shown as screenshots.
The text (for the hyperlink) must be selected first, even if it is already set in Finale. (It is inactive in Acrobat.)

Image

Image

Image

Finally, when hovering the mouse near the text, it renders the actual uniform resource locator.

Image


The good thing about this method is that even if all the fonts are converted as outlines, the hyperlinks are preserved because they are attached to an object, not just text.
CUSTOM FONTS for FINALE and SIBELIUS
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f0udkrvb8xvh2zj/AAD_8mVlRzzr5mjZKI7BR7Kza?dl=0
________
Finale user since 1994

AndrewScottMusic
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Post by AndrewScottMusic » Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:09 pm

Thanks for clarifying that, wessmusic.

I was hoping that Finale was a just a fraction more developed after all this time.
So developed that its output did not need editing in another app before it was completely ready for publication.
Sigh.
So the links work in Preview and Safari, but not in Acrobat Reader, the worldwide default application for PDFs...

I have made the above wry comment in my reply to a support email from Finale about the same issue.

How much luck would it take for the nuance to stimulate the Finale team to rectify this tiny weakness?

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motet
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Post by motet » Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:32 pm

Don't hold your breath. Very serious bugs go unfixed year after year.

AndrewScottMusic
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Post by AndrewScottMusic » Wed Aug 17, 2022 1:31 am

Actually Motet,
A moment after I posted here, I received the following email from Finale Support:

" Hello Andrew,

Thank you for your message. Currently, I am in the process of testing how hyperlinking works on different PDF readers. So far, I've found that Preview and Safari (both Apple products) can read the hyperlinks, while non-Apple readers (Microsoft Edge, Acrobat, and Chrome) cannot read them. I did also find that if I added a hyperlink in Preview to a Finale file I exported to PDF, this yields these same results (Apple readers find the hyperlinks, non-Apple readers do not). Given this, at this time, we are unsure of whether this is an issue with Finale or with something else.

I can see that this is an important feature for you, which is why we're doing our best to investigate this issue for you. Ideally, having the hyperlink option in Finale should mean that hyperlinks work in multiple PDF readers, and it is indeed frustrating to see that this isn't working consistently. I might suggest you try adding in a hyperlink after exporting your Finale file to PDF (if you have full access to Adobe Acrobat) to see if this works.

One positive takeaway is that any user reading your files on a Mac computer can use the hyperlinks when they view the PDF in Preview (the default PDF reader for all Apple computers). I understand that there is still a large group of PC-users that will not have this capability, but hopefully we come up with a solution for this.

For now, I have already reported this to our developers who will join me in taking a deeper dive on this issue. I will let you know if we identify any decent workarounds. Thank you for your patience."



It's cause for hope, is it not?
At least about this particular bug!!

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motet
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Post by motet » Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:12 am

We'll see. The operative word there is "work-around," which to me means "some solution where we don't need to change anything."

You might try a PDF virtual printer like CutePDF, which works on Windows where Finale export does not, as I said above.

AndrewScottMusic
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Finale Version: 26.3
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Post by AndrewScottMusic » Wed Aug 17, 2022 3:02 am

Thanks Motet.
The CutePDF app won't work for Mac users, like me, but they do have a free online editor, here:
https://editor.cutepdf.com/

Also, I tested this site, and it works fine:
https://deftpdf.com/pdf-editor

It's an extra step to complete the preparation, but it could be worse.
At least the extra step is free.

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motet
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Post by motet » Wed Aug 17, 2022 4:02 am

What about the built-in Mac print to PDF? Essentially, you want to remove Finale's PDF code from the picture.

AndrewScottMusic
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Post by AndrewScottMusic » Wed Aug 17, 2022 4:29 am

Ah well.
Yes, we do print to PDF via the Mac print-to-PDf feature, but do not add the link until the final step on one of the PDF editor websites,

https://editor.cutepdf.com/
or
https://deftpdf.com/pdf-editor

So, save the .MUSX file without the link, print to PDF, upload PDF to site above, add link to required place (it puts the link in a user-defined area - very simple), download edited PDF containing link.

It's easy after the first time, and after overcoming one's resentment toward Finale for not having this feature onboard by v 27 already.

AndrewScottMusic
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Finale Version: 26.3
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Post by AndrewScottMusic » Sat Aug 20, 2022 6:36 am

After I received the above reply from Support,
I replied as follows:
Thanks for taking on this issue, XXX.

Considering how complex many other features of Finale are, this fix
should be fairly straightforward for a talented team like yours.

I look forward with enthusiasm.

:)
To which XXX replied:


Hello Andrew,

Thank you for your response. I wanted to take some time to discuss the status of this issue.
I've been working with one of our Finale specialists to test out different scenarios for this problem to see if we could find a solution. What we've found is that the reason for this intermittent success in recognizing hyperlinks is because of Apple itself, rather than Finale. Apple PDF readers can (by virtue of their own programming) recognize URLs and hyperlink them automatically, without needing hyperlinks in general. Unfortunately, this means that we do not have a reliable way for Finale's Text tool to create hyperlinks that are universally recognizable by all PDF readers on all computer types.

At the moment, our developers are aware of the issue, but in the meantime, I have one way for you to convey your website in your files, though you likely already know that this would work. My suggestion for you is to always include the URL in your Finale files as a text block just in case a recipient's reader can read it. In addition, with this method, a user will, at the very least, be able to copy and paste the link text into their browser. This is certainly not ideal, but given what we know, it is the most reliable method for getting your website's URL across to your audience.

As a fellow musician and composer, I recognize that this is not an ideal resolution to this issue. I know how important it is to get your audience to engage with your content, and while this ability is not completely functional through hyperlinks, providing the URL nonetheless will ensure at least one mode for your readers to access your website. I want to let you know that you have done the right things (and more) to alert our team to this issue so that they may work on it.

Feel free to reach out with any further questions and thank you again for contacting us.

All the best,

XXX.
To which I replied:
Thanks for following this up,XXX


Regarding your attribution of blame to Apple, I think you need to look at that again, because as the attached [UPLOADED IN THIS CASE] documents show,

https://masterpiecemusic.org/temp/test-hyperlink.odt

https://masterpiecemusic.org/temp/test-hyperlink.pdf

I was able to create a link, on a Mac, in a LibreOffice text file which exported successfully to a PDF, in which the link works on Acrobat Reader.

As a workaround, I found that if I print to PDF via the Mac print-to-PDf feature, but do not add the link until the final step on one of the PDF editor websites,

https://editor.cutepdf.com/
or
https://deftpdf.com/pdf-editor

So, I save the .MUSX file without the link, print to PDF, upload PDF to site above, add link to required place (it puts the link in a user-defined area - very simple), download edited PDF containing link.

this works fine for now.

Cheers.

Andrew Scott

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motet
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Post by motet » Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:08 am

I did some more experimenting on Windows and I think the MM staffer is right. On Windows, File/Export and Graphics Tool/Export don't pass on the hyperlinks. CutePDF appears to, as I indicated above, but when I made the URL display text different from the HTTP address, like this

Code: Select all

<a href="http://finaleforum.com">Help with Finale</a>
no hyperlink resulted because the link displayed "Help with Finale" rather than "http://finaleforum.com". So CutePDF, like the Mac software, is turning something that looks like an HTTP address into a link. As is this forum's software, and it sounds like one of the programs you're using

Which raises the question, why does Finale allow you to enter hyperlinks if it doesn't export them?

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