Document Functions

Q1: Why were users not automatically transitioned to the new enhanced TI Viewer for all supported document types (e.g., Word, Excel)?

Answer: Users were not automatically transitioned because the enhanced TI Viewer must be explicitly enabled in the room configuration for it to apply to supported document types.

Q2: Why did the client have to manually enable the enhanced TI Viewer for Excel files if it was stated to be “enabled by default”?

Answer: This is a common misunderstanding. The viewer itself must still be enabled in the room configuration. What was “enabled by default” was an improvement to the viewer’s functionality, not the activation of the viewer for all file types.

Q3: Is this expected behaviour, and if so, can documentation be provided to clarify this for clients?

Answer: Yes, this is the expected system behavior. Documentation should be provided to clarify that the enhanced TI Viewer must be enabled in the room configuration to take effect, even though some improvements to the viewer are enabled by default.

Q4: What are the functional differences between the Original TI Viewer, the Previous Viewer, and the Enhanced TI Viewer? Answer: There are three viewers with distinct functions:

  • Original Viewer: Simply opens the file directly in the browser.
  • TI Viewer (Previous Viewer): Uses ARender to convert most file types to PDF for display.
  • Enhanced TI Viewer (TI Editor): Uses OnlyOffice to view (and edit) Microsoft Office files and can also function as a viewer for these file types.

Q5: What are the intended use cases for each viewer?

Answer: Viewer Selection

  • TI Viewer (Arender): Best for most general use cases where files are converted to PDF for consistent rendering.
  • Enhanced TI Viewer (TI Editor / OnlyOffice): Best suited for viewing and editing Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  • Original Viewer (Native Browser Viewer): Ideal for files already in PDF format or for media files like videos.

Q6: Why does TI continue to offer multiple viewer options instead of a single unified viewer?

Answer: Because each viewer excels at different tasks—no single viewer provides optimal performance across all file types and use cases. Maintaining multiple viewers allows users to choose the best tool for their specific document types and workflows.

Q7: Can the Markup and Balloons display mode be set as the default within OnlyOffice to ensure consistent rendering of tracked changes? Answer: While it is technically possible to set Markup and Balloons as the default display mode in OnlyOffice, there is currently no configuration available to apply this setting globally across all documents. At this time, it is only configured for specific use cases, such as CTMS visit reports.

Q8: If this setting is not configurable due to OnlyOffice limitations, is there a workaround or potential for future enhancement? Answer: There is no direct configuration workaround available within the current system. To request this as an enhancement, it is recommended to create an AHA ticket so the feature can be considered for future development.

Q9: Should clients consider re-uploading these older documents in zipped format as a workaround, or is a more scalable solution available?

Answer: Re-uploading the documents in zipped format could be a viable workaround; however, we recommend investigating the issue first to determine whether a broader, more sustainable solution is available.

Q10: Why are Site Visit Documents generated from a CTMS Collaborate Room (CCR) not auto-filing into the linked eTMF as Final, despite being finalized and signed in the CCR?

Answer: Site Visit Documents finalized and signed in the CCR are expected to auto-file into the linked eTMF with a status of Final, bypassing Indexing and Review workflows. The current behavior, where documents are instead available for Indexing and Review, indicates a defect and does not align with the intended functionality.

Q11. Why are tracked changes not visible when viewing Word documents in Arender or Adobe, and how can user ensure they render correctly in OnlyOffice within the room?

Answer: The team confirmed it is expected behavior for Arender and Adobe not to display Word comments or tracked changes, as these viewers do not support that functionality. To view tracked changes, Microsoft Word or OnlyOffice must be used. Although Word documents were configured to render with OnlyOffice for supported file types (.doc, .docm, .docx, .dotm, .dotx), users noticed that tracked changes were only visible if comments were present. Further testing revealed OnlyOffice uses display modes like Final, Original, and Markup, and may default to a mode that hides changes. Switching to “Markup and Balloons” displays tracked changes correctly.

Q.12 Are there any restrictions on what documents can be merged in Trial Interactive?

Answer: Trial Interactive can merge files up to 3MB per file. The following document types are supported by our Merge function:
  • doc
  • docx
  • ppt
  • pptx
  • pdf

Q.13 What characters are illegal in exported filenames in Trial Interactive, for archives or exports?

Answer: The following are all illegal characters. Some are illegal on Windows computers while others are illegal in Mac or Linux/Unix computers.

  • # (pound) [ Valid on Windows only]
  • % (percent)
  • & (ampersand) [ Valid on Windows only]
  • { (left curly bracket)
  • } (right curly bracket)
  • $ (dollar sign)
  • ! (Exclamation point)
  • ' (single quotes)
  • + (plus, sign)
  • ` (backtick)
  • = (equal sign)
  • < (less than)
  • > (Greater than)
  • : (colon)
  • " (double quote)
  • / (forward slash)
  • \ (backslash)
  • | (vertical bar or pipe)
  • ? (Question mark)
  • (asterisk)

Q.14 How does Trial Interactive define key terms about documents and placeholders?

Answer:Following are the key terms about documents and placeholders.

  • Unfulfilled Placeholders / Missing: This is the count of placeholders that have been set up required by the eTMF but are still waiting to be collected or marked final. Also referred to as missing required documents, or just 'Missing'.
  • Fulfilled Placeholders: This is the count of placeholders that have been collected, indexed, QC'd, and marked as final in the eTMF.
  • Collected: This is the total count of final, collected documents in the eTMF, which represent not just a count of fulfilled placeholders, but also additional documents and versions collected where more than one document has fulfilled a particular placeholder or eTMF requirement. For non-TMF rooms, this metric may represent non-final documents as well depending on room configuration.
  • Overdue: This is the total count of unfulfilled placeholders that are now past the due date set by a completed Event or milestone in the eTMF. When an Event or milestone is marked complete, the unfulfilled placeholders required by this Event are marked as due to be collected and marked final based on the Event completion date. A Due Date Period is generally added to provide time to collect and mark the documents final, and this period is added to the completion date to determine each document's due date.

Q.15 Why do identical documents sometimes have different hash values?

Answer: Some operating systems and word processing programs (ie. Microsoft Word when 'Save As' is used) will add random characters to a document which are not visible when the document is opened for editing but which do result in a different document hash value being generated. This would allow for some documents to appear identical to be stored in the same TI Room.

Q.16 Why a PDF form editable in the TI Original Viewer is visible?

Answer: Some PDFs have form fields that are designed to be editable. These fields are there to allow users to fill out the form if they have a local copy of the document. The fields in these PDFs will still show as editable in the ‘Original’ viewer. This viewer is not technically part of TI, it is built-in to the local browser and shows the document as it actually is, showing it directly in the browser. Anything one does to the document in this viewer is not saved and there is no option to do so. To see the rendition of the final document, one needs to view it using the TI Viewer. Some customers may prefer the original viewer, but the TI Viewer is what is recommended here.

Q.17 What is the function of the OCR in the bottom left corner (first IT slide)? How is error handling managed? Can clients correct OCR accuracy, or is it provided "as is"?

Answer: The OCR and ML Automation, once enabled, is automatic and may be configured. Additionally, ML is used to optimize this capability based on the document type.