Converting Livecycle Dynamic XML pdf forms to Word?

[Former Community Member]

How do I convert a dynamic XML pdf form created from Livecycle designer ES to Microsoft word? I have Acrobat X and when I click on File -> Save As - > and choose 'Save as type' as "Microsoft Word Document (*.doc)", I am getting this message: "Save as failed to process this document. No file was created."

Is this because its a dynamic XML form with many javascripts in the form design? if not, what could be the cause of this that is making the file not savable to word format? All of these forms are created from Livecycle designer and I have tried using Acrobat X to convert them to word but it doesnt work.

[radzmar · Accepted solution]

Hi,

XFA forms are not regular PDF's but XML files in a PDF shell.

To create a word file from those files, you first have to flatten the XFA forms by printing as PDF with the Adobe PDF Printer.

Then you can save the created static PDF as Word document.

[Former Community Member]

Thank you radzmar. Printing to pdf and then saving it to word doc works. But the generated word file does not have the same alignment as of the original file. Meaning, some elements are distorted and aligned incorrectly. Is that normal?

Also is there a way to add a button on these XFA forms that generates / converts the filled pdf document to a word doc or other formats such as jpeg, etc through a server based conversion so that users with only Adobe reader can still convert these files by clicking on a "convert" button or something like that? Is there any solution or method for this?

[radzmar]

Hi,

don't expect an exact result.

The conversion always is an interpretation of the given layout and may be not perfect in all details.

There is not script you can add to a button to automate this workflow, especially not  for Reader, as it doesn't have any export functions.

I tested Adobe ExportPDF services, which are available in Reader XI, but those only export the shell PDF of a XFA form, so it's not usable for those PDF's (image below).

[Former Community Member]

Thank you Radzmar....