best process to create forms when Word is being used?

Load the Word file into Acrobat or LiveCycle, which will automatically convert it. Then manually add form fields and scripts. There's no automatic conversion from Word form fields and logic to Acrobat form fields and logic. Just the form content is converted, not the interactive parts.

I found some software that says you can write the form in Word, and using their software, create a PDF with all fillable fields intact. It eliminates the step of adding the interactive parts of the form in Acrobat. Anyone ever try this? The software is CenoPDF, just curious if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing.

Thanks!

Hi kbil9700,

If you have Acrobat 8 Pro you can use the Form Field Recognition feature to automatically add fields to the converted Word Document. It is not perfect, but does save time and for simple forms gets you most of the way there.

Here is an article that discusses this feature-
http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2007/form_field_recognition/

and it is demonstrated in this online session on Acrobat forms-
https://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/_a200985228/p17266135/

I've never used CenoPDF, so can't comment on it.

Hope that helps,

Dimitri
WindJack Solutions
www.windjack.com

I have created an MS Word 2003 form with nothing but text fields and a few checkboxes--no VBA programming. I have Adobe 9 Pro. When I do forms/wizard/ and select the MS Word 2003 file. None of the text fields are converted; only the 5 checkboxes. What am I doing wrong? Recreating all the form fields again is an effort I'd like to avoid.

I need a PDF form that can be saved as a normal PDF after it is completed. The must important thing is that it works as a file and is not web-based... I just need to have it on my desktop and open it and fill one for each patient, then save it with the name of the patient as a normal PDF. Any suggestions?
(I did the PDF form and filled it in and save it with a different name and when I reopened it it just opened the blank form again...)

Here is an even newer guide that details [url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/designing-forms-auto-field-detection-adobe-acrobat]Designing forms for auto field detection in Adobe Acrobat[/url] for forms that are designed in Word or InDesign.