Something I often need to do: annotate a PDF on my iPad with my pencil so I can send it back to someone, for instance a form I need to fill.
Being a good evernote user, I naturally want to do this through evernote. However, when I attempt to do it right now, this is what happens:
I select the note with the PDF within
I tap on the PDF, it opens and fills the screen
I reach for the pen and attempt to write on the PDF -- the PDF moves instead. Evernote thinks I'm just using the pencil instead of my finger to move around the PDF. Not good.
I tap the "annotate" button up right. The PDF re-opens in a somewhat different layout (why ?)
Using the pen, I attempt to write on the PDF -- the PDF moves instead. Not good.
I select the "pen" tool: I first tap the "arrows" icon at bottom-right, then I tap the "pen" icon.
I finally can annotate the PDF.
In total, once the PDF is opened on screen I need to tap three things (annotate->arrows->pen) before I'm able to annotate the PDF. Instead, as soon I put the pen on the screen Evernote could assume that I'm trying to write on the PDF. I imagine that it's the main reason why people would use their pencil on screen. That change would save me three taps and two confusing user experiences when I end up moving around the PDF with my pen (twice in very short succession).
In addition:
the pencil annotation engine is weak, it has trouble following you when you write too fast (PDF expert has no problem) so your writing often ends up hard to understand. It is just not an enjoyable experience overall so I generally try to avoid it (even though I want to use Evernote)
when you are in annotation mode and writing with the pencil, you can't just flip pages using your finger -- Evernote thinks you want to annotate the PDF with your finger as well. I know you can use both fingers but at the point when you remember it you often have already drawn lines over the PDF with your finger (that you need to undo). It seems pretty safe to me to assume that if you are annotating a PDF with your pencil and suddenly you use your finger it means you're trying to change the page. Again PDF expert does this right.
If you close the PDF and open another one in annotation mode, the tool selection goes back to "move" instead on staying on the last-used "pen". Confusion again.
My suggestions would be:
at least when the user enters annotate mode switch back to the last used tool.
in annotate mode, if the user is using a pencil to annotate, finger taps should move the PDF around
if the user taps an opened PDF with the pencil, switch to annotate mode with the pen tool selected.
Idea
Vincent Noel 60
Something I often need to do: annotate a PDF on my iPad with my pencil so I can send it back to someone, for instance a form I need to fill.
Being a good evernote user, I naturally want to do this through evernote. However, when I attempt to do it right now, this is what happens:
In total, once the PDF is opened on screen I need to tap three things (annotate->arrows->pen) before I'm able to annotate the PDF. Instead, as soon I put the pen on the screen Evernote could assume that I'm trying to write on the PDF. I imagine that it's the main reason why people would use their pencil on screen. That change would save me three taps and two confusing user experiences when I end up moving around the PDF with my pen (twice in very short succession).
In addition:
My suggestions would be:
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