Importing and Editing skins

[Guest]

I'm trying to modify the Book and Topic icons in my TOC. I created a skin for a different project which I was able to access and edit through the Project Set-up. I've copied the folder to my new project and can select the skin when I generate output. However, it doesn't appear in the skins folder in Project Set-up so I can't select it for editting. When I try the import option, I'm told it already exists in the project. What am I doing wrong?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Try Rick's http://www.robowizard.com/RoboWizard/Downloads/Skinny_on_Skins.htm for assistance.

[Guest]

Thanks Jeff, but this didn't do it for me.

[Captiv8r · Accepted solution]

Hi Thomas

You might try it this way. Open the project with the desired skin changes. Visit the Project Setup pod, right-click the customized skin and choose Export. This should afford the opportunity to export a compressed .ZKN file to a folder somewhere on your file system.

Now open the destination project. Again, visit the Project Setup pod. Right-click and choose Import... Then navigate to where you exported the skin and choose it.

Post back if this fails for whatever reason.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7, 8 or 9 within the day! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[johndaigle]

Well, Rick beat me to it, but here's an extra wrinkle. One key to making it easier is to use the Add to Gallery command when you right click on the Skin in your Project Set-up pod.

That will make it available in other projects on that machine. I use the export/import approach when I want to share a skin with a colleague or put it on a different computer.

Regardless, you're in good hands with Mr. Skinny on Skins!

John Daigle
Adobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate Instructor
Evergreen, Colorado
www.showmethedemo.com

[Guest]

The skin currently exists only in a Windows Explorer !SkinSubFolder!  It isn’t in the Project Setup pod. That’s what I’m trying to do. Make it available in that pod so I can edit it. I’m sorry if this isn’t making any sense.

FYI I'm using RH 8 and the skin folders use a suffix of .skn (if this makes a difference),

[Captiv8r]

Hi Thomas

Here's the deal. Think of a RoboHelp project as an ecosystem where many segments combine to create a larger whole. Or perhaps like the gears used to make a watch work. By simply copying files into a specific location, you cannot expect RoboHelp to become aware they are there. They usually have to be manipulated by RoboHelp so its internal structures can be updated.

That's what it's sounding like you did. You copied one or more files into a location you believe RoboHelp is looking at and you are frustrated because they aren't appearing in the project.

I rather like John's idea of adding them to the gallery. So you might try clearing things out, then using the approach to add the desired skin to your gallery. Then see if it becomes available in the other project.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7, 8 or 9 within the day! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[Guest]

Here’s what I really need to do – edit the “About” box. To do this I need my skin on the list of skins in the Project Set-up pod.

In the Project Set-up pod, I right-click the Skins folder, select Import and navigate to the skin and select it. The popup closes and nothing happens. The skin is not added to the list. I rerun this procedure and get the message, “The skin name in this file is already in the project”.

How do you get a skin added to this list?

Is there another way to edit the “About” information?

[Guest]

Gentlemen, we have liftoff! I needed to copy the skin to a folder outside my current project. When I imported it I gave it a new name and it was added to the Project Set Up skin list. Did my editing and pointed to it when I generated webhelp. All is good. Now I'm going to take John Daigle's advice and copy it to the Gallery.

Thanks everyone!