PDF viewer doesnt have all features when viewed as HTML5 in Chrome

Oct 26, 2017

Hi! 

We use a PDF Viewer web object to load PDFs within the slide. It has been working fine in all our courses since 2014. However, in recent courses (built in Storyline 3), the PDF viewer is not showing all the features (especially zoom in/out buttons) in Chrome. It works well in IE and Firefox. This is happening in HTML5 versions of the courses only. 

Can you please suggest what might be causing it and how can we fix it? Is there a new PDF viewer out there that works better with Chrome? 

Thanks,

Richa

13 Replies
Richa Saxena

Hi Michael,

I cannot post the course but here are two screenshots that show the problem. The one that displays the PDF tool bar correctly with all buttons ( especially zoom in/out) is the HTML5 page in Firefox, where as the other one is the same page in Chrome. As you can see the PDF reader's tool bar is not showing up correctly in Chrome.

Appreciate your help!

Thanks!

Richa

 

Richa Saxena

I have been using the web object in the attached file that I downloaded from eLearning brothers in 2014. The file was originally in SL1, then we upgraded it to SL2 (which is the attached file), and now the problem we are seeing is in courses that were converted to SL3, which use the same web object. Thanks again for looking into it!

Michael Anderson

Richa, I'm having trouble reproducing the problem. I downloaded the project you posted, upgraded it to Storyline 3 format, published it, and opened it in Chrome. Take a look at the attached screenshot. Maybe try it in your version of Chrome at this link:  http://andersonelearning.com/temp/story_html5.htm

Richa Saxena

Hi Michael, the PDF viewer is displaying correctly from the link you posted on my version of Chrome. I am not sure what is different in this file from the one I have in the course but I will try republishing the file and see if it makes a difference. Did you publish it as HTML5 with Flash fallback? Not that it should matter but just curious. Thank you so much!

Richa Saxena

Thanks for asking Michael, but that won't be necessary.

I was able to fix the issue by changing the Player size (in Player Properties> Browser settings) to "Lock Player at Optimal Size". Earlier it was set to "Scale Player to fill browser window." For some reason, this has fixed the issue.

As Matthew Bibby mentioned above, there must be some code that's getting overridden when we change the browser settings in SL. Thanks for chiming in Matthew!

Michael, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me with this. Thanks! :)

Claudine Caro

I'm experiencing the same sizing issue with PDFs in Chrome. 

IE/Rise and Firefox both size the PDF appropriately to fit centered within the window. 

Chrome shows different sizing results at different browser width breakpoints. 

  • very narrow: vertical and horizontal scroll bars for the PDF. The Web Object window stays in proportion.
  • medium: Displays normally. Vertical scroll bar only. Access to the player bar and + and - buttons.
  • normal to full width: No scroll bars. PDF cuts off on right side.

Is there any fix?

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