Resource Manager

[Guest]

I love the concept of the Resource Manager. So, I created a Shared Resources file and moved the default css file into it; works great! Created another folder inside the Shared Resouces and moved some graphic files into it; works great! Created another folder and moved PDF files into it; that's when the wheels came off the wagon. The folder does not present the + to show files in the folder, but if you right click and choose Explore, it takes you to the folder and the PDF files are there. I tried to create a hyperlink in the topic to one of the PDFs through Insert Hyperlink > Link to > Resource Manager > Shared Resources > PDFs, but it does not show the PDF files wthin the folder. In addition, I do not know how to put URLs into the created URLs folder under the Shared Resources folder. Am I missing something?

[Peter Grainge]

Click on a folder in Resource Manager and click the Funnel icon. You will be able to filter the file types displayed but you will also see PDFs are not a supported file type.

To use a permitted resource, the easiest way is to drag it to the topic.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[johndaigle · Accepted solution]

That's true, Peter. PDFs are not listed "out of the box".  However, you can customize the Resource Manager by adding the PDF as a Category and file type.

In Resource Manager:

1. Click Add/Edit Categories
2. Click the green plus sign next to the Categories field
3. Create the Category name, PDF
4. In the blank File Types field, type *.pdf
5. Click OK

Now you can add PDFs to that folder in Resource Manager. When you drag and drop the PDF into a topic, you'll see that it creates a link to the PDF and also adds it to Baggage in Project Manager. A green icon will be shown to indicate that it is linked. Now, if the PDF is changed, it will behave as any other file to by synched.

John Daigle

Adobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate Instructor

Evergreen, Colorado

www.showmethedemo.com

[Guest]

Thanks, Peter and John. I had created the PDF category and file type, but left off the asterisk. When I noticed that this morning, and edited the extension, wallah! there were my PDFs. I'm so excited about this feature! It's going to be a real time saver!

[Peter Grainge]

I stand corrected by Uncle John.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

& I've added his example to the topic in the Community Help

[Captiv8r]

Hi folks

What would be immensely helpful would be for everyone to visit the Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form and ask Adobe to also consider adding .HTM files too. We can add those as well as was shown earlier. That would be helpful for "sharing" specific topics across projects. But the problem is that while Resource Manager allows you to add the files, it *DOES NOT* monitor changes. This means if you have a centrally located HTM file and it changes, Resource Manager won't tell you.

Resource Manager is a welcome tool. And it can be so much better if we have some mods to it! So please tell Adobe! (Link to the Wish Form is in my sig)

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

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Rick, does that apply to pdf files too? I.e. if the content of source.pdf changed, but still was called source.pdf, would the change be picked up across projects?

[Captiv8r]

Hi Jeff

As uncle John pointed out, you get an indication of synchronization status. So I do believe it will monitor changes for PDF.

Then again, the only way to know for certain is to test!

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]

To the venerable Mr. Grainge, I am humbled by his kind acknowlegement

To the esteemed (sometimes, just steamed) Mr. Stone. Right, Rick. You could also add Master Page (.htt) to that wish list. You can add .htt, and it is useful to drag and drop from one project to another, but updates at not monitored!

John Daigle

Adobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate Instructor

Evergreen, Colorado

www.showmethedemo.com

[johndaigle]

Jeff, I did test the PDF scenario and it worked for me

John Daigle

Adobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate Instructor

Evergreen, Colorado

www.showmethedemo.com

[Guest]

You have all been so helpful! I just purchased some of the gooberguides for RoboHelp 9: Resource Manager, Tables of Contents, and Tips & Tricks. (Gooberguides is new to me and a welcome find!!)

Until I have time to review those documents, can I ask one more question which was prompted by Rick's response regarding being able to include topics in the Resource Manager. Perfect timing for two projects I'm working on...but I need a short "how to." I added the category (Topics) and file type (*.htm) to the Resource Manager. From Project A, I drug and dropped (that's awkward wording) several topics into the newly created Resource Manager "Topics" folder. Then I went to Project B. Wallah! Topics are available, now what? I have a topic in Project B that references the topics I shared in the Resource Manager. With the PDF files, I could drag the title of the PDF into the topic and the title appeared in the topic with a link to the PDF. When I drag the title of the topic into the Project B topic, it shows a + (sign for copy), but does not insert the title and link. 

[Captiv8r]

Yes, that's the rub. You can right-click and copy the topics to add them, but not establish a dynamic connection so that a single topic lives in one spot and is referenced by more than one project. That's what we want Adobe to build in.

So if you choose to set this up, Resource Manger will show you the topic and allow you to copy it to the project, but if you later update it, it's up to YOU to know it's been updated and copy the new topic to all projects as a separate action. The only thing Resource Manager will help you with is by making it easy to copy the topic right from inside RoboHelp.

Oh, and the fam says thanks for helping support our odd little habit of eating on a regular basis!

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