PDF bookmarks pane includes hyperlinked Flare bookmarks

[pdenchfield]

Extra PDF bookmarks result from any Flare bookmark that is the target of a Flare hyperlink; that is, all hyperlinked Flare bookmarks appear in a "Bookmarks" set of links at the end of the PDF Bookmarks pane on the left of the Adobe Reader window.

Steps to reproduce:
1. In a topic file, create a bookmark "TestBookmark" using Insert > Bookmark.
(In code, the bookmark appears as <a name="TestBookmark"></a>)
2. Elsewhere in the topic file, create a hyperlink to that bookmark.
(In code, the hyperlink appears as <a href=#TestBookmark>testing</a>)
3. Build a PDF with the target setting "Use TOC depth for heading levels."

Expected results:
PDF Bookmarks pane shows only the headings that I include in the TOC.

Actual results:
PDF Bookmarks pane includes the headings from my TOC, plus hyperlinked bookmarks.

Note:
This problem only occurs when you create a hyperlink to the bookmark. If you create the bookmark but do not hyperlink to it, the problem does not occur. If you create the bookmark and cross-reference it (Insert > Cross-Reference), the problem does not occur.

Question:
Is this a known problem? If so, how does a Flare user solve the problem, assuming that Acrobat Professional is not available to remove the extra bookmarks from the PDF?

By the way, I noticed that most of Flare's PDF guides (Help > Guides) have the same problem!

[LTinker68]

Question:
Is this a known problem? If so, how does a Flare user solve the problem, assuming that Acrobat Professional is not available to remove the extra bookmarks from the PDF?

It's not so much a "problem" as a feature they didn't think to implement. Several people have submitted feature requests asking for the ability to control some of the PDF options you get via Acrobat, including setting the view to "Pages only" instead of the default of "Bookmarks and pages" or however it's worded.

If you'd like the same option (or something else), make sure you submit your own feature request at http://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx. The more people who request the same feature, the sooner MadCap is to add it.

[pdenchfield]

Thanks, LTinker. I posted a bug for the extra PDF bookmarks from hyperlinked Flare bookmarks. I also posted a bug for the lack of a way to set PDF settings before PDF generation.

Now, for someone with Flare 4.1 but without Acrobat Professional, is there a way to make those extra PDF bookmarks disappear?

[pdenchfield]

FYI for anyone else puzzling over the extra bookmarks. MadCap Technical Support replied to my bug report. Acrobat Professional is required to remove the unwanted "Bookmarks" node that appears at the end of the Bookmarks pane when your content includes Flare bookmarks that are hyperlinked. (Or you can use xrefs instead of hyperlinks. Xrefs do not create this problem.)

[ccardimon]

Yes, I was wondering about that myself.

[JudyH]

I'm using Flare 8.1.2. I, too, am seeing the unwanted series of bookmarks in my PDF's browser ToC. In testing, I've ensured that the links are cross-references, not hyperlinks -- but the xrefs are indeed being listed.

I know this thread is rather old, and it appears the old work-around won't apply. Has something changed? Is there a way to keep that series from appearing?

--- never mind ---

I found the option (must be a newer feature) under the PDF options of the target, to "Include non-TOC bookmarks in the bookmarks pane." Or not. I'll let this stand in case someone else researches the same issue.

[Nita Beck]

Judy, in your PDF target, on the PDF Options tab of the Target Editor, make sure the check box "Include non-TOC bookmarks in the bookmark pane" is cleared. Hopefully, that'll fix your issue,