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Guide through the user interface
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With the help of the toolbar, you can directly access different functions, which either offer different ways to sign (coloured green here) or make reading more comfortable (blue) or allow working with your files (yellow).
The toolbar
If all available buttons are activated, the following options are available (from left to right). You can also configure this toolbar in the administration tab Appearance & Design.
| Option | Explanation |
|---|---|
| View | The view mode, which offers varying options to read or just look at the document, for example zooming or changing shown pages |
Fill Form | Here you can fill formular fields, which are included in your document (check boxes, text fields etc.), which you added in other applications to the document. |
Sign | The signature mode or simpy sign mode, in which you can manually draw a signature rectangle at any position in the document in order to sign it. |
Digital Stamp | With this option, you'll open a dialog to select a picture file, which you can use as your signature and add it to the document. |
| Zoom In | Enlargen the view of your document by zooming closer in. |
| Zoom Out | Reduce the size of your document by zooming out. |
| Fit to Width | Use the available window width to show the document as large as possible. |
| Fit to Screen | Resize the picture until the whole, currently shown page is visible on the computer screen. |
| Next Page | Page forward; eSignatureOffice will jump to the top of the next document page |
| Previous Page | Page backward; eSignatureOffice will jump to the most recent top of a page in your document. This also means, that if you are far down on a page, this button will jump to the top of the same page. |
| Open File | Open a file selection dialog to load a document. By default, only PDF files are shown here. |
| Save | Save the current document. |
| Save As | Save the current document with a new name or at another path. |
| Send E-Mail | Open a new window of the default email program, to which the currently loaded document is already added as file attachement. |
Open the print menu to print the currently loaded document. | |
| Check | Open the document information window, in which you can get a lot of information, like if the document has been manipulated, how many signatures are included, when and with which signature pads they have been added. |
| Set sign pad | This is a shortcut for your toolbar, which allows to directly change your signature device without having to go the longer routes over either the main menu oder the administration menu. |
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The sidebar
If the respective preconditions are met, the sidebar offers the following (support) options. You can configure this sidebar in the administration tab Sidebar.
| Option | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Documents | By default, you can see a list of the most recently used documents here. However, you can also edit this to show your own choice of document and/or signature-sets. You can find an explanation on how to do this here. |
| Directory | Show the document's directory, if there is one included. Otherwise, this item is grayed out. You can use this directy to easily navigate the document by clicking the paragraphs and chapters. Please be aware, that a simple directory in text form within the document is not enough to be used as digitally usable directory! |
| Page Preview | Show a small preview of each of the document's pages. |
| Signatures | Show a list of all signatures, which have already been added to the loaded document. The list includes further details like the contact information of the signer, the time of signing (locally and the time server), different certificates proving the signature to be real etc. |
| Signature set | Show all signature-set files in the current signature-set folder, if there is at least one available. You can also use this list to double-click any set to start it directly. |
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Loading a document
There are different ways to load a document in eSignatureOffice:
- from the file system of the used computer or its local network (Open File)
- from another program
- from a FTP server
- as start parameter
1. From the file system or a local networkIf you have an already prepared PDF file, you can load it in eSignatureOffice by clicking on the "Open File" |
2. File transfered from another program
If you file is not readily available as PDF, we're recommending to use the StepOver PDF Converter. If you have it already installed after the eSignatureOffice setup, you can skip to the next step. Otherwise, you'll find instructions in the chapter The StepOver PDF Converter. How to use the PDF Converter: In case it's already started, please close eSignatureOffice: it will be started in one of the following steps automatically together with your new document. Open your document in your application (i.e. your text formatting program) and choose "Print". In the following printer selection dialog, choose the StepOver PDF Converter and start the printing process, which will not really print the document but convert it into a PDF file and transfer it directly to eSignatureOffice, which will then start automatically together with your newly created PDF file. You can change this behaviour in the PDF Converter section of the administration menu.
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3. Loading a file from a FTP serverIf your PDF file is located on a FTP server, you can load it to eSignatureOffice by using the option "Open from FTP" in the "File" menu. In the following FTP dialog, you're having the option to connect to a FTP server and directly download and open files from there. Choose your FTP server connection from the drop down list "Server connection".
After succesfully connecting to the server, you can view its content and and open PDF files by left-clicking on them and choosing "Get".
How to configure a FTP connection will be described at the very end of this chapter in the section FTP settings. |
4. Transfer via start parameterIf you're calling eSignatureOffice from another program (for example from a self-created application or batch file), you can pass the path and name of the desired PDF file as combined start parameter. You can find more information about this topic here: Startparameter
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Saving a document
In order to save a document at its original location, please use the "Save" icon 
or the matching menu item in the "File" menu.
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You can also save files with the help of macro actions, which you can define in the "Configure macro buttons" - dialog. Learn more about this topic in the chapter Working with macros.
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Viewing Mode
This is the default mode in which eSignatureOffice will be after loading a document and it allows the user to closely inspect and read the document before signing it. This can be very important because in most cases, the creator of a document is not the same person, who will sign it in the end.
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You can start the PDF Form Fill Mode by clicking the "Form Fill" 
button in the tool bar. This button can only be activated, if there is already a PDF document loaded in eSignatureOffice. This mode allows to fill information into form fields, which you added for example with Adobe products (they can't be added in eSignatureOffice). You should do this before signing the document and afterwards you can save this additional data into the document.
- As you can see in the image, you can fill these PDF form fields in eSignatureOffice. This is true for radio buttons, check boxes, text fields and further possible fill-out support options, you might know from Adobe (and other) products
- With the tab key on your keyboard, you can automatically jump to each available form field within your document and so can complete them one by one.
- After saving the file, you can read the content of these form fields in other applications with a normal full-text search.
- With the help of command parameters (via *.fff file) it's possible to have a pre-filled form fields upon loading the PDF document. However, these fields are still editable in eSignatureOffice. You can find further information about start parameters in the chapter Startparameter.
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Sign Mode
You can enter the sign mode via the "Sign" 
button in the tool bar. This sign mode is the inner core of eSignatureOffice's functionality, in which you can digitally and safely sign your documents.
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- With "OK", you're attesting, that you are content with your signature and that you want to add it to the signature now. Depending on your settings, you might still have to confirm one or two additional dialogs.
- With "Repeat", everything in the current signing rectangle will be deleted, but not the rectangle itself. You can immediately sign at this position again.
- "Cancel" stops the whole signing procedure and deletes the signing rectangle, including the signature, and sends you back to the manual signing mode, where you can draw a new rectangle, if you wish.
- You can find a detailed step-by-step guide on how a complete manual signature procedure looks like here.
Digital Stamp
By clicking the "Digital Stamp" 
button, you have to possibility to add a picture to your document instead of a written signature. So, when the file selection window opens, choose your picture and by pressing "Open", it will be copied to the document. Afterwards, you still can adjust the picture's size and the exact position before you can finally add it to the document with the help of the previously explained "OK" button in the footer of eSignatureOffice.
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As an example, here a StepOver company stamp for signatures:
Saving the signature
After performing your signature and clicking the "OK" button (or after the automatic timeout), this dialog is shown. Here, you will be asked for the signer's name, the reason for the signature and the location; respectively, you will be asked to confirm previously stated information. After succesful confirmation, the signature will be added permanently to the document.
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After all necessary signatures have been added, you can save the document.
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Signing with mobile devices
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You can find a detailed description and explanation of this topic in the chapter Signing with mobile devices. (LINK AKTUALISIEREN!)
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Automatic creation of signing fields: Working with signature-sets
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You can find a detailed description and explanation of this topic in the chapter Automatic creation of signing fields: Working with signature-sets.
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Automating complex processes: Working with macros
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You can find a detailed description and explanation of this topic in the chapter Automating complex processes: Working with macros .
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Dynamic processing of document content
eSignatureOffice offers multiple possibilities to read the content of the loaded document and then use the found data to dynamically show custom dialogs, save with custom file names etc. without having to statically predefine this data for each user or each document. Each and every button with the magnifying glass icon 
leads to Dynamic processing of document content .
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FTP settings
Open the FTP dialog by using the "Open from FTP" item in the "File" menu.
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By the default, the saving path for these FTP-sets is "C:\Users\[Username]\Documents\StepOver\FTPSets\", whereas [Username] is the name of the currently logged in Windows user and so this saving path is always individual for all users. However, you can change this default path in the administration menu in the the Network tab. (PFAD EINFÜGEN BEI RELEASE)