BUG - Images not being generated

[tswaters1]

Something I just noticed...

I'm using RoboHelp for System User Guides. For each screen in the System, I have a topic. In this topic is a screen shot of the screen. To save space on the topic I decided to try something new and link to the image through a "Custom-Sized Popup". Of course RoboHelp doesn't list images in the "Select Destination (file or URL)" -- even though it states files should be listed--- anyway, I have to manually link to it in the "Link to: " text box.... So that's fine... I can go into the Image Properties, Used In tab, and it lists the page it's linked from.

Everything seems to be in order.

I try and test out my newly created link. I generate the WebHelp output of the project and load the topic. I click on the link and imagine my shock and dismay when I find -- what's this -- a 404 ?! What's more, all images I've linked to this way are not included in the output!

It seems that RoboHelp, in it's infinite wisdom, decides that since this image isn't being directly linked to from any topic, it will save space and not create it in the output..... The quick and easy workaround is to create a topic which includes all the images. With this topic created, the images will be created in the output and the image link will work.

I thought this post might come in handy for someone who gets stuck with the same problem

Adios

-Tyler Waters


Idea for future release of RoboHelp:
- Include images in the "Select Destination".... or at least remove "file or" from the label as files are not listed.
- Include images in the output if they are linked to anywhere in the project.

[Peter Grainge]

If you go to the dialog where you link to the popup you will notice that the Link To button is disabled as soon as you select a popup, auto sizing or custom size. That is because for whatever reason, popups are not intended to be used in that way.

I know that you can select in the way you did and then change from Display in Frame to popup and the target will still show but the Link To dropdown is disabled and therefore the content is ignored.

If you create a topic with just the image in it, then you can link to that as a popup. Like it or not, that appears to be the way it was designed.

Images are included in the output but only if the link is created in a way intended by the designers.

[HKabaker]

Colleagues:

I've found a method for RH to get you halfway there.

You can import an image as a baggage file and find it in the hyperlink dialog (link to file, navigate to the imported image). This is a lot faster than
1. Creating a new topic (name, properties, etc.)
2. Deleting the boilerplate
3. Inserting an image.

Still, RH won't self-size or let you self-size the popup window.

For this you need to insert some Javascript code into the HREF string. You can do this either inside RH Truecode or in the output files. Either way, you have to do it for every image you want to pop up in a custom window.

So you're trading one chore for another.

A couple of benefits, if you consider them so:

An image in a popup window will shrink and expand (up to original size) when you resize the window. You can't resize an image in a topic popup.

The javascript specifies window attributes. An image-only popup doesn't need menu, navigation, status and tool bars, just the corners that close and resize the window.

If you are (or anyone else is) interested in trying this, please reply here and I'll post some suggested code.

Regards,

Harvey