Images and Output Mystery

[Guest]

RH 8.0.1.204 producing a CHM

I inherited a large project (topic count and size) that used BMP files for many of the graphics. Ugh. I figured the BMPs were largely responsible for the file size (over 12MB) and converted them to identically name PNGs. One-by-one, I replaced the BMPs with the PNGs. Rather than use the Insert...Image feature, I simply dragged the appropriate PNGs from a desktop folder into the open topic in RH. Worked like a charm.

Then, I reviewed the project content to ensure I had replaced all BMPs. I checked through the Tools...Reports...Unused Files and Tools...Reports...Images features and also selected Show Images in the Project Editor pane. All was well.

I generated a CHM and the project size remained over 12MB. Waa. If I had to guess, I replaced about 50-75 BMPs for a total of a few MB, at least. My obvious question: why was there no reduction in CHM size?

My obtuse question: When I look at the project folders on my hard drive (in the Images folders), the PNGs are not there and the BMPs remain. How is this happening? The PNGs are in the topics, but not in the associated Images folders. In fact, the PNGs appear in the Output view after I generate.

I presume that the BMPs are still accounting for CHM file size.

Did I mess up by dragging in PNGs rather than using Insert...Image? Does this have anything to do with the DLL bulletin that is flying around?

Thanks for reading all this nonsense.

[Peter Grainge]

If the PNGs are in your topics, they must be in the project folders somewhere. When you insert the way you did, RH will save the PNGs in the root of the project. Take a look there.

Also RH does not delete images just because you are not using them. It doesn't show them in Project Manager but they will still be there in Windows Explorer.

Also your CPD will have grown but DO NOT rename or delete it at the moment. Wait until a patch is released, probably later this week. You can track when by following the announcement above the list of threads in this forum.

I suggest you make a backup now and again after you have tidied up.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

Follow me @petergrainge

[Guest]

Thank you.

I did find the PNGs in the root, as you suggested. I must be tired today!

As for the rogue BMPs, I'm not sure why the Unused Files report didn't locate them. I cleaned up manually.

As if BMPs wasn't bad enough, I had a corrupt TOC that was doubling the size of my output. I found a past post that was very helpful.

Again, thanks for your help.

[NL_Derek-GsBV5a]

Replacing BMPs with PNGs will not have a great deal of effect on the CHM file size, since during CHM generation all the content is compressed. Thus the BMPs will be scrunched, while the PNGs, being already compressed, are hardly affected. That's not to say that replacing is a bad idea; BMP is an ancient format and PNG is better in many ways. But CHM size is not one of them.

--- Derek