Multiple computers accessing Australian Standards

[will.sce]

Hi,

I'm curious to know how people are buying the standards and using them between multiple people/computers. As far as I can tell, there are 3 options:

1. Purchasing PDFs - This option allows for downloadable PDF files, but locks them to an individual PC so that the rest of the office cannot access it. The
only option is to use 1 of 2 allowable prints to print it off, scan it back in and have an annoying unsearchable, lower quality document.

2. Online subscription (Standards Australia) - This is what my (very small) office has done. It is accessible to everyone, but is a terrible format for easily viewing
the standards, as it is no longer a 'book' format, but a continuous scroll with no pages. Futhermore, it logs users out every 2 days and you must log back in, and ask
the one person in the office for the text verification code to sign in. As far as I can see this cant be turned off. There is no option to save them as files or view offline.

3. Purchase hard copies - Comes with the obvious drawbacks of not accessible on a computer, unless you do the same as option 1 and scan them in, with the same drawbacks.

So, is there any way at all to legitimately purchase the standards, and have PDF files that multiple people can access?

Thanks

 

[human909]

The cost of these AS standards is absurd for a sole practitioner or even a small consultancy. This is especially true if you engage in a broad range of engineering. I two more options:

Option 4:
Have a current or recent university graduate in your employment. They generally have full acess to all relevant standards but are now generally time limited PDFs (6months)

Option 5:
Enrol yourself in a university short course or library subscription that gives you similar access a current student.

 

[IDS]

For sole practitioners and small consultancies, have a look at:

Concrete Institute Standards Online

This provides on-line access to all Australian Standards for $320/year


Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[Just Some Nerd]

Are the PDFs all still locked down using Javascript? Back in my uni days, people would frequently just disable javascript on PDFs on a lot of supposedly locked PDFs

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Why yes, I do in fact have no idea what I'm talking about

 

[Retrograde]

It is more sophisticated now. The document "phones home" when you try to open it to ensure to have access rights. You cannot open it without an internet connection.

(At least - that is how it works with i2i/SAI Global)

 

[icebloom]

Accessibility of Australian standards is turning to a joke. Ridiculously expensive. Our office has access via SAI Global which allows you to download PDF's (which can only be opened in Adobe Acrobat, PDF X change editor and I think one other program - if you try use Bluebeam for example it craps itself). The PDF's are DRM protected and expire after a while. I typically download it as a PDF then just print hard copies.

You can either find it online on PDF websites, get it through SAI Global or other provider as a PDF and (and try break the DRM of the PDF if you want to not have to re download it all the time). You might also be able to just print it and then just scan it to get an unprotected PDF file that you can share?

 

[Smoulder]

Print scan ocr for as long as they let us print. Learned my lesson when we bought one outside normal subscription. It stopped opening and was a pain to sort out because couldn't just download it again. They'll block printing soon.

 

[li0ngalahad]

Why scanning, can't you just print as PDF with Acrobat reader? I just tried and it creates a copy with no DRM, which can be modified and shared and open with other software. My main issue with the DRM protected file is that I cannot open it with Bluebeam, printing it as PDF seems to solve it

 

[Smoulder]

Pretty sure I tried that and it didn't work. Will try again. Maybe things have changed. Very ordinary effort by the security guys if that's all it takes.

 

[will.sce]

Printing as PDF doesn't get around the security. I haven't tried it with the latest PDF's the company has bought, but a couple years back when I was still a student and all these tighter access restrictions came in, I tried it then and it didn't work. As far as I can discover as well, it's not easy at all to bypass PDF security.

 

[li0ngalahad]

Yeah I remember this not working too some time ago, but I literally just tried with 3 different freshly downloaded codes. I can open them only with Adobe and needs an internet conenciton in order to unlock them. But then printing them from Adobe reader to PDF using "Microsoft Print to PDF" they all show up on Bluebeam, with no protection. I am surprised too, but this seems to really work. Please have a try.

p.s. I used to unlock them even when printing to PDF was not working, but it required a much more cumbersome method. Glad it's that easy now... Again, I have no ill intentions here other than being able to open them in Bluebeam instead of Adobe.

 

[Just Some Nerd]

If I recall correctly, pdfs that were locked from printing in ordinary readers (e.g. adobe reader, bluebeam) won't be locked out of printing if you open through a browser e.g. Chrome

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Why yes, I do in fact have no idea what I'm talking about

 

[will.sce]

Wow, I'm surprised that it works, I'll give it a crack. Are these pdfs downloaded from Standards Australia?

 

[li0ngalahad]

If I recall correctly, pdfs that were locked from printing in ordinary readers (e.g. adobe reader, bluebeam) won't be locked out of printing if you open through a browser e.g. Chrome

You can print from Adobe Reader. With Blubeam and other software you can't even view the file until it's unlocked (which is the reason why I want to unlock it, as I use Bluebeam for all my pdf), let alone printing!

Wow, I'm surprised that it works, I'll give it a crack. Are these pdfs downloaded from Standards Australia?

Yeah have a try and let me know if it works OK for you too. I am curious.
And yes they are downloaded from SAI Global.