Hyperlink exhibits in transcripts automatically

Automatically add hyperlinks in RB-PDF Transcripts to related exhibits so your clients can view exhibits in context by clicking the links in the transcript

Lesson #30
Production – Link Exhibits function

Instead of delivering a PDF transcript and its related exhibits as separate files, provide your client with a single PDF document with hyperlinked exhibits embedded inside the transcript. RB9 can automatically add hyperlinks in RB-PDF Transcripts to related exhibits so your clients can view exhibits in context by clicking the links in the transcript.

You can link exhibits to RB-PDF Transcripts as you create the transcripts or add them later in the separate Link Exhibits function. Link Exhibits also includes the ability to apply reporter and agency digital signatures (using the free ReporterBase Digital Signature Proxy) to finish the transcript.

When your clients open the PDF they can view/download any exhibit image by clicking a hyperlinked reference to it in the PDF. They do not have to maintain any additional files or file structure to access the exhibits.

Hyperlinks in RB-PDF Transcripts are called aliases and can be either words or phrases used to reference the exhibits. You set which words/phrases identify which exhibits and RB9 automatically inserts the hyperlinks into the transcript when it encounters those words/phrases.

Use naming conventions to speed the process

If you name exhibit files and transcript references according to a pattern — for example you name files EX01, EX02, etc., and transcript references Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, etc. — you can save production time by setting up those patterns before producing hyperlinked transcripts so RB9 can link all exhibits at once to a transcript.

Link Exhibits includes a default list of commonly used exhibit file names with their transcript aliases which you can edit, delete, and add to, and you can have as many alias patterns as you want to cover all the ways you label exhibits and how they are referenced in transcripts. Exhibit file names and transcript references are case-sensitive so you should take that into account too when setting up alias patterns.

If a transcript has a unique alias pattern you can set it up in the transcript as a one-time thing on the fly when creating the PDF transcript following the same conventions as in Link Exhibits. You don’t have to learn another way or add links manually in another application. The pattern won’t be saved after the one use though.

Finding, linking, & monitoring transcripts

In the separate Link Exhibits function, you can search for RB-PDF Transcripts to automatically link exhibits in by job number, witness name, upload date/date range, and/or business unit.

The results list any RB-PDF Transcripts that match your search criteria. Each listing includes its information from the search categories (except business units) plus the job date, file name, file type, last exhibit marked, and case.

You can sort your results in the grid by one or more columns in ascending or descending order (but when you exit the function RB9 will revert back to the default order). You can export the grid as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV(comma-separated values) file to save, share, print, or use in other applications.

While the results list all relevant RB-PDF Transcripts you can only link exhibits to transcripts that don’t already have linked exhibits. The already linked RB-PDF Transcripts are listed so you can monitor what has already been done plus you can download any file listed and view who else has downloaded the file and when.

When you select which alias pattern(s) you want to apply to a transcript RB9 will tell you if there are no matches in either file names or aliases in the text so you can make corrections as needed.

(The Link Exhibits function only works for RB-PDF Transcripts. Exhibits can also be hyperlinked to Transcript Packages in the Connect module following the same conventions.)

NOTE: This is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Automatically add hyperlinks in RB-PDF Transcripts to related exhibits so your clients can view exhibits in context by clicking the links in the transcript.

RB concepts in this lesson

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources. More >

RB Connect Mobile: Clients and resources can access your RB Connect on their smartphones and tablets in an interface optimized for mobile devices. More >

RB-PDF Transcript: PDF version of a transcript with built-in transcript-specific features. More >

ReporterBase Digital Signature Proxy (RB-DSP): Apply reporters’ and your agency’s free digital signatures to RB-PDF Transcripts through the normal production process. More >

Transcript Package: Interactive transcript that includes related files, including video and PDF transcripts, and can be used by your clients through RB Connect on their computers or through RB Connect Mobile on their mobile devices. Users can highlight text, make notes, view hyperlinked exhibits and other files, and export the transcript in a variety of formats, including condensed or word list only. More >

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