IMPORT A PDF FILE
Import a PDF File (Create a PDF Document)
Importing a PDF file is exactly the same as importing a text file to create a Document. You select a PDF file during the standard “Add Document” process.
Import a PDF File (Create a PDF Document)
Once you have created a Library, you can add a PDF Document. Creating a PDF Document is very similar to creating a Document for a text file, although working with PDF data is different than working with plain text data.
Add a PDF File
To add a PDF Document, right-click a Library in the database tree, then choose Add Text or PDF Document from the menu. The ‘Add Document’ window will appear.
Notice that the Library ID is already filled in, and that your Default Keyword Group and Keywords are shown.
Click the Browse button to find a PDF file you want to add to your library. For our example, we’re adding ‘TUG Test.pdf‘
Notice that if you leave the Document ID blank, Transana will automatically name your PDF Document after the file you select for import. (You are free to change this name if you wish.)
If there are codes you want to apply by default to all Selections made from this PDF document, you can add those codes here.
Click OK. Transana adds the PDF Document to the database tree and automatically opens it in a PDF window.
Important Note
With Transana Multiuser, it is very important that your PDF file is located in your Media Library Directory before being imported into Transana. If it is not, other users who share your database will not be able to load that file.
If your project has Media Libraries in more than one location, the project must have a system in place for copying new files to other copies of the media library.
Analytic Memos
It’s now a good idea to create more analytic memos. No action in Transana should be considered finished until you have written about it in an analytic memo.
Right-click (Ctrl-click on macOS) the PDF document you just created and choose Add Document Note from the popup menu. Name the new Note for your PDF document and enter your initials as NoteTaker. Press OK.
Press Ctrl-T on Windows or Cmd-T on macOS to insert a date-time stamp in the note. It’s usually a good idea to record information about when and where your PDF data file was created or collected, and how it fits into the larger study. Also include any other information about the PDF Document that might be relevant to the analytic process, such as initial analytic thoughts and impressions you want to remember later. When you are done, close the Document Note.
Advanced Topic:
If you have a large number of PDF files to import into a single Library, you can use Batch Document Creation. See the Batch Document Creation Tutorial page for more information.