I upgraded my iPad to v4.3 today and it seems the PDFs are finally rendering correctly. Have other people found this to be the case?
If it is, all I can say is about bloody time. I was quite excited that Paizo sold PDFs (unlike another major RPG company) but very disappointed the iPad was unable to render them correctly.
If I'm not overlooking something and the fonts do all render properly, I'm planning on switching primarily to PDF. I'll still get physical books for player rules heavy books (such as Ultimate Magic or Adventurer's Armory) while I'll switch to PDFs for books primarily focused on story and flavour (e.g. Humans of Golarion, Rule of Fear, Faiths of Purity). For DMing books I'll also switch to PDFs as I'm not going to have as much flipping back and forth as I search for the right magic item or the right feat to select. If I DM anything involving monsters from those books I'll probably just print them out so I can scribble notes on them anyway.
If the PDFs are rendering correctly, is anyone else excited about this?
I'd say that they have been rendering correctly for "a while" there is another thread around here on the subject, but the biggest problem was the dropped A's and other similar font issues, and those have been gone for a couple months
Thanks, I wasn't aware it had been fixed. Given the issues I've avoided purchasing Paizo PDFs.
What pdf reader are you using? I have notice lag in page turning in GoodReader still.
I've only found that to be an issue with the Core Rulebook. The next book that has the issue is the Bestiary, but as long as you're not "flipping through the pages" and are actually reading them, there isnt' any issue. Hence why I'm not planning on getting rules heavy books where I would need to flip through the pages regularly. I just purchased the Faction Guide and Seekers of Secrets and haven't found any issues.
I have an iPad as well, my old lady purchased it for me this week after the price dropped and on the condition I stop refering to her as my old lady.
I haven't messed with GoodReader because I went ahead and bought the 9 dollar PDF app. So far I have had no problems with any PDF's and I have Shadowrun, Pathfinder, Mutants and Masterminds and products from other companies as well on my device.
Hope this helps.
Ed, what app are you referring to? Link? Thanks!
|
I have a couple of hundred PDFs on my iPad and LOVE it.
The font issue was fixed a month or so ago and it has made a HUGE difference.
The iPad is really an ideal format for roleplaying. I can carry my entire library of books with me without breaking my back. I can carry thousands of songs so I am always sure to have the right mood music (just need better speakers).
I bought Pages and Numbers and customize my GMing materials. I copy and paste from Adventure Path PDFs and fill in the monsters in their entirety. This allows me quick reference to anything I need and a place for notes.
I can use numbers for tracking initiative and monster damage. THAT has been pretty useful.
I have an iPad as well, my old lady purchased it for me this week after the price dropped and on the condition I stop refering to her as my old lady.
I haven't messed with GoodReader because I went ahead and bought the 9 dollar PDF app. So far I have had no problems with any PDF's and I have Shadowrun, Pathfinder, Mutants and Masterminds and products from other companies as well on my device.
Hope this helps.
When you say no problems, how quickly can you switch between pages in large files?
|
There is a little delay, but we are talking less than one second per page. It also continues to load pages as you are reading making navigation quite easy. The iPad is certainly a lot snappier than the iPod touch. I have an ipad1 and from everything I have heard, theipad2 has twice to thrice the performance.
Bottom line: it works and it works well. If you want to use this as your one source for all rulebooks? You should be satisfied with the results at the table.
Just updated to iOS 4.3.
Unfortunately the new world guide still does not display the parchment paper background correctly.
I hope with the iPad being the top selling tablet, and how perfect it is for PDF viewing, that Paizo will start checking for full comparability during their layout process.
Flawed PDF display is still better than none!
|
|
Just updated to iOS 4.3.
Unfortunately the new world guide still does not display the parchment paper background correctly.
I hope with the iPad being the top selling tablet, and how perfect it is for PDF viewing, that Paizo will start checking for full comparability during their layout process.
Flawed PDF display is still better than none!
+1
Plus the only reason I can see they have this "transparent" layer of brown that is displaying incorrectly is for the circle that has the page number.
Chief Technical Officer
|
Unfortunately the new world guide still does not display the parchment paper background correctly.
That definitely is another bug in Apple's renderer, but we've identified the circumstances that make it happen, and came up with a workaround for our own documents that we'll use wherever possible going forward. We will go back an implement the workaround in the Inner Sea World Guide, but doing so involves going back to revise the original layout, then remaking the PDFs, and re-editing the bookmarks, and rechecking the whole lot, it involves effort from several busy departments that happen to be especially crunched this week, so it might take a little while. But we will fix it.
There is a little delay, but we are talking less than one second per page. It also continues to load pages as you are reading making navigation quite easy.
I might have to consider that then. Thanks.
it involves effort from several busy departments that happen to be especially crunched this week, so it might take a little while. But we will fix it.
Thanks for your efforts with this. I realise it's a fair bit of effort for you for something that actually isn't your fault. Would it be possible to post somewhere obvious when this happens?
|
Chief Technical Officer
|
Thanks for your efforts with this. I realise it's a fair bit of effort for you for something that actually isn't your fault. Would it be possible to post somewhere obvious when this happens?
Whenever we update a PDF, we send an e-mail to everyone who has access to that PDF, and we usually also make a post in the product's discussion thread.
Thanks for your efforts with this. I realise it's a fair bit of effort for you for something that actually isn't your fault. Would it be possible to post somewhere obvious when this happens?Whenever we update a PDF, we send an e-mail to everyone who has access to that PDF, and we usually also make a post in the product's discussion thread.
Thanks :)
it involves effort from several busy departments that happen to be especially crunched this week, so it might take a little while. But we will fix it.
Vic, you and your team are awesome. Thanks for all the extra effort.
I wonder if this PDF issue has anything to do with the growing rift between Apple and Adobe over flash on the iPad. The idea behind the PDF format was for universal display of documents. This is normally a strong point with apple. Hmmmm
I am talking about PDF Reader Pro which is available through iTunes.
I have included a link to a webpage which in turn has a link to the iTunes store.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pdf-reader-pro/id300298606?mt=8
If you open the store, you can also search by PDFReader Pro.
Regards,
Ed
How useful is that pdf reader, does it have the usual pdf reader functions?
Does this pdf reader allow the 'find' function? I have a pdf reader and I cant goto say page 120 without flipping page by page. Plus I cant type in find 'King Eodred'|
|
it involves effort from several busy departments that happen to be especially crunched this week, so it might take a little while. But we will fix it.Vic, you and your team are awesome. Thanks for all the extra effort.
I wonder if this PDF issue has anything to do with the growing rift between Apple and Adobe over flash on the iPad. The idea behind the PDF format was for universal display of documents. This is normally a strong point with apple. Hmmmm
I seriously doubt it. Remember that gaming PDFs probably push the boundaries of the medium. They are far more complex than the average PDF.
Also the dispute isn't so much between Apple and Adobe, but rather about Apple wanting to support current web standards. Interestingly Flash does NOT meet current web standards. It is an old technology that Adobe refuses to update to current standards. As a resource, Flash uses abhorrently huge amounts of power. This is detrimental to any portable device that must manage its power and processing consumption.
Should Adobe manage to update Flash to 21st century standards then Apple would indeed support it. It's not just a rivalry between software companies, as Adobe provides some of Apple's biggest and best programs, making them a useful partner.
|
|
I seriously doubt it. Remember that gaming PDFs probably push the boundaries of the medium. They are far more complex than the average PDF.
Also the dispute isn't so much between Apple and Adobe, but rather about Apple wanting to support current web standards. Interestingly Flash does NOT meet current web standards. It is an old technology that Adobe refuses to update to current standards. As a resource, Flash uses abhorrently huge amounts of power. This is detrimental to any portable device that must manage its power and processing consumption.
Should Adobe manage to update Flash to 21st century standards then Apple would indeed support it. It's not just a rivalry between software companies, as Adobe provides some of Apple's biggest and best programs, making them a useful partner.
+1
Vic
Seriously, at this point why doesn't somebody in the layout process have an iPad to check PDFs against. A year ago iPads were a early adopter thing but with 15 million sold in underva year, a large percentage of your PDF customers probably have one.
|
Chief Technical Officer
|
VicSeriously, at this point why doesn't somebody in the layout process have an iPad to check PDFs against. A year ago iPads were a early adopter thing but with 15 million sold in underva year, a large percentage of your PDF customers probably have one.
Honestly? It's because, historically, PDFs have been created by the art department as an adjunct to the physical product, and as the team with perhaps the toughest deadlines in the entire company, they don't have a lot of time for stuff like cross-platform QC, which, frankly, shouldn't even be necessary.
That is, however, about to change.