link to specified page or destination in pdf

Ron P. shared this question 2 years ago
Answered

I really, really need my link to a pdf open the pdf on a specified page number or 'destination'. How do I do this?

Replies (4)

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Searching for PDF in this forum leads to an earlier answer: there is no feature in MindManager for this, but Olympic's MAP toolkit can do it.

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Nick, thanks for directing me to MAP. Unfortunately, MAP has limited functionality:

1) If you click on a page-numbered link, it uses the built-in browser to open the pdf - and it goes to the set page. The built-in browser might be ok for small pdfs, or ones used only occasionally. But each time you click a link with a different page number, it loads the entire pdf again. This is slow. I need the link to open the pdf in Adobe Acrobat.

2) If you [Ctrl]+click on a page-numbered link, it uses the default external pdf app to open the pdf (in my case, Adobe Acrobat). But it does not take me to the set page in Acrobat. It ignores the page # setting.

I need a way to link to open a pdf at a specified page in Acrobat.

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Hello Ron

It can be done but takes a bit of setting up. I was able to make it work as follows.

First create a link pointing at the Acrobat Reader, not to the PDF. In my case, this is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe", which MindManager then converted to a link relative to the map.

Then click the Advanced button on the link editor and add the following to the Arguments box:

/A "page=19" "M:\Harport Consulting\Projects\Reading\Management_Systems_A_Viable_Approach.pdf"

where "19" is the page number you want to go to, and the third item is the path to the PDF file (in quotes).

This will open the Acrobat reader at the requested page.

I didn't find the syntax for opening a named location but I am sure it must be possible.

Footnote: if this does not work out then there are other free PDF readers that may have a wider range of command line switches.

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Hi Nick

This is a big step forward. Holding [Ctrl] while clicking the link setup as you describe opens the pdf in Acrobat at the specified page.

However, clicking a second link to a different page in the same pdf does not work. The pdf remains on the page in the link clicked first. you have to close the pdf for the second link to work. ☹

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That's a pity! I suspect this is down to Acrobat rather than MindManager though.

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