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gounisalex

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Show HN: PDFx – a 2D canvas for multiple PDFs, stored inside a single PDF

github.com
1 points·by gounisalex·13 ngày trước·1 comments

Show HN: Turn any file into a CLI (reduce tokens vs. MCP)

1 points·by gounisalex·4 tháng trước·0 comments

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gounisalex
·14 ngày trước·discuss
[flagged]
gounisalex
·15 ngày trước·discuss
I'm the author of this project, someone else posted it on my behalf, let me explain my story:

My bank requested 17 PDF documents for a mortgage application.

I got tired of opening and closing files and keeping track of things. So I decided to merge all files into a single, long PDF and send it to my bank, but that caused even more confusion.

To solve this issue, I came up with an idea: what if I could extend the standard PDF structure by embedding custom JSON metadata to indicate where files start and where they end?

I called it `.pdfx`, but it's simply a backwards-compatible PDF file, that when opened with traditional PDF viewers (Chrome, Acrobat), it renders as a regular, continuous document. But when opened in the PDFx runtime, a react-based viewer I built, the app parses the metadata coordinates and reconstructs a 2D free floating canvas, where the pages of a file extend horizontally, while files themselves grow vertically.

This view allows for a greater spatial understanding, batch processing, and a pleasant drag-n-drop user experience. Plus, additional support for SVGs, PNGs and technical drawings that are converted into PDFs when dropped onto the app.

Your feedback would be highly appreciated.