Conversion Service release notes

Review what's new in the Conversion Service. These release notes provide the latest functional changes, additions, and selected bug fixes or performance improvements.

tip

To update to the latest version, see Update the Conversion Service.

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Version 5

The following sections provide updates in version 5 of the Conversion Service.

5.6

Added

• You can now configure the default address of the Connector Service. For more details, review Connector service host address section.

Changed

• Previously, the Conversion Service Configurator included separate toggles for Add Outlines and Hide Outlines. This feature is available in the Archive PDF/A-1, Archive PDF/A-2, and Archive PDF/A-3 workflows. With this update, the previously separate toggles are now moved into one dropdown menu with the following three options: Display, Hide, and Remove

Fixed

• As of this release, the conversion of HTML, XML, MSG, and EML files is improved.

5.5

Added

• A new welcome window is displayed when you open the Conversion Service Configurator. The welcome window links to the Getting Started documentation, and you can disable it for the next sessions.
  
• With this release, you can set which files attached to emails are skipped during conversion. For more information, review the following sections of the Email connectors documentation:
  • Watched Mailbox (IMAP) Settings
  • Watched Mailbox (Exchange Online) Settings
  

Changed

• With this release, the Pdftools no longer supports Microsoft Office 2016 and Windows Server 2016 with the Conversion Service. You can still utilize the Conversion Service on Windows Server 2016 and use Microsoft Office 2016 for file conversion. However, Pdftools doesn't provide technical support for new customers who use the mentioned versions.

5.4

Added

• Support HTTPS communication for REST input JSON and REST input plain HTTP connectors. For details how to activate the HTTPS communication, review HTTPS documentation.
• You can now convert HTML files containing multimedia elements that are being removed during file conversion. Previously, attempting to convert HTML files with elements such as iframes, audio, or video resulted in an error. With this update, you can set HTML Multimedia Removed in the Warnings section of the profile configuration in the Conversion Service Configurator. As a result, you can skip multimedia elements from HTML files using the described configuration.
• Set the Allow Scaling option for Text Stamps to ensure that the Conversion Service is not adding the stamp outside of the page boundaries. For more information, review Configure stamping documentation.
• With this release, you can specify which files the Watched Folder connector skips using glob patterns. For more information, review Configuration options in the Watched Folder connector docs.
• The Conversion Service adds outlines (bookmarks) to converted PDF files by default. Previously, there was no option to disable or hide the bookmarks. As of this update, options to remove or hide bookmarks are available for the following workflows: Archive PDF/A-1, Archive PDF/A-2, Archive PDF/A-3.
  • To remove the bookmarks: Disable the Add Outlines toggle in Conversion Settings > Viewer Preferences configuration section.
  • To hide the bookmarks: Enable the Hide Outlines toggle in Conversion Settings > Viewer Preferences configuration section. As a result, the bookmarks are still accessible in your PDF viewer but are hidden by default.
• As of this release, you can now convert hidden attachments in emails (attachments that start with a dot). To use this feature, enable the Include Hidden Attachments toggle in Email Settings of the Configurator.
• You can now remove format protection in the Office for Web configuration. Enable the Remove Excel Format Protection toggle in Office Conversion > Office For Web Settings configuration section.

Fixed

• Under certain circumstances, conversion of .MSG file to any PDF or PDF/A format resulted in images being replaced by placeholders in the output PDF files. This issue is now fixed and all images are displayed correctly.
• Before this update, while using the Dossier Workflow, merging PDF with form fields of the same name as the PDF file overwrote the form fields. This issue is now fixed and all PDFs are displayed properly.

5.3

Added

• Proxy settings are now extended. Email-related connectors can now use a defined proxy URL if you enable it in the Configurator. Review Proxy configuration documentation for more information.
• With this release, the Configurator introduces a Troubleshooting tab that offers solutions to detected issues. In this version, the troubleshooting functionality checks if the recommended Microsoft Defender rules are set. This feature will be expanded to include additional checks.
  
• Profile option Allow Resize PDF in Document Settings configuration section. This option resizes the page using the value set in the Default Page Size option configured in the Document Settings section. If you disable this option, the original page size of the document is used.
• Before this update, you could only convert email subject fields to titles during email to PDF/A conversion. With this update, you can now set the Use Subject As Subject configuration option in the Email Settings section of the Configurator that converts the subject of an email as a title and as a subject of the PDF file.
  

Fixed

• Previously, when configuring the Child Removed to error in the Warnings section of the profile settings, the Conversion Service prompted you with a warning instead of an error when removing the child files (files attached to emails or other document formats). With this update, the issue is fixed, and the configuration results in an appropriate error prompt when the Conversion Service removes child files in the described configuration.

5.2

Added

• Workflow Archive TIFF. For more information, see Archive TIFF workflow documentation.
• Workflow Sign. For more information, see Sign workflow documentation.
• New functionality to activate, update, and deactivate core-based license keys offline using the License tab within the Configurator. For more information, see Legacy core-based license key.

5.1

Added

• Profile option Include external images in Document Settings configuration section. For more information, review the Configure output file appearance section in the Configure email processing documentation.
• An error code external in the REST interface for issues that can occur while trying to use an external service or load an external resource.
• Conversion Service now supports Docker Compose. The Docker Compose lets you use the REST connectors, Watched Folder connector, and seamlessly update to a new version. For more information, see Set up the service in Docker.

5.0

Added

• The Archive PDF/A-3 workflow now has a new profile option Flatten annotations in section Document Optimization.
• In the Configurator, you can now enable the Licensing Gateway Service on another machine by changing the license gateway address. For more details, see Conversion Service licensing documentation.

Changed

• Dependency on Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime 8.0 (Windows, x64) and Microsoft ASP.NET Core Runtime 8.0 (Windows, x64).

Version 4

The following sections provide updates in version 4 of the Conversion Service.

4.8

Changed

• Disabled office conversion for the integrated default workflow profiles in Docker.
• Support workflow options for the REST input plain HTTP connector using placeholder syntax. Note: An update to version 4.8 may break the file processing due to breaking changes. Previously, all the query parameters were set as variables. With this update, you have to define the variables in the Configurator. For more information, see REST input plain HTTP in the REST connectors documentation page.

4.7

Added

• Support for consumption-based licensing.
• As of this update, the Licensing Gateway Service is installed by default with the Conversion Service.
• Configuration setting to set up custom job options.
• The Configurator now includes a new tab Licensing for license management that can replace the separate license manager in most cases in the Conversion Service Configurator.

Fixed

• Improved support request. Added additional data for better insight in the Configurator.

4.6

Added

• Customization of email header date time formatting.

4.5

Fixed

• Improved conversion of email body and HTML documents.
• Improved compatibility of mailbox connectors with Microsoft Exchange.

4.4

Added

• Enable export of analytics and redesign of Support tab.

4.3

Added

• As of this update, you can use new stamping functionality that allows page selection - All, First, and Last.
• The Collect Mode setting Separate to convert a job with multiple files into separate output documents instead of a single output.
• Configuration setting to preserve the body of the corresponding input email when used with result files.
• Swisscom on-demand signature.
• Allow job options for certain signature properties.

Changed

• Changed digital signature types to have a simpler overview.
• Swisscom signature types were renamed to remove All-in from the signature type name.

Fixed

• Improved conversion of emails with non-standard structure.
• Improved reliability and robustness of Office conversion.
• Fix configuration updater to reflect new Swisscom signature type names. [patch v4.3.2]

4.2

Added

• Support for CSV files with whitespace around quoted fields without warning or error.
• Detailed information for the Health & Activity, Services, and Statistics tabs are displayed in the documentation panel.

Changed

• Behavior for CSV files containing malformed data: CSV file containing malformed data now results in a configurable warning of type CorruptionRepaired instead of a hard error.

Fixed

• Improved UI design of the documentation panel.

4.1

Added

• With this update, Conversion Service supports download of external stylesheets in HTML, and XML file formats through a proxy.
• Configuration option to specify the form field name of the files in the multipart/form-data content.

4.0

Added

• Settings for email, HTML, CSV, and XML conversion to control resizing and optimal fitting of content in case of content overflow.
• Settings for Excel conversion to control resizing and optimal fitting of content in case of content overflow.

Changed

• As of this update, the default installation directory on Windows is C:\Program Files\Pdftools\Conversion Service.
• With this update, the default program data directory on Windows is changed to C:\ProgramData\Pdftools\Conversion Service.

Version 3

The following sections provide updates in version 3 of the Conversion Service.

3.11

Added

• Both Archive PDF/A-2 workflow and PDF/A-3 workflow lets you use a stamping functionality to add an image or 1D/2D barcode to the converted documents.
• Dossier workflow Stamping functionality to add an image or 1D/2D barcode to the converted documents.

3.10

Added

• Option to convert Word, Excel, PowerPoint documents through the Azure cloud with the Microsoft Office for the web service.
• Watched Folder connector received now supports companion files to pass information as variables directly to the output connectors.
• Rest output connector received the following additions:
  • Support for sending form fields in addition to the files.
  • Support for username/password based authentication.
  • Support for setting the Accept header.

3.9

Added

• REST interface property Status in result of method getJobResult to get Success or Warning or Error status of job result instead of using legacy Success property.

3.8

Fixed

• Improved robustness in low memory conditions on Windows.

3.7

Added

• New dependency on Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime 6.0 (Windows, x64) and Microsoft ASP.NET Core Runtime 6.0 (Windows, x64).

Fixed

• Improved performance especially for small files.

3.6

Added

• Output connector Send Email (SMTP) to send an email to a configurable or dynamic email address, containing the results or original files or additional information (error message, warnings).
• Output connector Send Email (Exchange Online) to send an email to a configurable or dynamic email address, containing the results or original files or additional information (error message, warnings).
• Output connector Create Text File to create a text file with additional information (error message, warnings) in an output folder.

3.5

Added

• Profile settings and options in all workflows to add metadata to the documents.
• Input connector Watched Mailbox (Exchange Online) to automatically convert emails or files sent to a configurable mailbox on a Microsoft Exchange Online server.
• Output connector Output Mailbox (Exchange Online) to copy output files to a mailbox without actually sending an email.

3.4

Added

• REST interface now includes query parameter url on addData POST request to load a file directly from a webserver.
• The REST interface method storeJobResultData to send the result file directly to a webserver via HTTP PUT/POST request.
• Stamping functionality to add single-line text content to the converted documents.
• Dossier workflow supports custom placeholder variables in Text Stamps.
• Added conversion of signed Emails (s/mime).
• You can now convert the OpenDocument Text (.odt), Spreadsheet (.ods), and Presentation (.odp) files through Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, respectively.
• With this update, you can use the output connector Output Mailbox (IMAP) to copy output files to a mailbox without actually sending an email.
• Office add-ins for Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.

3.3

Added

• Support for Windows Server 2022.
• Support for Office 2021 (64 Bit).
• With this update, you can use Archive PDF/A-1 workflow.
• New conversion of WordprocessingML 2003 (.xml) and SpreadsheetML 2003 (.xml) documents through Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, respectively.

Changed

• Newly created bookmarks are now closed instead of open by default.
• The Configurator now changed the export and import of profiles to also include the workflow activation state.

3.2

Added

• With this update, you can use an input connector Watched Mailbox (IMAP) to automatically convert email messages or files sent to a configurable mailbox on an IMAP server.
• Archive PDF/A-2 workflow:
  • Use convert mode configuration for child documents (attachments) for detailed configuration of documents to convert.
  • Convert HTML, CSV and XML attachments. This functionality is disabled by default.
  • Configure a collect mode. This mode offers a detailed configuration of how to convert documents that have attachments, specifically how to combine the converted documents and how to handle errors when processing child documents. This supersedes the configuration options Document Collection Mode and Child Error Handling.
• Archive PDF/A-3 workflow:
  • In the convert mode settings, you can now enable Skip and Skip with Warning, which lets you choose whether an informational event or a warning is generated when skipping (removing) a child document. The new default is Skip with Warning. When updating an installation, the profiles' behavior is not changed.
• The Dossier workflow received the following additions:
  • Profile setting to control the horizontal alignment (Left, Center, Right) of the title of the table of contents.
  • Job option TOC-OUTLINE-TITLE to set the title of the bookmark for the table of contents.
  • Profile setting for automatic numbering of the entries in the table of contents.
  • Profile setting to apply stamps to the pages of the table of contents.
  • Optional preprocessing step to convert input documents to PDF.

Changed

• In the Dossier workflow, the document outline has been changed to contain a bookmark for the table of contents.

3.1

Added

• You can now activate or deactivate workflows in the Workflows & Profiles tab.
• Conversion of CSV, HTML (prepared for archiving) and XML documents.
• The REST Output connector now supports placeholder variables in URL setting.
• REST input JSON connector received the following additions:
  • Key options in JSON format to pass job-level and document-level options to the workflow.
  • Key variables in JSON format to pass information directly to the output connectors.

Changed

• In the Configurator, the Profiles tab was changed to Workflows & Profiles.
• The REST input JSON connector changed the default request body size limit from unlimited to 100 MB.

Fixed

• Improved UI design to provide a clear overview of the job progress and results.

Version 2

The following sections provide updates in version 2 of the Conversion Service.

2.12

Fixed

• The Configurator now provides greater clarity of errors and warnings, an improvided UI validation of service, profiles, and connection configuration.

2.11

Added

• Combine multiple PDF files into one dossier with the Dossier workflow. The dossier applies headers, footers or watermarks [v2.8] and supports title page and customizable table of contents.
• PDF to PDF/A conversion:
  • New warning types Annotation removed and Multimedia removed for events that were previously reported as Action removed.
• New conversion of HEIC and HEIF images.
• Configurator now includes Statistics tab to report and analyze the service's conversion history.
• New possibility to copy profiles and connections.

Fixed

• Improved conversion event messages to be more specific.
• PDF to PDF/A conversion:
  • Improved detection of optimal target conformance level where the highest level is chosen that can be achieved with a perfect conversion.

2.10

Added

• Client installer (msi).
• Tab Health & Activity for monitoring the state and recent activity of the service.
• REST input connector for structured JSON requests.

Changed

• Changed trademark ™ to registered trademark ®.

Fixed

• Improved processing of signed PDF documents: If signatures need to be removed, their visual appearance is preserved.

2.9

Added

• Support for HTTPS service endpoint.
• Dependency on Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime 5.0 (Windows, x64) and Microsoft ASP.NET Core Runtime 5.0 (Windows, x64).
• REST input connector for plain HTTP requests.
• REST output connector.
• Command Excecute output connector.

2.8

Added

• Workflow Conversion provides document conversions from multiple file formats to PDF with an emphasis on performance and document size.
• In the Archive PDF/A-2 workflow, you now can use a profile option for emails Use subject as filename.

2.7

Added

• In the Archive PDF/A-2 workflow, you now can use a profile option for emails Use subject as filename.
• Profile option Child error handling.

Fixed

• Improved email conversion: Attachments of emails where parts of the attachment are removed during the conversion process (e.g. a not convertible part of a ZIP file) are now listed as Partially removed inside the email header.
• Improved UI design of the profiles tab to provide a clear overview of profiles and their related workflow.

2.6

Added

• New Configuration and Timeout job result error codes in the REST interface.
• New support for load-balancing to multiple instances of 3-Heights® OCR Service.

Fixed

• Improved conversion of DOCX documents: Certain corrupt documents are now repaired automatically.
• Improved conversion of password-protected DOCX documents: Embedded files from these documents can now be processed.

2.5

Added

• Workflow Archive PDF/A-3 similar to Archive PDF/A-2, but with support for non-PDF/A attachments.
• Workflow Invoice for creating PDF/A-3 conformant invoices with attachments.
• Signature types Windows - PAdES-B-B and PKCS#11 - PAdES-B-B to create basic signatures that require no TSA nor revocation information.

2.4

Added

• Tab Integration for configuring connections to allow easy integration of the Conversion Service into existing systems.
• New service Conversion Service Connections that allows combining input sources with output for easy integration into existing systems.

Changed

• Removed service Conversion Service Folders (superseded by the new service Conversion Service Connections).
• The value of property type of problem details object (RFC 7807) was changed to http://www.pdf-tools.com/service/rest/errors/‹type›.

Fixed

• Improved OCR recognition task scheduling: Each page is now processed in a separate task, which significantly reduces the amount of time a worker is blocked by OCR tasks and thus improves the latency of other high priority tasks.
• Improved OCR engine configuration: Specific configuration for each engine type.

2.3

Added

• The REST interface now supports Cross-Origin Requests (CORS). By default, requests from all origins are allowed.
• Archive PDF/A-2 workflow: Profile option Flatten annotations in section Document Optimization.

2.2

Added

• Docker image pdftoolsag/conversion-service.
• Changed license key format to 4H-VX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. License keys with the format 1-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX are no longer supported.
• Conversion of RTF documents.

2.1

Changed

• A parallel installation of the 3-Heights® Document Converter is no longer required and no longer supported for this purpose.

2.0

Added

• Profile setting Task timeout for all workflows, to avoid the situation where a single long-running processing step can lead to timeouts in other unrelated jobs.

Fixed

• Improved email conversion: Attachments of emails where parts of the attachment are removed during the conversion process (e.g. a not convertible part of a ZIP file) are now listed as Partially removed inside the email header.
• Improved and harmonized messages of warnings and events.
• Improved conversion of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint: These types of documents are now converted directly within the Conversion Service through Microsoft Office applications.

Version 1

This section describes all changes included in version 1 of the Conversion Service.

Added

• New requirement of Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime 3.1 (Windows, x64) and Microsoft ASP.NET Core Runtime 3.1 (Windows, x64). This is in addition to the .NET Framework 4.7.
• View in the 4-Heights® Conversion Service Configurator GUI for submitting a support request.
• Profile option for job priority in Archive PDF/A2 workflow.
• Profile configuration (Digital Signature) available in the Configurator GUI.
• Attachment information is shown as part of the email header.
• Possibility to import/export profile configurations.
• License-dependent view in the Conversion Service Configurator GUI for installing plugins.
• Document content overflow into the margin when converting emails is signaled with ContentOverflowWarning.
• Documentation panel in the Conversion Service Configurator GUI.
• Codes in the service status response of the REST interface.
• Service setting for proxy configuration.
• GUI Client for manual processing.

Changed

• Changed minimum required version of 3-Heights® Document Converter Enterprise Edition to version 6.5.
• Changed port to connect to 3-Heights® Document Converter Enterprise Edition to 7983.
• REST interface:
  • Changed to return RFC 7807 Problem object instead of proprietary error object.
  • Changed JSON serialization of enum values from integer to string.
  • Changed XML objects to use no namespace in accordance withopenapi.yaml.