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When using conditional build tags in RoboHelp to exclude topics in a generated CHM file, the images used in these topics are compiled anyway.
So, the HTML files are not integrated (using the build tags), the images used in these HTML files are ...
In my case:
I want to generate a separate CHM file which contains only a very small subset of the full manual (API specifications for third party vendors) .
This CHM only contains about 10 HTML files, but still amount to 13MB because all images from the entire manual are compiled into the CHM.
How can this be avoided ?
Many thanks !
John Victor
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Hello John,
So, as per my undertsanding, your CHM output is not displaying images or topics that were excluded via CBT, but the Compilation does include those images, hence they are adding to the size of the CHM output. Correct?
Seems to be an intresting scenario. As a test, Can you rename the CHM output, located inside the ProjectsDirectory/!SSL!/ . i.e (filename.chm to filename.zip) and then extract the zip file, it would uncompress the contents and display you all it holds, see, if you find those excluded topics or any graphics that were contained in those excluded topics?
Thanks,
Anjaneai
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Hello Anjaneai
I am not sure of I explained the problem well. An example:
Project contains:
TopicA: without images
TopicB: with images
Using conditional build tags, TopicB is excluded from the output. So the CHM only contains TopicA (the one without images).
However, given the size of the CHM, you can see that the images are still included.
It seems that RoboHelp (v9) does not check whether images refer to topics that are excluded from the output.
John
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Hello John,
I just now created a Project with the exact scenario that you explained.
I used the HTML Help Studio (View--Pods--Toolbox), to check the contents of the CHM -- CHM only contains TopicA (the one without images).
When you launch this utility and open you CHM it would show all the contnets inside it that were used during compilation process.
In the same scenario, i checked it was not displaying the Graphics from Topic B, neither the Topic B itself. So in your case, the 13 MB size could have been because of some other objects, you can determine that too, with HTML help Studio.
hope it helps.
Thanks,
Anjaneai
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Are you perhaps applying build tag in the Table of Contents pod, rather than on the topic itself? I believe this method will only remove the topic from the TOC and the topic remains in the compiled chm. This would explain why the chm file size remains large.
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Excellent suggestion, Amebr!
Will we be seeing you at Writer's UA this year?
Cheers... Rick
Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7, 8 or 9 within the day! |
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@ amebr: the CBT's are applied on topic level. This is confirmed by the fact that the CHM does not contain the excluded HTML file, but does contain its referred images.
@Anjaneai: many thanks for the tip. I checked the contents of the CHM with HTML Help Studio and my assumptions were confirmed. Would like to add a screenshot, but getting the following forum error "An error occurred while trying to submit your post. Please try again."
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John
It might be worth trying again with the image. I just had a problem with the forum so maybe it was a glitch.
I assume you have checked the images are not set as baggage files.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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A search on something in the "excluded" topic would confirm Amber is right.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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Hi John,
Did you solve the problem?
I have the same one...
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I switched to Madcap Flare
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I have just installed MadCap Flare 10, imported my RoboHelp project and generated 3 CHM files with different conditional text tags.
Sizes of these CHM files are identical and they are a little bit larger than CHM generated by Robohelp
The problem with images still resist...
All images in my project occupy 1.2 Mb of disk space and CHM is 1.4 Mb, but not all of these images are used for all output targets.
So, how did you solve this problem by moving to MadCap Flare?
Thanks in advance for your answer!
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In Flare, you can put Condition Tags on *any* file in your project, not only topics (HTML files).
This means you put conditions on images, PDF files, ....
Personnally, I always (try to) store my images in the same folder as the topic in which they are used.
In Flare, you can put a condition on an entire folder (which propagates to all files in that folder)
Problem solved ...
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John, thanks a lot! Now I see this functionality
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In Rh you don't put the condition on the image file, you put it on the image in the topic. You might want it tagged out of one topic but not another.
You can also apply a tag to a folder and that will apply to all topics in that folder.
What I am wondering here is are you sure the images are getting included? Add the text "redrabbit" to a topic where an image should be tagged out. Generate and search for redrabbit. Is the image showing or not?
The way to prove the point would be to create a single topic project with an image, tag it out, and then reverse engineer the CHM.
Picking up on an earlier point, is the tag being applied to a topic or an image?
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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Hi
I tried at my end in RH9 and in RH 11.
I created two topic
Topic 1 and Topic 2 (having image)
I applied tag on topic 2, and filtered it through CBT on CHM output.
I checked in the output by unzipping it, image was not there. The size of CHM was smaller too.
RH removes unreferenced images or topics.
I am not sure how it is not working at your end.
Please feel free to share the project where it is not working for you.
Thanks
Amit Jha