1 Correct answer
LEGEND
,
Oct 13, 2006
Hi Crystal. When you come to save your visio file, click in
the "Save as Type" dialog that allows you to specify a file format.
Pick the one you want which changes the .VSD file extension. As far
as Word documents are concerned, you can import them as is but
there are issues to be aware of. But fear not! Thankfully my good
friend Peter Griange's site has some excellent help in this area.
Click
here
for details of how best to import word documents into RH.
9
Replies
9
9
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LEGEND
,
Hi CrystalKirk. You can save your visio file in a number of
different file formats which can then be imported but you can't
import the visio file itself AFAIK unless the Pro version is
different from the "unprofessional" version I use.
LEGEND
,
Hi all
Colum, I agree that Peter's site is the best for anything "Word" related. (Shudder and perish the thought of using Word!)
However, there remains something in this thread that needs a definite clarification. CrystalKirk says she is using a "Webpro" project (which I am assuming means WebHelp Pro output) but it's unclear as to whether her company simply purchased RoboHelp Office Professional and are really only wanting generic WebHelp ouptut, or if they are truly using all the features offered by the Professional version. This would mean they installed RoboEngine on a server and are truly publishing in a WebHelp Pro format to the RoboEngine.
If the RoboEngine is really in the picture, Word documents can be placed on the server where the RoboEngine can find them. Then searching will also search the content of the same Word documents. (I'm thinking it won't understand Visio documents)
My reason for doubting any of this "WebHelp Pro" stuff is that it's quite common to see a new user gravitate toward WebHelp Pro, when they aren't even using RoboEngine. Without RoboEngine, WebHelp Pro output is as useless as pouring kernels of corn in your gas tank and expecting your car to run.
Cheers all... Rick
Colum, I agree that Peter's site is the best for anything "Word" related. (Shudder and perish the thought of using Word!)
However, there remains something in this thread that needs a definite clarification. CrystalKirk says she is using a "Webpro" project (which I am assuming means WebHelp Pro output) but it's unclear as to whether her company simply purchased RoboHelp Office Professional and are really only wanting generic WebHelp ouptut, or if they are truly using all the features offered by the Professional version. This would mean they installed RoboEngine on a server and are truly publishing in a WebHelp Pro format to the RoboEngine.
If the RoboEngine is really in the picture, Word documents can be placed on the server where the RoboEngine can find them. Then searching will also search the content of the same Word documents. (I'm thinking it won't understand Visio documents)
My reason for doubting any of this "WebHelp Pro" stuff is that it's quite common to see a new user gravitate toward WebHelp Pro, when they aren't even using RoboEngine. Without RoboEngine, WebHelp Pro output is as useless as pouring kernels of corn in your gas tank and expecting your car to run.
Cheers all... Rick
LEGEND
,
Hi again CrystalKirk
Ahhh, it sounds like you are using the "RoboHelp Starter" application. As I recall, when you examine each option listed there it outlines what each project is capable of. So I'm going to hazard a guess here and assume you have examined each type listed and are still confused for some reason.
When you purchase RoboHelp Office (regardless of whether it's the "Pro" version or not) you have the ability to use either RoboHelp for Word or RoboHelp HTML. RoboHelp began life back around 1989 or 1990 as a "Word add on" that facilitated creating documents that would be used to later create WinHelp help files. This format has a file extension of .HLP and was predominantly used in Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95.
Then Windows 98 came along and introduced the .CHM format. This one is HTML based. As you might imagine, help authoring tools adapted to create the new format. Word produces awful HTML, so folks used dedicated HTML editors. RoboHelp HTML was also created in order to create HTML Help (.CHM format) files.
I'd say that the answer as to which environment to use will depend on your output format. Unless you are only going to be creating WinHelp (.HLP format) files, I'd suggest using RoboHelp HTML.
Now for the output type. You seemed to confirm that you do indeed have RoboHelp Office Professional. This package should include the RoboEngine. But here another quagmire can exist. It's not uncommon at all for a company to purchase this simply because it's "the best". I have no clue as to whether needs were assessed first and the pro version was selected as a result or whether sales simply talked your management into the pro version because it's the top of the line model. So the question remains, are you actually planning on exploiting the capabilities of the RoboEngine? If so, you are addiing a layer of complexity to your help system. If you are using generic WebHelp, you simply have more at your disposal than you will really use.
Hopefully this helps... Rick
Ahhh, it sounds like you are using the "RoboHelp Starter" application. As I recall, when you examine each option listed there it outlines what each project is capable of. So I'm going to hazard a guess here and assume you have examined each type listed and are still confused for some reason.
When you purchase RoboHelp Office (regardless of whether it's the "Pro" version or not) you have the ability to use either RoboHelp for Word or RoboHelp HTML. RoboHelp began life back around 1989 or 1990 as a "Word add on" that facilitated creating documents that would be used to later create WinHelp help files. This format has a file extension of .HLP and was predominantly used in Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95.
Then Windows 98 came along and introduced the .CHM format. This one is HTML based. As you might imagine, help authoring tools adapted to create the new format. Word produces awful HTML, so folks used dedicated HTML editors. RoboHelp HTML was also created in order to create HTML Help (.CHM format) files.
I'd say that the answer as to which environment to use will depend on your output format. Unless you are only going to be creating WinHelp (.HLP format) files, I'd suggest using RoboHelp HTML.
Now for the output type. You seemed to confirm that you do indeed have RoboHelp Office Professional. This package should include the RoboEngine. But here another quagmire can exist. It's not uncommon at all for a company to purchase this simply because it's "the best". I have no clue as to whether needs were assessed first and the pro version was selected as a result or whether sales simply talked your management into the pro version because it's the top of the line model. So the question remains, are you actually planning on exploiting the capabilities of the RoboEngine? If so, you are addiing a layer of complexity to your help system. If you are using generic WebHelp, you simply have more at your disposal than you will really use.
Hopefully this helps... Rick
Valorous Hero
,
Hi again Crystal
Wow, are you ever near and dear to my heart! I say this because what you are doing is exactly what got me started in using RoboHelp! I too worked in a call center of a very similar size. For me, I ended up using basic WebHelp. I wanted to go the WebHelp Pro route, but the IT area where I worked shot it down dead. (How dare I even consider asking them to install RoboEngine on their precious Intranet servers? Why I could crash the whole thing!)
Long story short, I'm not seeing where you will gain a huge benefit from RoboEngine. I doubt seriously if it will understand how to index the Visio content. So if I were in your shoes, I'd stick with generic WebHelp output. I'd probably also use Colum's suggestion of exporting Visio to a format RoboHelp will understand, such as .JPG or .GIF. I would also either import Word content so it becomes HTML documents or possibly link directly to the Word documents so they opened up in either Word or the browser when clicked. Personally, I much prefer to create HTML topics of what the Word docs had. But that's just me.
Hopefully this helps a bit... Rick
Wow, are you ever near and dear to my heart! I say this because what you are doing is exactly what got me started in using RoboHelp! I too worked in a call center of a very similar size. For me, I ended up using basic WebHelp. I wanted to go the WebHelp Pro route, but the IT area where I worked shot it down dead. (How dare I even consider asking them to install RoboEngine on their precious Intranet servers? Why I could crash the whole thing!)
Long story short, I'm not seeing where you will gain a huge benefit from RoboEngine. I doubt seriously if it will understand how to index the Visio content. So if I were in your shoes, I'd stick with generic WebHelp output. I'd probably also use Colum's suggestion of exporting Visio to a format RoboHelp will understand, such as .JPG or .GIF. I would also either import Word content so it becomes HTML documents or possibly link directly to the Word documents so they opened up in either Word or the browser when clicked. Personally, I much prefer to create HTML topics of what the Word docs had. But that's just me.
Hopefully this helps a bit... Rick
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