About one year ago, Livescribe ended their Developer Program. I released my Custom Paper Deployment Tool and requested Livescribe to reconsider their decision. A year later, with no change in status from Livescribe, I’m releasing a new tool to take PDF templates and combine them with PDF versions of Livescribe Dotpaper.
Please note that the Template Overlay Tool is not supported by Livescribe in any way, shape or form. As the Developer Program has ended, this tool is not associated with it at all. There is no warranty (either explicit or implicit) on the tool. I do not take any responsibility if anything adverse were to happen to your smartpen because of my tool. By going to the bottom of the page and clicking-through to the installer page, you agree to the terms and conditions listed above. This tool is available freely to all users by following the download link at the bottom of the page (though a donation is highly appreciated to offset the hosting costs as well as the licensing costs for the PDF library that I’m using).
This is version 1.0.0.3 of the Template Overlay Tool which allows you to select one of four different Livescribe notepads, supply a PDF template, and tell it the number of copies of that template that you would like created. Once you press the go button, it will prompt you for a filename and location for the resulting file which can then be printed and used with your Livescribe Smartpen. The generate archive tab allows users to take their template PDF and the exported PDF from Livescribe Desktop (after writing on it with the smartpen) and overlaying these together to create a new PDF with the original template and the handwritten content.
The first time you use Template Overlay Tool, you will need to Deploy the AFD files used by it. This requires my Custom Paper Deployment Tool to also be installed. Within Template Overlay Tool, click the “Tools” option and then click “Deploy AFD Files.” This will open a zip file with the 4 .afd files in it. You will need to extract those to a known folder (like the Desktop) and then open Custom Paper Deployment Tool and deploy them from there using the “File” –> “Open” dialog.
Template Overlay Tool ships with four new PDF notepads making it completely isolated from the 32 notepads I have already released with Custom Paper Deployment Tool. I used all of the last few dot paper license files that I had remaining for these notepads (and this is why they have different number of pages). Please remember to archive the notebook in Livescribe Desktop before using that same notepad again with a new template.
If you are ready to begin, you can go to the Template Overlay Tool Install Page.
Any questions or comments can be posted below and I will respond shortly. Please be aware that I have not digitally signed these install files so they will give a “Security Warning” because of an “Unknown Publisher.” There is however no security concern with the download and the install.
I have not been able to test with every different type of PDF imaginable (naturally) so it is quite likely that there will be PDF files that it won’t work with. If so, leave me a comment below, or contact me and I’ll try to assist.
UPDATE – 07/31/2012 @ 12:00 PM EDT: Version 1.0.1.0 was pushed out last Saturday to correct a bug with the creation of the archival PDFs. Due to a malformed command sent to the PDF library, if a template with a non-transparent background was used (like most templates), the handwritten additions would not be visible. This has since been resolved and is no longer an issue. Thanks to Istvan for pointing out the problem!
Dear Rohan,
First of all many, many thanks for this. I am sure that this tool – when I have figured out exactly how it works – is the great tool that we need. But your description for a naive reader like myself is sometimes to compact and needs more explanation:
1) It should explain the application cases that it solves. I see in the missing Livescribe program two areas where help is needed (and one will never get it from Livescribe… as we know them).
i) To create customs forms templates (which means it is normally a 1 page long document, but repeats itself many times – e.g. on 25 pages the same customs form
ii) To allow annotation of "n" page long pdf document. E.g. One hasa coursebook on pdf, goes to the lecture, records the lectures, makes the annotation of the original pdf document.
My first question: Does your tool provide solution to i) or ii) or both, or also something else?
Concrete small examples on the use would tremendously help.
Now to the installation:
I was able to install the Template Overlay Tool without difficulty.
I was able to generate and install on the pen the Blank Notepad 1-4 template, as instructed.
I was able to Generate Printout for a smaller PDF file (3 pages) on the combined dotpaper and test my pen. It worked, I have uploaded the result to the Livescribe desktop. Of course there you only saw what I have written and recorded with my pen, but not the PDF that I annotated.
What I was not able to do so far that was the Generate Archive. I guess that one generates a PDF file were both the orhginal PDF is on and also the Livescribe pen annotations. Correct? The reason why the Generate Archive did not work, was because my PDF document was 3 page long, but the pen annotation only 1 page (I tested only the 1st page). It said that both paper must have the same page numbers. Which it did not.
So this is my current phase of testing.
Kind regards,
Istvan
Rohan,
first you do not have to publish these comments, as I reporting back directly to you on my experiences…
I got a bit further.
1) The application is more for developing new type of papers, rather than voice / writing annotation of a more page long PDF document.
2) I was able to create any new form and print out on paper to be used for the pen.
3) I was able to record and upload to the lifescibe desktop
4) However, I was not able with your tool to combine the new form template with the voice / writing annotation that both the annotation works (I can play back the voice), and plus the new form is also visible. It is either or. Either I see the form and the written text (but can not play the audio), or I can not see the new form, but can see the writing and play the audio.
P.S. I was also able to create PDF files from your new .ADF Files with the help of your tool. So that issue is now solved for me.
Kind regards,
Istvan
Rohan,
I am wondering if Blank Notepad 1-4 pages could also not be released by you as PDF files? It would have additional advantage for some "classical" usages if you want to have really blank paper. In your current no lined paper you still have some additional info on the top, like "Name", "Date", "Information". There are cases where you do not want even that.
That's definitely something I plan to do. I agree there are cases where one would want to use either one or the other one (or maybe even both at the same time!). I will package it up as a single zip download and put together a page for it.
Hi Rohan,
I wanted to thank you for your work, this is great! I had a question/request…
Is it possible to remove the notepad name from the merged document. If I am merging content into the dot paper it just doesn't make sense to have it named blank notepad 1? LOL
Also, I am hoping to use this for child education where internet is not allowed and wanted to know if you have a stand alone version of the two programs you created to put on a thumb drive?
Thanks again and I hope this comment encourages you and finds you well.
Warm Regards,
Justin Walters
Hi Justin,
I'm working on stand alone installer versions that will also be available (hopefully soon!).
Hi Rohan,
let me first tahnk you very much indeed for going through the trouble of coding this wonderful programme. It is, I must say, plain brillant. Now the catch, as usual: any chance you have any break through regarding the fully blank dot paper template? I am a doctor and need to print articles that use the whole margin of the paper. More often than not, the livescribe menu gets in the way instead of helping. Fully blank dot paper would be the major break throough when it comes to the dot paper/smart paper use, IMHO. Anyways, now I am just flaterring you into making those available 🙂 Thanks for everything!
Hi Bruno,
Unfortunately not. Since Livescribe has closed their Developer Program, there is no way to create any new notepads (without the controls). See this page for more details: https://rohankapoor.com/2012/01/03/livescribe-we-w…
BTW, why not add a notepad with even more pages; say, 400/500 pages – the way I see it would make the page pdf page interval choice less used and the softw. more practical for those wanting to print longer pdfs at once…sorry if I am asking too much.
Thanks again!
As I mentioned earlier, with Livescribe closing their Developer Program, there is no way to create any new notepads of any lengths. Please see this page for more details: https://rohankapoor.com/2012/01/03/livescribe-we-w…
Hi Rohan, thanks for working on this… would it be possible to make a short how-to page or youtube vid to demonstrate what you can do with the deloyment and overlay tools. I'm a noob, and struggle to see when and how to use which tool, or if these two tools can even be used for what I have in mind.
Hi Mark,
That's something I'm working on. To try to simplify it quickly, the tool allows you to take any PDF file you have and turns it into a Livescribe notepad (before you print it out to write on) and after you upload the handwritten notes so that you have the PDF file with the notes on top for archival purposes.
Ah, am I understanding it correctly? You could make a PDF form, merge it with a dot paper PDF, print it and have people fill it in. Afterwards when you download the page from the pen, livescribe would see the writing, but on a "blank" page. Then you can export it again, and merge again with PDF form to make a complete original.
Is there anyway to make the pen and the desktop software "know" what your form looks like? Is that what the deployment tools is for?
That's exactly what it does!
Unfortunately without Livescribe restoring their SDK's and granting more licenses, no. I'll explain why in a minute – I can write a program that will link up the form programatically inside the .afd file for Livescribe Desktop – the problem is – simply changing the image does not trigger a change in the GUID (Globally unique identifier) which means that if you use the same license file with a different form, it would still have the original form in Livescribe Desktop because Livescribe Desktop would not update it.
The key to making this part work is having the ability to generate new licenses on the fly (preferably with the user's own credentials on a pattern license server) so that each different type of thing has a unique license. This is something that cannot be done unless Livescribe provides us with an SDK or at the very least a pattern license server again.
"The key to making this part work is having the ability to generate new licenses on the fly (preferably with the user's own credentials on a pattern license server) so that each different type of thing has a unique license. This is something that cannot be done unless Livescribe provides us with an SDK or at the very least a pattern license server again."
I think that this is a rather modest but concrete request from Livescribe to reinstall the pattern license server again. We should concretely demand this on their pages.
Kind regards,
Istvan
I appreciate the support you've shown throughout the process Istvan! If your campaign can get Livescribe to listen, we'd all benefit from it!
Hi Rohan,
I found this a wonderfull tool for preparing Templates that lead to a structured handwritten docmentation with audio parts.
What Im struggling is. That I can only produce or archive onepage-templates. Would it be possible to have templates with several different pages that can be overlayed.
Would be nice to hear about.
Hi Guenter,
That should be working with this tool, but it appears that there is a bug in it somewhere. I will be taking a fairly exhaustive review of the entire codebase sometime soon and at that point, hope to fix it.
Hi Rohan,
many thanks for giving the short notice. I'd really appreciate if this can be fixed and you can give notice about. But please don't bring yourself under pressure. You have great stuff here.
Hi Guenter,
I will definitely work on it soon and will announce it then.
Hi Rohan,
again not for publishing this.
As said I had some problems with the tool. For example I could not produce this pdf output which is an important final result.
I did this with the pdftk.exe program found on <a href="http://www.pdftk.com” target=”_blank”>www.pdftk.com.
With that program you can quite well combine background files with pdf files, or stamp pfd files with background files. This is what you need here. Unfortunately it has a terrible command line interface. Here is my test result that I was not able to produce with your tool: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7o3l3qvutbnue1y/Blank_N…
If you observe closely there is another problem for which I have no explanation, the livescribe pen did not record some half-letters and some lines. I have not done any scaling when printing out the dot-paper with the grid.
After further testing the writing quality became better. I have changed the color of the grid from black to cyan, and switched on in the printer the "toner saving" mode. It is still not 100%, but significantly better. Actually the paper is now rather close what I wanted to have.
Kind regards,
Istvan
I'm glad to see that it is getting better. As always your continued feedback is invaluable in the development cycle.
Hi Rohan,
Just wondering how this is different (except for the blank pages which I would love to have) from using the watermarking method to merge your pdf file and with the Livescribe export to pdf you can merge the pdf file with your Livescribe notes. So trying to figure out what this would do that the watermarking doesn't – maybe save a few steps? Just curious.
Thanks,
Donna
Hi Donna,
This is in fact basically using a PDF library to replicate the watermarking method in a more efficient manner (you don't have to remember command line flags for example) and providing a gui to do it with. It also introduces four new totally blank notepads which allows integrating forms in a much nicer way (without lines and such)!
Well I got the pen a year ago or so, and sadly I did not look into the SDK, paper creation, etc. How would one go about designing/impleneting custom styles and such? I'm interested in the techonology. Glad to see someone taking initiative, Livescribe sure screwed up when they decided to remove support for the SDK as well as disabling the forum.
To be honest, at this point there is not much that can be done since they closed down everything. At this point, you would have to generate your own PDF templates (in whatever application you choose) and then use my tool to merge them with the Livescribe ones.
Rohan, you magnificent man! I've been following your work since I learned about the Livescribe pens last year, and am so COMPLETELY thrilled that you were finally able to release a tool like this. I've wanted a smartpen for so long, but haven't been able to justify it because of the inability to create custom paper. However, I think I will now buy one, thanks to you. As a student with pretty severe ADHD, you've just made my life so much simpler. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
As a side note, I'm primarily a Linux user at home, so I was wondering if you have plans to port your apps to Linux? This would just be the best thing ever. If not, I'd be more than happy to assist with that. I work as a .net developer and have a good amount of experience with the framework. In any case, you've made me extremely happy today. Thanks again, and I'll be sure to make a nice donation when I'm able!
You are very welcome!
As far as porting my apps to Linux, it's not something I've currently thought about at all. It's certainly possible for this tool (but impossible for the Custom Paper Deployment Tool as Livescribe hasn't provided any linux drivers for the smartpen). I suppose if I were to port some of my code to java, that would allow cross-platform usability allowing both Mac and Linux users to use the tools without having to virtualize Windows. Hmmn, that would certainly be something to think about at the least.
Rohan,
Well, I will try it….
As a possible fall back would it also help a bit, if Livescribe just released .adf files for some good quality empty papers.
Say, e.g.
32 page papers
64 page papers
128 page papers
256 page papers
Say 4 of each of them…. and binary numbers are always symphatic…
Of course it could be something else.
In that case at least everybody for his own (so for "private use" and not for "worldwide exchange") could create with your tools whatever form he wants.
In such a case there would be no license server…. as a fall back.
Kind regards,
Istvan
Thanks Istvan,
Those by itself will not be useful – what would be useful would be to have the license files for say around 25-50 different notepads which can be used for each users unique needs with a new form creation tool. Again creating the tool is not the difficulty, the difficulty is in obtaining the license files as Livescribe closed it down completely.
Hello Mr Kapoor, did I understand right that the notebooks that are only 25 pages can not get bigger? I was just about to ask you if you could make more pages for the other notebooks. thanks nora
Hi Nora,That's correct. Notebook sizes are fixed and no new notebooks can be created.
Rohan,
I made some tests with the latest version of the tool and have found no errors. Thank you very much.
As said this tool solves for me two open issues. Of course not perfectly, that is without a minimal help of Livescribe is not possible, but with some planning one can live with it.
1) Generating new templates / forms. I think this is nicely solved. Of course what has the limitation that one has to use in an economic way the 4 templates. If you run out of them, you have to archive and start reusing them. The Blank Notepad Template is – as you have received it from Livescribe – too dark. I can not imagine what Livescribe did with it… Anyway, if you select the "toner saving" mode on your printer (many printer have that mode) then I think the results are good. In merging the original overlay template with the Livescribe output, be sure that the Livescribe output is the main document that is stamped by the template (otherwise you will not hear anything).
2) The other application – voice and writing annotation of an existing PDF document works also well. Here you have to economize also with the 4 tablets. You have the maximum limitation of 150 pages (for Blank Notepad 1), which is most of the time enough. One has to be careful at the generation, the length of the to be annotated PDF document has to match exactly the length of the Blank Notepad (either 150 page, or 50, or 25) – otherwise the program gives an error.
Here the trick with the "toner saver" mode does not work well, because then the source PDF gets also printed in a fainted manner.
After voice notation, when you combine the source PDF file and the Livescribe output file, again the length has to be right. This is ok if you "used" all the pages (just a short opening of each page e.g. with a small "x" somewhere is enough) to ensure that the length of both to be merged PDFs are the same.
Thanks again,
Istvan
Hi Istvan,
I can look into allowing extra pages of the source PDF file to be dropped so that files without matching lengths can also be used.
I'm glad you have found the tool useful and sincerely appreciate your feedback.
Rohan,
Thank you so much for your great work! Would it be possible to also offer A4 versions of the notebook? I'm living in Europe and the Letter format is not so common 😉
Kind regards,
Raffael
Hi Raffael,
Unfortunately it is not possible because Livescribe has closed out their developer's program – we have no way of making any other types of custom paper.
Thanks for much for this great software however I having an issue with the final output overlay. The notes from the dot paper are great but when it overlays the first page original pdf template repeats for all my 12 pages even though it says that both documents have 12 pages. Please help!
Hi Andrea,
That was a bug in the software that was fixed in version 1.0.2.0. If you open the tool it should automatically update.
Thanks for reporting it.
Thank's a lot for this app.
I'm writting you from Canary Islands and here there is not support for the pen. Also I called then and they don't sell to Canary Islands … it's unbelievable.
I would like to install the app and use it with my office's printer but we have a firewall wich doesn't allow me to do it.
Is there any way to download the installation packages of Template Overlay Tool and Custom Paper Deployment Tool as an EXE file or ZIP file to be able to install them at work? It would be a very interesting solution for me.
Hope some news and, one more time, congratulations for your really big effort.
Regards.
I'm working on the stand alone installers. Thanks for expressing your interest!
Hi Rohan,
If I install the Custom Deployment Tool on Windows 8 (RTM) it crashes after a few seconds.. Do you know the problem? Thanks for all your work!
Hi Giorgio, My guess is a livescribe incompatibilty because custom paper deployment tool uses several of their libraries. Have you gotten livescribe desktop to install and run there?
Hi Rohan,
First let me thank you for your great tools.
However, when I try to select any existing PDF and overlay it with dots in your template overlay tool I get the Error – "StartIndex cannot be less than zero. Parameter name: startIndex."
I am using Windows 7 64 bit. Any ideas?
Hi Steve,
This bug was resolved in version 1.0.2.0. Thanks for reporting it!
Hi,
i have the same problem with version 1.0.2.0 on Win7 x64 and Win XP x86.
How can i solve this problem?
Thanks a lot for your good work!
Tobias
Hi Tobias,
What are the exact steps you are going through when you get this error?
I have the same problem. I open a standard pdf file afte selecting a notebook and then there is this message. sometimes directly after selecting a file sometimes after generating the thing..
Informationen über das Aufrufen von JIT-Debuggen
anstelle dieses Dialogfelds finden Sie am Ende dieser Meldung.
************** Ausnahmetext **************
System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: StartIndex darf nicht kleiner als Null sein.
Parametername: startIndex
bei System.String.InternalSubStringWithChecks(Int32 startIndex, Int32 length, Boolean fAlwaysCopy)
bei Livescribe_Template_Overlay_Tool.TemplateOverlayToolHome.selectCustomPDFBtn_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
bei System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
bei System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
bei System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
bei System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
bei System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
bei System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
bei System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
bei System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
bei System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
bei System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
************** Geladene Assemblys **************
mscorlib
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.296 (RTMGDR.030319-2900).
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll.
—————————————-
System
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.1001 built by: RTMGDR.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll.
—————————————-
Template Overlay Tool
Assembly-Version: 1.0.2.0.
Win32-Version: 1.0.2.0.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Users/nora/AppData/Local/Apps/2.0/KALW11A1.4QY/QEZ66XPT.7QM/temp..tion_12a7f288c013f5eb_0001.0000_af70b464764b24eb/Template%20Overlay%20Tool.exe.
—————————————-
System.Windows.Forms
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.1002 built by: RTMGDR.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll.
—————————————-
System.Drawing
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.1001 built by: RTMGDR.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll.
—————————————-
System.Deployment
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.1 (RTMRel.030319-0100).
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Deployment/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Deployment.dll.
—————————————-
System.Xml
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.233 built by: RTMGDR.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll.
—————————————-
Accessibility
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.1 built by: RTMRel.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Accessibility/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Accessibility.dll.
—————————————-
PresentationFramework
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.298.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/PresentationFramework/v4.0_4.0.0.0__31bf3856ad364e35/PresentationFramework.dll.
—————————————-
WindowsBase
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.298 built by: RTMGDR.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/WindowsBase/v4.0_4.0.0.0__31bf3856ad364e35/WindowsBase.dll.
—————————————-
PresentationCore
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.298 built by: RTMGDR.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_32/PresentationCore/v4.0_4.0.0.0__31bf3856ad364e35/PresentationCore.dll.
—————————————-
System.Xaml
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.298 built by: RTMGDR.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xaml/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xaml.dll.
—————————————-
mscorlib.resources
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.235 (RTMGDR.030319-2300).
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/mscorlib.resources/v4.0_4.0.0.0_de_b77a5c561934e089/mscorlib.resources.dll.
—————————————-
System.Windows.Forms.resources
Assembly-Version: 4.0.0.0.
Win32-Version: 4.0.30319.1 built by: RTMRel.
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms.resources/v4.0_4.0.0.0_de_b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.resources.dll.
—————————————-
************** JIT-Debuggen **************
Um das JIT-Debuggen (Just-In-Time) zu aktivieren, muss in der
Konfigurationsdatei der Anwendung oder des Computers
(machine.config) der jitDebugging-Wert im Abschnitt system.windows.forms festgelegt werden.
Die Anwendung muss mit aktiviertem Debuggen kompiliert werden.
Zum Beispiel:
<configuration>
<system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>
Wenn das JIT-Debuggen aktiviert ist, werden alle nicht behandelten
Ausnahmen an den JIT-Debugger gesendet, der auf dem
Computer registriert ist, und nicht in diesem Dialogfeld behandelt.
Hi Rohan,
Just curious if you ever had the time to look at this error? I have since tried it on windows 8 with identical results. Would love to make use of this ability!
Thanks for your hard work, I appreciate it!
Hi Steve,
I've been doing some investigating. It appears to be a problem with certain PDF files. Can you use the contact form to send to me a link to the PDF file that you are trying to use with it so I can do some specific debugging.
Hi Rohan,
I have tried printing out some of the notebooks available in your Custom Deployment Tool, but when I try using them with my pen, the LCD reads: “please update your software to use this dot paper” I have the most recent firmware – does the most recent firmware not play well with the notebooks from the development tool era?
Thanks.
Hi Ebsith,
Sounds like you forgot to actually deploy the notebooks and only printed them. Can you make sure you selected the appropriate check boxes and clicked deploy. This updates your smartpen to use them.
Hi Rohan,
I am looking at purchasing a livescribe pen for my wife to assist with her business. She uses alot of individual templates, if I understand correctly, you can merge the individual template PDF files with the livescribe via your deployment tool, print it out and use as a livescribe notepad
Hi Bryan,
That's basically what Template Overlay Tool can do – it's certainly not the cleanest way of doing things but it's a passable solution because we really don't have any other options left.
Hi Rohan,
Thanks for this tool! Unfortunately, I'm encountering a problem with generating an archive using your tool. I selected my original "template pdf", which in my case is a 32 page ppt. presentation. I then selected my archived livescribe notebook of the notes that I took during that presentation (I used the "generate printout" tool to create a livescribe notebook with the printout of the presentation on the pages). I inputted this pdf as the "Select Output (LD) pdf". However, the end results are my notes on top of the presentation, but the background image of all 32 pages is the first slide of the ppt! I'm just wondering what happened and if I'm doing something incorrectly. Thanks for your help!
Hi Angie,
I found a bug in one of the arguments being sent to the PDF library. I updated the tool yesterday to correct this problem. Your copy of the tool should prompt you to update next time you start it.
Please let me know if you find anything else.
Hi Rohan,
I am a new echo user and am trying to use your Template Overlay and Custom Paper Deployment Tools. I selected a notebook, opened the PDF to embed and was able to save an embedded PDF but they won't print. The video on the Custom Deployment Page was very helpful and I did follow all of those instructions first. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Howard,
What do you mean that it won't print? If you have a PDF file, it should print just like any other PDF file on your computer.
Hi Rohan,
I have these university notes in PDF form given by the lecturer. I've tried your template overlay tool over the notes and the pen works fine with it after i send the afd to it. But when i connect the pen to livescribe desktop it doesn't show the actual pdf notes, it only shows my writing. Am I doing something wrong or is this not the purpose of your software? I know how to change an afd file but it seems a bit tedious to make a new afd file for every single page. Converting pdf to png and eps then compressing to an afd then sending it to the pen. Is there an easier way?
You are using the tool correctly (but only the first half of it). Once you have finished the notebook in Livescribe Desktop you have to export your handwritten notes from there and then recombine them with the templates using the "Generate Archive" mode of Template Overlay Tool.
It is possible to deploy only dots? Did it would be possible to start recording from “original” page and continue work with only dot’s paper? This way custom paper could be printed from black and white printer.
Currently any of the PDF files can be printed from a black and white printer – that's what I use myself.
Rohan,
Your solutions have helped justify my Livescribe purchase and helped mitigate costs because of my avid use of the product. Many thanks to you and your efforts! I will definitely make a donation toward the project. I would like to ask if there are any plans or available options for flip pads similar to the type that was originally made for the pulse smartpens. As a field tech, this would be an very valuable tool. Its not always convenient or reasonable to carry a "journal" notebook on a work site. Again, many thanks to you and your colleagues!
Curtis,
Thanks so much! Unfortunately because Livescribe has closed their development program, I have no way of creating such flip pads. See this post for more details: https://rohankapoor.com/blog/2012/01/03/livescribe…
Livescribe themselves still sell the Flip Notepads in their store: http://www.livescribe.com/store/20070723002/flip-…
Rohan
Would love to give this a try and I have downloaded all the software. But I am not sure how to get started. Do you have any step by step instructions on how to use the overlay tool
Hi Bart,
Most of the documentation is all here. I'm working on whipping together a quick walk through video in a few weeks. I'll post it here once it's ready!
Everytime I plug in my Sky and try to launch Custom Paper Deployment tool the program crashes. I have tried launching then connecting the pen and connecting pen to pc and then launching. both result in a crash. Any ideas? Im on a windows 7 machine.
Thanks!!!
Currently none of the tools are compatible with the new Sky pen. Some work needs to be done by Livescribe to allow access to the Sky pen through the software as well as some work on my end (once Livescribe does their work). I'm trying to work with them on that and will keep you updated.
Hi Rohan,
I am in desperate need of the ability to overlay my PDF's on dot paper and have the sky pen and evernote see all of this. Would you please keep my name and e-mail me as soon as you have anything(even beta ) available?
Thanks.
Hi Jorge,
I will definitely do my best once Livescribe has provided me with a way to communicate with a Sky pen.
Hi Jorge, why do not you complain directly to Livescribe that they should either provide that functionality or they should support Rohan? Maybe a miracle happens and they react.
Great Idea. Consider it done (for the 10th time!)
Hi Rohan,
Many thanks for this information.
I am not sure that for my uses of the pen I would need a Sky pen at all. Nevertheless, knowing how weak the paper support of Livescribe is, I am definitely not getting a Sky pen until this issue is solved. I guess this will take very long, because if you have to wait first for something that Livescribe does, we know what it means in practice….
Hi Istvan,
The hope would be that it would not take too long a time, but we shall see. For now at least, I don't recommend purchasing one, if you wish to use custom paper with it.
Hi Arnon,
Yes that would be one of the exact cases that this tool would be useful for! As for a single page, it will only use the number of pages it needs to use – so as long as you archive the notebook in Livescribe Desktop before printing a different form, you will be fine.
Thank you so much for this! It worked prefectly!
You are very welcome! I'm glad I've ironed out all of the bugs.
nit sure what teh generate archive tab does
The generate archive tab is for generating a PDF file from your handwritten notes and your original template file.
Hi Rohan, does the template overlay tool use the new PDF rendering you have done in Custom Paper Deployment Tool?
Grazie mille from Italy for your work!
Hi Giorgio,
At this point, it does not use the new PDF rendering though that is something that I will have ready at some point in the near future.
i'm having some trouble with this application.
when i try to embed an existing PDF file, it gives me an error with the message "startindex cannot be less than zero. parameter name: startIndex."
Rohan, absolutely amazing stuff. It works brilliantly. One question, though: The pdf file generated by the Template Overlay Tool. Do you know if there isa way to run that file, using an iPad?
I have no idea. I know that on Windows you need Adobe Reader because there is some funky plugin that Livescribe is using embedded in the PDF file. The only thing I can say is give it a try and let me know.
do the template designs actually display in livescribe desktop?
Nope, the designs do not show up in Livescribe Desktop. This is why you need to use the second process which allows you to take the exported handwriting and merge it back with your designs.
Will this work with the sky wifi pen?
No it will not.