Skip to main content
Solved

Is it possible to extract text from a PDF of an MS whiteboard?

  • July 16, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 67 views

p_c_20
Supporter
Forum|alt.badge.img+9

I have an export of an MS Whiteboard in pdf form. (I also have the JSON and HTML. The JSON doesn’t store the note contents). 

 

PDF reader is spotting text, but I’m struggling to pull it out ‘per note’. Any ideas? 

Best answer by crutledge

Hi ​@p_c_20 
This workbench may work for you. The text ends up being tagged with a sticky note name based on the following steps:
1. Read in pdf
2. Create polygons using AreaBuilder
3. Calculate Area
4. Filter for Area of StickyNote (this may change, might have to tweak)
5. Count stickynotes and name from counter (Sticky_1, Sticky_2….)
6. Spatial Relate text to Sticky and explode that list.
7. Text will be tagged according to the Sticky name it was in.

Hope that helps!

This post is closed to further activity.
It may be an old question, an answered question, an implemented idea, or a notification-only post.
Please check post dates before relying on any information in a question or answer.
For follow-up or related questions, please post a new question or idea.
If there is a genuine update to be made, please contact us and request that the post is reopened.

3 replies

crutledge
Influencer
Forum|alt.badge.img+43
  • Influencer
  • Best Answer
  • July 16, 2025

Hi ​@p_c_20 
This workbench may work for you. The text ends up being tagged with a sticky note name based on the following steps:
1. Read in pdf
2. Create polygons using AreaBuilder
3. Calculate Area
4. Filter for Area of StickyNote (this may change, might have to tweak)
5. Count stickynotes and name from counter (Sticky_1, Sticky_2….)
6. Spatial Relate text to Sticky and explode that list.
7. Text will be tagged according to the Sticky name it was in.

Hope that helps!


p_c_20
Supporter
Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • Author
  • Supporter
  • July 16, 2025

Hi ​@p_c_20 
This workbench may work for you. The text ends up being tagged with a sticky note name based on the following steps:
1. Read in pdf
2. Create polygons using AreaBuilder
3. Calculate Area
4. Filter for Area of StickyNote (this may change, might have to tweak)
5. Count stickynotes and name from counter (Sticky_1, Sticky_2….)
6. Spatial Relate text to Sticky and explode that list.
7. Text will be tagged according to the Sticky name it was in.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much. Will have a play!


p_c_20
Supporter
Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • Author
  • Supporter
  • August 1, 2025

Hi ​@p_c_20 
This workbench may work for you. The text ends up being tagged with a sticky note name based on the following steps:
1. Read in pdf
2. Create polygons using AreaBuilder
3. Calculate Area
4. Filter for Area of StickyNote (this may change, might have to tweak)
5. Count stickynotes and name from counter (Sticky_1, Sticky_2….)
6. Spatial Relate text to Sticky and explode that list.
7. Text will be tagged according to the Sticky name it was in.

Hope that helps!

Is definitely getting me closer to where I need to be. Thank you again.