Ordering pages of PDF files Combined in Layout Tool

[Jesse_Riegel]

Hey, 

I'm combining 3 pdf files using the "Multi-Input Tool" and using the "Layout" tool to join them into one pdf file (see attached) before rendering them. Two pdfs have multiple pages and I'm finding that the pdfs are scattered throughout the resulting document with no apparent rhyme or reason. Is there a way to have it so x pages of Doc A preceeds x pages of Doc B followed y Doc C? 

Thanks!

[SeanAdams · Accepted solution]

Hey Jesse,

The trick to using the reporting tools, is to treat each report element as a piece of data, so if you want 1 table and 1 graph with all the stuff from your first input, then get them all into 1 layout first and then it becomes 1 row and 1 column.

The way you hand the flow, you were joining the report components based on the client ID, which is what was causing the splitting  randomization.   Instead, get them into a table or a chart, then a layout tool, so that you have everything in one cell, and then join using "join by record position" on the join tool.

Have a look at the attached flow - I can work with you on more complex versions if you need.   Unfortunately I couldn't use your base data and flow because they were embedded in a macro that didn't ship, but this should show you the beginnings of a way to a solution.   Don't be afraid to consolidate often.   For example - in the flow below, if you put a Layout tool after each of the headers, you can format the table with its header and it then merges it into 1 object, you'll then have only 1 cell (1 row, 1 column)  for each of the streams going into the join, and your final layout tool will only have 3 components.

[Jesse_Riegel · Accepted solution]

Thank you very much Sean! You answered my question and I forgot to mention I was using charts, but will use your table method in the future. 

The parts that solved my problem out of your response were: 

- Select "Join by Record Position" in the Join Multiple tool

- Put each segment into an individual Layout tool prior to the Join Multiple tool

Also, I was then having the issue of them being in order but with 3 of my graphs at the top of the first page and then the remaining 8 pages of pdfs being one graph per page. If this happens to someone, select "Vertical with Section Breaks" in the Orientation drop down in the Layout tool under Layout configuration. Then it works and looks beautiful :)

Thanks again for your help! Resulting workflow and pdf output attached. 

[torontokapoor81]

Thanks for posting this guys - quick one - any one of you ever read a pdf and broke it down into multiple pdfs? I dont intend to read the pdf as text or parse it, just need to break it into different files as pdf...