LiveCycle: how does it work?

Note that there are many LiveCycle products. LiveCycle Designer is used to create XFA forms. Designer comes with the Windows version of Acrobat Pro, which retails for $449, or $199 for the upgrade.

Hi,

thanks for your answer :-)

In the past, PDF forms needed to be unlocked by another Adobe program which worked in a client server fashion. Is that still true?

I don't remember the name of the program.

What I would like to do is:

1) Create a simple PDF form
2) Send it to my customer
3) My customer fills the form up, saves it and send it to me as an attachment.

Thanks for any help,
Enrico

You may be thinking about what is currently LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES2, which is a server-based product that is used to apply usage rights to PDFs.

Since version 8, Acrobat Pro has been able to apply usage rights that enable Reader users to save a filled-in form (and other things), but with certain licensing restrictions. In short, if you distribute a particular Reader-enabled document to more than 500 recipients, you may use data from no more than 500 copies of that form that have been returned to you, including hardcopies. If fewer than 500 recipients, there are no limitations. So Acrobat may be all you need.

Thank you for your answer.

Enrico

Hi Enrico, and welcome to the forums!

This may be a simplistic overview, but it may also help to answer your questions:

Acrobat and LiveCycle, although packaged together, are actually two very different products. Acrobat is a means of rendering existing data in a document that can be read on many different platforms. Livecycle, on the other hand, is an XFA document ... read: an XML file that can be rendered in a PDF format. This is why LC forms can be fillable, and the responses can be saved into the source file for either editing later or to forward via electronic means as needed.

The differences are profound, I would strongly suggest downloading one of the trial packages available from Adobe and trying them out for yourself. Just bear in mind that the trial is limited, so it is a good idea to have a game-plan laid out as to what you are looking for ... just be prepared to adjust it on the fly as the software may surprise you as to what it can do!Hope that helps!

DaveyB

Hi DaveyB,

thank you much for clarifying the difference between Acrobat Forms and LC forms.
Now the picture is clear :-)

I would like to design simple, fillable forms for my customers that have Adobe Reader, so I need Live Cycle.

Could you examine the following workflow and tell me if I'm on the right way?

1) I purchase LC
2) I design a fillable form with LC
3) I apply the following usage rights for Adobe Reader: fill, save, print, and send by e-mail
4) My customer opens, fills, prints, and sends the PDF document back to me.

Thanks a bunch :-)
Enrico Migliore

Note that you don't necessarily need to create the forms in LiveCycle. You can use Acrobat to create acroforms as well. Acroforms are supported by more non-Adobe PDF viewers than XFA forms are, which might be important to you. Which you choose, acroforms or XFA forms, really depends on your needs and maybe your skills.

The workflow you outlined is correct.

Hi George,

thank you for your feedback.

> Note that you don't necessarily need to create the forms in LiveCycle.
Ok


That means that the work flow would be:

1) I purchase Acrobat Pro
2) I design a fillable form with Acrobat Pro
3) I apply the following usage rights for Adobe Reader: fill, save, print, and send by e-mail
4) My customer opens, fills, prints, and sends the PDF document back to me.

Is that correct?

> You can use Acrobat to create acroforms as well.
Ok


> Acroforms are supported by more non-Adobe PDF viewers than XFA forms are, which might be important to you.
Actually I've never heard of non-Adobe viewers and never seen one :-)


> Which you choose, acroforms or XFA forms, really depends on your needs and maybe your skills.
I know that by Javascript I can check the user's input.

Can I use Javscript in Acrobat Pro forms?

Enrico

Yes, that workflow is correct.

Othere PDF viewers that support forms and at least some JavaScript include Foxit Reader, Nitro PDF Reader, and Nuance Reader. For more information, see: http://www.appligent.com/talkingpdf-review-5-free-pdf-readers-2

JavaScript has been available with Acrobat since version 3.01 (Jan 1998).

Hi George,

thank you all for your valuable support.

This forum really solved my problem :-)

Enrico