The PDF Building Block lets you display PDF documents directly in your Flowics graphics and control which document or page is displayed at any time.
This building block is primarily oriented toward corporate presentations and teaching environments, where document-based content such as slides, reports, or instructional material needs to be displayed clearly during live or recorded productions.
Use cases – When should you use this Building Block?
The PDF Building Block is handy in corporate, educational, and training workflows where static documents must be presented reliably during live events, such as webinars.
Everyday use cases include:
Corporate presentations such as financial reports, internal briefings, and company updates.
Teaching and training environments, including lectures, workshops, and onboarding sessions.
Displaying presentations or documents exported from third-party tools as PDFs.
Switching pages live during a presentation without modifying the graphic layout.
Prerequisites
Before using the PDF Building Block, make sure you meet the following requirements:
You have access to a Flowics project with graphics editing permissions.
The PDF file is uploaded to the Flowics Asset Library.
The PDF file size does not exceed 50 MB.
The PDF is not password-protected (it will not work even if the user knows the password).
You are familiar with the Tree and Inspector panels in Viz Flowics Graphics.
How it works
The PDF Building Block renders a static representation of a PDF document inside a Flowics graphic. When a PDF is loaded, Flowics converts the document into a visual format suitable for broadcast graphics.
Only one page is displayed at a time. You can change the displayed page or replace the PDF entirely, either from the editor or via Remote Control, depending on how the properties are configured.
For security and performance reasons:
Password-protected PDFs are not supported (it will not work even if the user knows the password).
Interactive elements such as clickable links are disabled.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1: Add the PDF Building Block
Open your Flowics Graphics Package and navigate to the Building Blocks panel. Drag and drop a PDF Building Block into the Tree.
If the building block is not placed inside an existing Overlay, Flowics automatically creates an Overlay in the Tree.
PDF Building Block added to the Tree
Step 2: Upload and select a PDF document
Select the PDF Building Block and open the Inspector panel on the right sidebar.
Under PDF Document, click Select a file..., then select a PDF uploaded to the Asset Library.
If the PDF is not yet available, please upload it to the Asset Library before continuing.
PDF Source selector in the Inspector and Asset Library
Step 3: Set the page to display
In the Page field, choose which page of the document you want to display.
When a new PDF is selected, the page is automatically set to 1.
Page selector controls
Step 4: Enable Remote Control
To control the PDF during live operation:
Click on Source and enable Show on Remote Control to change or remove the PDF remotely.
Click on Page and enable Show on Remote Control to change the displayed page during the broadcast.
Show toggle options for Source and Page on Remote Control
Best practices
Keep PDFs visually clean and readable, avoiding tiny text.
Export presentations specifically for broadcast, using high contrast and large fonts.
Test page changes in advance to ensure transitions align with your production timing.
Common issues
The PDF does not load.
Cause: The file is password-protected or exceeds the size limit.
Solution: Remove password protection and ensure the file size is under 50 MB.
I can’t change the PDF or page from Remote Control.
Cause: Remote Control is not enabled for the Source or Page fields.
Solution: Enable Show on Remote Control for the required property in the Inspector.
Links inside the PDF don’t work.
Cause: Interactive PDF features are disabled by design.
Solution: Convert interactive content into static visuals.
PDF Building Block vs. Other Building Blocks
PDF Building Block vs. Image Building Block
PDF Building Block: Best for multi-page documents and structured presentations.
Image Building Block: Better for single static visuals or images that do not require pagination.
PDF Building Block vs. External Content Building Block
PDF Building Block: Reliable for static content with predictable appearance.
External Content Building Block: Better for dynamic or interactive content, but it depends on external web performance.
PDF Building Block vs. Text Building Block
PDF Building Block: Ideal for preserving document layout and formatting.
Text Building Block: Better for live-updating text or data-driven content.
Demo: Video Tutorial
Watch this 2-minute tutorial to see how to set up and control the PDF Building Block.