Viewer limitations in IBM Content Navigator

Troubleshooting

Problem

IBM Content Navigator includes viewers that are designed to support as many file types as possible. However, these viewers are not able to render every type of file with the same accuracy. The flexibility of the viewers can lead to differences in the way that the documents are displayed. The severity of the differences varies depending on the complexity of the file type. In particular, PDF files and Microsoft Office files are difficult to render with complete accuracy in a universal viewer. The application used to generate a document always provides the best rendition.

Symptom

When you configure IBM Content Navigator to view documents, you might notice differences between the way the document is rendered in the application that was used to generate the document and the viewer. For a list of the supported viewers, see https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/content-navigator/3.0.13?topic=client-supported-viewers

This technote documents the known limitations of the viewers provided with IBM Content Navigator.

Daeja ViewONE Professional viewer

As of IBM Content Navigator 3.0.14, the Daeja ViewONE Professional viewer is no longer supported.

Line data applet viewer

As of IBM Content Navigator 3.0.14, the Line data applet viewer is no longer supported.

Download as PDF

When you download multi-part documents by using the download all parts as PDF functionality, only the first document is downloaded if you are using an external engine, such as Office documents.
Download AFP as PDF is only supported with Content Manager onDemand repositories.

Viewing AFP Documents

Supported with IBM Content Manager and with Content Manager onDemand repositories only.

Viewer limitations on the IBM Content Navigator web application server

Thumbnail view

The thumbnail view displays an image of the first page of an image file or PDF file on the Document Information pane.

Preview view

IBM Content Navigator uses the Daeja ViewONE virtual viewer to generate document previews.

Issue: On AIX 7.1, the preview view cannot display presentation file formats, such as ODP and PPT files when a compatible Motif library is not installed.

Resolution: Download Motif packages from IBM at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/5754279

Issue: On Linux and Linux for System z, the preview view cannot display presentation file formats, such as ODP and PPT files when a compatible Motif library is not installed.

Resolution: Download Open Motif packages from the Open Group at http://www.opengroup.org/openmotif/downloads.html

Issue: If the preview viewer is supported on your operating system but is not working properly, ensure that the web application server is configured correctly. For instance, on Linux for System z, IBM Content Navigator needs access to a running X Window System server to convert vector graphics to PDF and HTML and preview vector graphics. See the following procedures for more details:

Ajax viewer

With the Ajax viewer, you can view documents without a JRE installed on the client machine. The Ajax viewer can display Microsoft Office documents on Microsoft Windows machines.

Download as PDF and PDF conversion

Download documents as PDF, or use the PDF conversion viewer to convert image files to PDF.

XFA-based PDF forms

Viewers provided with IBM Content Navigator and the print action do not support XFA-based PDF forms. You can view and print XFA-based PDF forms from within the Adobe Reader viewer.

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