How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by John Provasnik -
Number of replies: 10
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My school is excited to be moving to 3.1 soon and I was looking at the types of files that will convert to PDF in the new assignment grading interface. Looks like it's PDF, Docx, and ODT files.

We use Smart Notebook (.notebook) files a lot here, and I was wondering where to even begin to see if we can get these files to convert to PDF in the  grading interface. Is this a Moodle question, a Smart Notebook question, a programmer/custom development question, or not even a possibility? I figured I'd throw the question "out there."

Smart Notebook does have a built in Save As PDF option within the program, and we could always have our students save these files as a PDF before uploading, but as of now I don't believe there is any option in the Assignment Settings for requiring students to upload a specific file type (ie. PDF file).

Thanks!

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In reply to John Provasnik

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by AL Rachels -
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Hi John,

Good news - file type restrictions is currently being worked on:  https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-39913

You might be interested to read the last few posts in that link. (fingers crossed) If it is released soon, you can probably use it to force students to submit PDF's.

By the way, the list of supported file types that will convert to PDF is a bit bigger than just three. (75, if I just counted correctly)

If you can move to Moodle 3.3, soon to be released in May, you would even be able to develop your own converter for your Smart Notebook file as converters are to be plugins in the new Moodle.


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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by John Provasnik -
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Al this is great news!

Thanks -- looking forward to an upgrade and trying out both options. Hate to 'force' kids to upload a PDF, but we really want to try out that new grading interface.

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In reply to John Provasnik

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by AL Rachels -
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Hi Jon,

II am waiting to see my doctor but when I get home I can give you access to try it out.

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In reply to John Provasnik

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by AL Rachels -
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Hi Jon,

"but we really want to try out that new grading interface" - As far as the teacher is concerned, the grading interface is the same...admins just have the option of adding other converters and selecting which one to use. Basically, it is just like selecting which filters to use to play a video or audio file, you pick which converter is selected for use. Once it is set up, operation is just like with unoconv as far as teachers are concerned. As for students, they will not see any difference. The resulting annotated PDF will look the same as one converted by unoconv.

And, by the way, if you want to try out installing and setting up an instance for yourself, you will need Moodle from the current master branch, and follow the directions found here: https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDLQA-10943. Of course if you wait a couple of more weeks, Moodle 3.3 will be officially released.

Set up is a bit of a pain to accomplish. May be a little easier if you have ever set up any Google apps before, but if you read the comments at the link I listed, it will help with setup. Anyway, if you are interested in seeing it in operation from teacher/student point of view, send me an email, drachels at drachels dot com and I'll give you acces to my main QA Testing server.


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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by AL Rachels -
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By the way, the change to assignments so that a teacher can specify assignment submission file types, is now in the Moodle master branch today and has already passed it's QA test.

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In reply to John Provasnik

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by Paul Robinson -

I could not understand your question.

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In reply to Paul Robinson

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by John Provasnik -
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Paul -- I was confused about which file types converted into PDF in 3.1 when teachers use the new grading interface-- I had read in the Assignment Docs that "If the student has uploaded a PDF, docx or odt file,..." and I had assumed that those were the only three doc types that converted to PDF in the new grading interface. So my question was about where to begin in finding a way to get other file types to convert into PDF when teachers grade them.

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In reply to John Provasnik

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by Ken Task -
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Moodle has recently begun work on restricting file types on assignment submissions as well as using other resources to do the conversions ... Google, as an example.

But If I am understanding you correctly, though, one might find what moodle has done not to be what you desire.

unoconv is a python script and one can view that 'fmts' it knows about/will do.

From looking at unoconv ... just clips of what was listed:

### TextDocument
fmts.add('document', 'bib', 'bib', 'BibTeX', 'BibTeX_Writer') ### 22
fmts.add('document', 'doc', 'doc', 'Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP', 'MS Word 97') ### 29
fmts.add('document', 'doc6', 'doc', 'Microsoft Word 6.0', 'MS WinWord 6.0') ### 24
fmts.add('document', 'doc95', 'doc', 'Microsoft Word 95', 'MS Word 95') ### 28

### WebDocument
fmts.add('web', 'etext', 'txt', 'Text Encoded (OpenOffice.org Writer/Web)', 'Text (encoded) (St$
fmts.add('web', 'html10', 'html', 'OpenOffice.org 1.0 HTML Template', 'writer_web_StarOffice_XM$
fmts.add('web', 'html', 'html', 'HTML Document', 'HTML') ### 2

### Spreadsheet
fmts.add('spreadsheet', 'csv', 'csv', 'Text CSV', 'Text - txt - csv (StarCalc)') ### 16
fmts.add('spreadsheet', 'dbf', 'dbf', 'dBASE', 'dBase') ### 22
fmts.add('spreadsheet', 'dif', 'dif', 'Data Interchange Format', 'DIF') ### 5

### Graphics
fmts.add('graphics', 'bmp', 'bmp', 'Windows Bitmap', 'draw_bmp_Export') ### 21
fmts.add('graphics', 'emf', 'emf', 'Enhanced Metafile', 'draw_emf_Export') ### 15
fmts.add('graphics', 'eps', 'eps', 'Encapsulated PostScript', 'draw_eps_Export') ### 48
fmts.add('graphics', 'fodg', 'fodg', 'OpenDocument Drawing (Flat XML)', 'OpenDocument Drawing F$
fmts.add('graphics', 'gif', 'gif', 'Graphics Interchange Format', 'draw_gif_Export') ### 30

### Presentation
fmts.add('presentation', 'bmp', 'bmp', 'Windows Bitmap', 'impress_bmp_Export') ### 15
fmts.add('presentation', 'emf', 'emf', 'Enhanced Metafile', 'impress_emf_Export') ### 16
fmts.add('presentation', 'eps', 'eps', 'Encapsulated PostScript', 'impress_eps_Export') ### 17
fmts.add('presentation', 'fodp', 'fodp', 'OpenDocument Presentation (Flat XML)', 'OpenDocument $
fmts.add('presentation', 'gif', 'gif', 'Graphics Interchange Format', 'impress_gif_Export') ###$
fmts.add('presentation', 'html', 'html', 'HTML Document (OpenOffice.org Impress)', 'impress_htm$
fmts.add('presentation', 'jpg', 'jpg', 'Joint Photographic Experts Group', 'impress_jpg_Export'$
fmts.add('presentation', 'met', 'met', 'OS/2 Metafile', 'impress_met_Export') ### 20

OR, if you have commnad line access to /usr/bin/unoconv, try this:

cd /usr/bin/

[root@sos bin]# unoconv --show
The following list of document formats are currently available:

'spirit of sharing', Ken

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In reply to Ken Task

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by AL Rachels -
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In Moodle 3.3, the current list of files types supported for conversion can be seen on the Document Converter page by an admin user.

In the picture you can see that on one of my QA Testing sites, I have unoconv turned off and I am using the "new" converter plugin setup.


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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: How to see if we can get other file types to convert to PDF in 3.1 grading interface

by Daniel Thies -
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3.3 added the Google docs converter. Before this only unoconv was the only option and that needs to be set up on the server. If John is on a hosted site he may not have that option available. The site admin can set up Google docs conversion without changing the server configuration, but that only gives the three text document formats.

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