Browse Sequences do and do NOT appear on two more or less identically equipped systems

[Guest]

I have been editing & updating a RoboHelp for HTML project that was begun in RH5, maintained for several years in RH7, and recently switched to editing and maintaining in RH8.

We have always included a few Browse Sequences for some of our product's most thrilling, captivating features.

I build the .CHM file on the very new installation of RH8 on my conventional Core 2 Duo machine. It's lovely, and the Browse Sequences appear, and work.

I copy the .CHM file to the specialized product my company makes, running WIndows XP, and everything but the Browse Sequences appears. Everything else in the .CHM works perfectly.

For what it's worth, my test unit of our product is a "Chyron HyperX", which is equipped with PCI cards that produce broadcast quality video. They're just cards, and the machine is still very much a Windows PC at heart.

BOTH machines have:

XP Pro Version 2002, Service Pack 3

AND

both have identical versions of Explorer 8, which is to say 8.0.6001.18702.

I have "lost" Browse Sequences before, in the middle of my RH7 period, they simply were not appearing on the output .CHM, period.

One of you kind folks pointed out a setting that had gotten changed. Voila; they came back. Obviously, the setting in my RH8 editing and compilation setup is still right, or I wouldn't still be producing Browse Sequences at all....right? Again, they are showing up on the machine on which they were produced.

In the end, the end-users viewing my .CHM file on the machines they're using in the middle of a TV production arent' getting the value of my wonderfully thoughtful Browse Sequences.

Any ideas?

[Captiv8r]

Hi Lew

In order for CHM files to do the Browse Sequence magick, the PC presenting the CHM file needs to have a copy of the HHActiveX.DLL file present *and  properly REGISTERED*.

Usually there is a somewhat arcane incantation you must issue to register the DLL. Something like regsvr32 (Path)HHActiveX.dll. And if your help accompanies an application, the installer should be able to do this for you.

However, having said that I will openly acknowledge that since version 7 I've seen on my own RoboHelp installations where regardless of what I did, I could not coax the Browse Sequences to appear. Sometimes they would appear but most of the time they wouldn't. This was happening on both a Windows XP Pro setup as well as my shiny new Windows 7 Ultimate setup. I've reported to Adobe and about all I got back was that it *SHOULD* be working and I imagined them shrugging and wondering why it wasn't.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 moments from now - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcererStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[Guest]

...and by the way, this .CHM has now been tested on two other machines: Another of our Chyron on-air broadcast production systems, AND another regular PC at someone's desk. No Browse Sequences on either machine.

Tried dowloading "HHActiveX.dll" as suggested in another post, and it didn't work to display Browse Sequences on the other "regular" machine on which we have tried this .CHM.

Curiouser and curiouser.

[Captiv8r]

Hi Lew

Lew at Chyron wrote:

...Tried dowloading "HHActiveX.dll" as suggested in another post, and it didn't work to display Browse Sequences on the other "regular" machine on which we have tried this .CHM...

If all you did was download the DLL, that won't be sufficient. You must also ensure you register the DLL with the operating system.

Register ActiveX controls

If the project provides ActiveX controls, provide these instructions to users so they can register the controls that you distribute with the Help system.

1. Choose Start > Run.

2. To register the HHActiveX.DLL file, type the following command, specifying the HHActiveX.DLL path, and click OK:

   regsvr32 [path] hhactivex.dll

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 moments from now - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcererStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[Guest]

Hi, Rick:

I omitted the fact that we had subsequently registered it, and properly, near as we could tell.

We've discovered even more mysteries about older versions that worked, when opened from our product's installer disk.

Life is complicated sometimes. Will post further after discussion with the guys who build our installers of the main product itself.

Thanks!

Lew Yedwab

Senior Technical Writer | Chyron

5 Hub Drive | Melville | NY | 11747

w +1 631 845 3869 |

Skype: yeswab

"The Company the Whole World Watches"

[Captiv8r]

Hi Lew

Well FRAPDOODLE!!!!

If it's still not working all I can say is that it's probably behaving as erratically as I said earlier. And if that's the case your best bet is probably to report as a bug to Adobe. Maybe if enough of us report it that way they will realize that not everyone is adopting AIR as they would like for us to and perhaps they will put some effort into fixing it.

Wish I had better suggestions... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 moments from now - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcererStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[NL_Derek-56V59O]

I recently had a case where browse sequences were not produced despite the appropriate settings in RoboHelp. Regenerating the CHM didn't help, nor did rebooting, but zapping the CPD (Causes Problems Daily 😉 file fixed the problem.

--- Derek

[Peter Grainge]

LOL, Thanks for that one.

You do know there is a setting to automatically trash the CPD on opening a project.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge