How do I enable auto-open for inline preview for external files?

stelpstra
Community Champion

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out how it would be possible to enable auto-open for inline preview as described in this guide, but then for external files:

How do I set the auto-open for inline preview for files using the Rich Content Editor? 

We have many courses in which students need to access one and the same pdf, preferably displayed with inline preview, but which we keep and update in just one place. In this case the pdf is located outside Canvas on a server. De DocViewer recognizes it is not coming from Canvas and therefore not providing the Auto-open the inline preview for this link option.

As a work around it appears to be possible to create a new course, put the pdf in Files, set the visibility to Institution, add the link to another course and enable Auto-open the inline preview for this link. But this is far from ideal...

If I'm not mistaken, the DocViewer is a JS script and gathers some variables before it displays anything, what variables would that be? Please share if you know more about the workings of the DocViewer.

Thanks, Jaap