We are using Aspose.Pdf.Kit in our software to combine documents into a single PDF file. We have found if one of those documents is a Microsoft Word form with check boxes those check boxes are getting converted to snowflakes (checked) and records (unchecked). (See attached example)
What is the resolution to fix this problem?
Thanks!
Hi Chris,
Thanks for using our products.
Can you please share some sample PDF files which you are trying to combine/concatenate and the code snippet which you are using, so that we can test the scenario at our end. We are sorry for this inconvenience.
Here is code snippet, an example PDF, and a couple of word forms. Thanks!
Another thing to consider. I have performed this function on four separate application environments. In half of the environments, no snowflakes or records. In the other half, it gives me snowflakes and records.
Would the local copy of Adobe where the application being served from or served to have ANY effect on this phenomenon?
Hi Chris,
Thanks for sharing the resource files.
I have tested the scenario in details where I have first convert the individual Word forms into PDF format and then have tried concatenating the PDF documents and I am unable to notice any issue where check box fields are converted into snowflakes or records. I have also observed that the test.pdf is generated using Aspose.Pdf for .NET 6.4.0 which is an older release and during my testing, I have used the latest release version of Aspose.Pdf for .NET 7.3.0. Can you please try using the latest release version and see if the problem is resolved.
For your reference, I have also attached the resultant PDF file which I have generated while concatenating Jamie+Test+Checkboxes.pdf and Associate+Plea+Form+II+8-6-2012.pdf (these documents were created by transforming their respective word files into PDF format using Aspose.Words for .NET).
We are sorry for your inconvenience.
Nayyer,
We have updated to latest version 7.3.0 as suggested. The issue is still present. Like before in two separate application environments we are seeing different results. After updating, one environment it works well no issues with same documents and files after the update. The other environment still showing records and snowflakes using exact same documents and files after the update.
Hi Chris,
In my earlier attempt, I have tested the scenario on Windows 7 - X64 Enterprise where I have used VisualStudio 2010 Professional application with target platform as .NET Framework 4.0. Can you please share some details regarding the working environment of system producing problematic PDF documents. We apologize for your inconvenience.
There is only a single difference between the three environments.
The two environments where we are seeing snowflakes and records are Windows Server 2008
The environment where we are seeing no issue is Windows 7 Professional
Hope that helps. Thanks!
Hi Chris,
Thanks for sharing the details.
| have further investigated this problem and have observed that the problem related to snowflakes and records appearing in PDF files actually appear in PDF files generated from DOC/DOCX using Aspose.Words for .NET on Windows Server 2008 R2. I have tested the scenario using Aspose.Words for .NET 11.1.0 on Windows Server 2008 R2 in VisualStudio 11 Beta and as per my observations, when I have converted the source Jamie+Test+Checkboxes.doc and Associate+Plea+Form+II+8-6-2012.doc files into PDF format, snowflakes and records appear instead of checkboxes. Please take a look over resultant PDF files which I have generated.
For the sake of correction, I am moving this thread to Aspose.Words forum where my fellow workers taking care of this product would be in better position to further handle this query. We are really sorry for this inconvenience.
I am experiencing this same issue with checkboxes being turned into snowflakes and records. The web server where this runs is a Windows 2003 Server box. I have verified that WingDings2 font is installed. I am using boh Aspose.Words and Aspose.PDF in my solution and they are versions 11.7.0.0 and 7.3.0.0 respectively.
I am creating the .DOCX version of the document then saving it also as a PDF in code.
WingDings2 Font fixed the problem for me.
Just to follow up. I installed the WingDings 2 font and created several more versions of the documents and they had the same issue. This morning when I ran them from the same server they are now correct. Checkboxes are checkboxes as they should be. Is there some lag time between installing a font on the server and using it in an IIS hosted application? Just curious if anyone could explain. Good thing is that I am operating normally now. BTW I love the Aspose products. They make my life as a developer so much easier.
Hi,
Thanks for your query. It is nice to hear from you that your problem has been solved by installing WingDings2 font. Aspose.Words requires TrueType fonts when rendering documents to fixed-page formats (e.g. PDF, XPS or SWF). The issue you are facing is most likely occurs when you use Aspose.Words on Linux/Mac OS or your MS Word document uses fonts that are not present on your computer.
Hi All,
I just hit this same problem, so I’m glad to have found this thread. We are using Aspose.Words to populate Form Fields in an MS Word doc, some of which are CheckBox form fields, and then converting that to PDF using Aspose.PDF. The snowflakes are appearing for us when the web server doing this is a clean machine, without any MS Office installations on it.
I was wondering if anyone who has handled this issue in the past could either:
a. Help me understand how to legally acquire WingDings2
or
b. Provide an alternative solution.
Regarding (a), I found this page from Microsoft about getting WingDings2, and it seems to imply that it needs to be licensed for a web server install, and directs me to Ascender Corporation for licensing (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/). The website seems to encourage an form submission inquiry, and I haven’t received a reply in close to 24 hrs. Does anyone have tips on how I could legally acquire this in short order?
Regarding (b), I understand the situation I’m dealing with is related to the Aspose.PDF conversion to PDF of an MS Word with FieldType.FieldFormCheckBox Form Fields. So, I guess I would have to avoid using Form Fields for this and come up with some other representation of a checkbox using standard characters. Does anyone have an nice looking solution to this?
Thanks,
Pete
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your inquiry. I have created a word document with with checkboxes by using Wingdings 2 fonts. Please find it in attachment. I suggest you to read following code snippet for your kind reference.
https://docs.aspose.com/words/net/specifying-truetype-fonts-location/
https://docs.aspose.com/words/net/manipulating-and-substitution-truetype-fonts/
You may use the following code snippet to render checkboxes in your document.
Document doc = new Document(MyDir + "Wingdings 2.docx");
DocumentBuilder builder = new DocumentBuilder(doc);
builder.MoveToDocumentEnd();
builder.Writeln("");
builder.Font.Name = "Wingdings 2";
builder.Write("£");
doc.Save(MyDir + "AsposeOut.docx");
pjaffe:We are using Aspose.Words to populate Form Fields in an MS Word doc, some of which are CheckBox form fields, and then converting that to PDF using Aspose.PDF.
Could you please attach your input Word document here for testing? I will investigate the issue on my side and provide you more information. You can convert Word document to PDF by using Aspose.Words, please see the details from here:
https://docs.aspose.com/words/net/convert-a-document-to-pdf/
Thanks for the reply.
I’ve attached a sample project that is 2 lines of code that read in an MS Word doc that contains two CheckBox form fields, the first is checked and the second is not. When it is saved out as a PDF, I get one of two possible outcomes:
A. If MS Office is installed on the machine on which the conversion occurs, everything looks great, and the resulting PDF looks exactly like the MS Word doc (this is file ConvertedToPdf_1_RunOnMachineWithMSOfficeInstalled.pdf in the attached zip)
B. If MS Office is not installed on the machine on which the conversion occurs, the result is that the checked checkbox looks like a snowflake, and the unchecked checkbox looks like a circle (this is file ConvertedToPdf_2_RunOnMachineWithoutMSOffice.pdf in the attached zip)
Over the weekend, I heard back from Monotype Imagining regarding my inquiry about licensing the WingDings 2 font. I will continue to investigate that path given that others in this thread claimed that installing the font addressed the issue for them, but I’m frustrated by the fact that I fear a fairly involved process for acquiring a license for the font, and I don’t yet know at what cost. And this is just to be able to use Aspose.Words on a web server to convert MS Word docs templates to PDF that contain standard fonts and form fields.
FYI, in my actual system, I am programmatically populating the form fields, but the MS Word templates are provided to us rather than us building them dynamically. In my attached test case, I didn’t bother programmatically toggling the checkboxes, since I don’t think that alters the test case in any way.
Please let me know if I can provide any more information. And more importantly, if you have a suggestion as to how I can avoid having to license Wingdings 2 on my web servers.
Thanks,
Pete
Hi Peter,
Thanks for sharing the details. Please use the FontSettings.SetFontsFolder before saving your document to PDF. Please note that Aspose.Words uses "Wingings 2 " font to render checkboxes. Aspose.Words requires TrueType fonts when rendering documents to fixed-page formats (PDF, XPS or SWF). Aspose.Words selects the fonts according to the following process:
Please read following documentation links for your kind reference. I have converted your document to PDF by using following code snippet at Windows XP (MS office is not installed). I have attached the ouput PDF file with this post.
https://docs.aspose.com/words/net/using-truetype-fonts/
https://reference.aspose.com/words/net/aspose.words.fonts/fontsettings/
Document doc = new Document(MyDir + "in.docx");
// Set fonts to be scanned for under the specified directory. Do not search within folders nested this folder.
FontSettings.SetFontsFolder(@"C:\WINDOWS\Fonts\", false);
doc.Save(MyDir + "AsposeOut.pdf");
I am aware of the technical approach to deploying the WingDings 2 font and getting that to be picked up by the Aspose.Words engine. Your post at 12-03-2012, 2:43 AM #429413 was pretty clear about that. And your post immediately previous to this one was even more clear. So, I appreciate that.
My concern is how to legally deploy the WingDings 2 font, or else find an alternative approach. Am I licensed to package the WingDings 2 font with my application on my web server by virtue of having licensed Aspose.Words?
The site https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/ appears to me to be the formal owner of that font, and they have an explicit link for licensing this font for server installations. So, it is not clear to me how I should proceed. A google search also results in which seems to imply that maybe I can legally acquire it for free, but I have a harder time vetting that source.
I am looking to Aspose to hopefully clarify this because it is your product that has established a dependency on this font that we otherwise weren’t aware we needed until recently.
Thanks for your continued attention on this matter.
Regards,
Pete
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your inquiry. Please keep in mind when copying any fonts that most fonts are copyrighted. First locate the license of a font before hand and verify they can be freely transferred to another machine. Please read the “Typical Font-Related Problems and Solutions” from following documentation link.
https://docs.aspose.com/words/net/using-truetype-fonts/
There is no alternative solution available for rendering checkboxes in PDF at the moment. However, I have asked for the alternative solution from our development team. As soon as, any information is shared by them, I will be more than happy to share that with you.
Thanks for your reply. I have to say that I’m not surprised by it, but I was holding out hope that there would have been a different path forward. Mostly because I got an initial reply from the people who apparently hold the license rights for Wingdings2 on servers, but I can’t get them to give me a definitive answer as to whether I need to license it or not for a clustered publicly facing web application, where we are only leveraging the 2 characters in that font that Aspose.Words depends on.
I’ll try to remember to post back to this group if I am able to get closure on this. I’m currently pursuing licensing options for the “TrueType Font Pack 2”.