Adding Static Images and Geometric Objects to a Form

As with all objects, you must first choose the page where you want to include the object. In our scenario, the company logo is to appear on all pages. Such objects are called boilerplate objects.

You can include objects from the Library palette by dragging them onto the page.

You can include images in the following formats:

• Windows Bitmap (*.bmp)
• JPEG (*.jpg)
• TIFF (*.tif)
• PNG (*.png)
• GIF (*.gif ; animated GIFs are not supported)
• EXIF

For a static image, specify its location via a valid URL. This address can be a file name on a file server, the intranet, or the Internet.

If the image file is located on a file server, you can browse your file system by choosing the folder option to the right of the URL address. After you select an image, make sure that you specify the complete path so that it is found at runtime. Addresses such as C:\image.gif might work when you carry out a test in the Adobe LiveCycle Designer preview; however, as soon as you test the form with an application program, you will notice that C:\ refers to the server’s file system on which Adobe Document Services are executed. This is generally not the computer that you use to design a form. Make sure that you enter a publicly accessible file location.

When you specify a URL, you must prefix the address with http:// or https://. Make sure that this address is accessible for Adobe Document Services.

To avoid incorrect image addresses at runtime, you can select the Embed image checkbox. In this way, you can include an image which, at its original location, is accessible to only you.

You have the following size options for an image:

• Original Size

  The original size of the image is used; sizing handles cannot be used.

• Scale Image Proportionally

  Resizing the placeholder for the image automatically resizes the image to the maximum size possible in the placeholder. The image proportions are preserved.

• Scale Image to Fit Rectangle

  You can determine the image size yourself. Image proportions are not preserved.

To enhance the layout of the form, you can include some graphical elements, such as:

• Lines

  You may draw a line at any angle by clicking and dragging one of its handles. On the Object palette, you find buttons to set the line to the horizontal, vertical, or 45-degree diagonal position.

• Rectangles

  You can set the line style, corners, and background colors for rectangles, just like you can for text fields.

• Circles

  You may also draw a circle in parts (arcs).

Typically, but not necessarily, these graphical elements are placed on a master page, so they act as boilerplate objects.