Layered PDF

[Alicia_...@adobeforums.com]

I'm wondering if it is possible to create PDF files with layers (OCG/Optional Content Group) in them using the PDF print driver.

As expected... I have an application that can produced a "flat" PDF file when printed to the "Adobe PDF" print driver (supplied with Adobe Acrobat). What I'm looking to do is add layers for the content. I would like to programmatically mark the start and end of layers from within my application. Is there any way to do this? Does the Adobe PDF print driver support ExtEscape() or any other method of embedding commands to support layers in the PDF file?

I'm not looking to write an "Export to PDF" option using the PDF SDK. The print to PDF print driver solution provides almost everything I need. What I'm missing is a way to start/end layer during the print process.

It's a Windows application, written in C/C++.

Thanks in advance for your help,
Alicia

[Leonard_...@adobeforums.com]

_IF_ your application were generating it's own Postscript, which it then sent directly to the AdobePDF printer, then YES - there is a way to send layer/OCG information.

However, if you are only working with the native Windows printing APIs (aka GDI), then no - there is nothing available.

If you really want to start creating "rich" PDFs with features like OCGs and the like, then you want to move away from a "print to PDF" model and move to a "direct export" model as Adobe and many others (Microsoft, Corel, OpenOffice, etc.) have done with their applications.

[Alicia_...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks for the reply. It wasn't the answer I was hoping for. <g>

Our application is very graphics intensive. I was hoping to take advantage of using Windows Printing API/GDI interface. I really did not want to have to reimplement code for drawing (ie; brushes with various vector and bitmap fill patterns, complex polygons, etc.).

I'm not very familiar with the PDF SDK. It appears to be very low level and not interchangeable with the GDI interface. It looks like it would require a lot of work to convert GDI styled calls into PDF SDK function calls. Is there any sort of higher level library that would allow me to use GDI/HDC type drawing calls, yet still have access to the layer/OCG functionality? If so, that would make it much easier for me to implement an "export to PDF" type of solution.

[Leonard_...@adobeforums.com]

Adobe does not offer a "GDI->PDF" library - though there are 3rd parties that do...