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I really enjoyed working with the Preview team before I retired from Apple. My small group created a private framework that added "document reconstruction" to P

I really enjoyed working with the Preview team before I retired from Apple. My small group created a private framework that added "document reconstruction" to PDF documents: basically an inferred DOM based on whatever information (mainly geometric) we could use in the PDF document. Our moment of fame game at WWDC 2009, when Bertrand Serlet talked about Snow Leopard during the Keynote. At around the 5:10 mark he talks about performance improvements to Preview. He then goes on to say "There are also lots of little touches. The one I like is about text selection in PDF files. .... In Snow Leopard, we have used a little bit of AI to infer the structure of the document...." (He then demonstrates intelligent selection across columns) [Applause from the audience]. (https://youtu.be/FTfChHwGFf0?t=306 https://youtu.be/FTfChHwGFf0?t=306) My colleague and I presented the proposal to add this "little bit of AI" to a small group from the Graphics and Imaging department. Bertrand was in attendance, and it was thanks to him that we joined G&I. They were a fantastic team to work with!

kergonath 4y ago
Thank you very much for this feature, which I have used regularly for quite some years! That was one of the thousands of details that make Preview vastly better than most PDF viewers I have used.
diegof79 4y ago
Thanks for creating that feature. It’s very helpful to highlight and copy notes from multi-column papers! As others said in this thread… Preview is the best macOS built in app.
JKCalhoun 4y ago
Ha ha, I know you. (And I retired just this last year, FWIW.)
- herodotus 4y ago
  It was fun, wasn't it? I am thinking of driving down some time this summer. Hope to see you!
  - JKCalhoun 4y ago
    I'm in Nebraska now — back in the midwest. I miss it though. I'll pop out this year again too but I suspect I'll miss you.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
spookybones 4y ago
Preview is one of the reasons I stick with Mac OS. I'm surprised how far behind other operating systems remain when it comes to viewing PDFs. Thank you!
vestrigi 4y ago
Have you by chance written a blog post or another HN comment about this? I think I heard that story before with some more detail :)
- herodotus 4y ago
  yup.

kergonath 4y ago

Thank you very much for this feature, which I have used regularly for quite some years! That was one of the thousands of details that make Preview vastly better than most PDF viewers I have used.

diegof79 4y ago

Thanks for creating that feature. It’s very helpful to highlight and copy notes from multi-column papers! As others said in this thread… Preview is the best macOS built in app.

JKCalhoun 4y ago

Ha ha, I know you. (And I retired just this last year, FWIW.)

herodotus 4y ago
It was fun, wasn't it? I am thinking of driving down some time this summer. Hope to see you!
- JKCalhoun 4y ago
  I'm in Nebraska now — back in the midwest. I miss it though. I'll pop out this year again too but I suspect I'll miss you.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

spookybones 4y ago

Preview is one of the reasons I stick with Mac OS. I'm surprised how far behind other operating systems remain when it comes to viewing PDFs. Thank you!

vestrigi 4y ago

Have you by chance written a blog post or another HN comment about this? I think I heard that story before with some more detail :)

herodotus 4y ago
yup.