Flickering/Refresh rates RoboHTML 6.0

[techwriter1995]

We just recently upgraded to RoboHTML 6.0. Now the Topics Pane on the left-hand side of the screen refreshes constantly. This constant flickering is enough to drive you batty. I looked at refresh rates in the online help & the only thing I could find had to do with Robosource Control which we do not have loaded.

One interesting thing that I just discovered is that the project that is flickering is a very big project divided into 30 folders & hundreds of topics in each folder. I just opened a much smaller project & it doesn't flicker at all. Makes me wonder if it doesn't have something to do with the size of the project.

Can anyone please tell me how to fix this? I sometimes spend all day inside that huge project & that flickering is awful!

Thanks!

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Are you talking about the behavior you observe upon initially loading the project in the RoboHelp application? If so, don't be too alarmed. I believe this will continue for a bit, then finally settle. I believe this is RoboHelp updating things "behind the scenes".

If you are referring instead to the output, is the browser you are seeing this on FireFox? Seems I recall some recent posts with workarounds for that.

Cheers... Rick

[techwriter1995]

No, we've been using this new version for a couple of months & just started to notice this flicker. I say we because there are 3 of us & we are all having the same problem.

And no, not talking about the output. Just in Robohelp itself.

[RoboColum_n_]

As Rick points out, RH can update things behind the scenes that can cause a flicker but this normally doesn't last long. What is inside your topics? Do you have a lot of images, DHTML, links, etc. that could be causing the behaviour. Certainly the 30 folders with hundreds of topics on its own would not cause a problem. I've used projects bigger than that with no issue. If this continues maybe it would be best to explore the use of merged projects.

[AdamXT2]

I've noticed this flickering in RH 7 as well, and it can sometimes last for a few minutes when I have opened an older (pre-version 7) project for the first time.

Strangely, yesterday it got REALLY extreme and wouldn't stop. This coincided with some odd behaviour within Microsoft Outlook (due to it trying inexplicably to use Microsoft Word to edit a certain email). When I closed both Outlook & RoboHelp, waited a few seconds, then relaunched, everything worked fine.

[RoboColum_n_]

What have you set as your default RH editor in Tools | Options? Change it to the RH WYSIWYG and see if that makes a difference.

[AdamXT2]

Colum, I'm using the WYSIWYG. I should have clarified that the flickering in RH was due to Outlook hogging system resources...my other open applications also suffered until Outlook was restarted.

This is the only time I've seen the "flicker" get out of control, and it wasn't a problem with RoboHelp specifically.

[techwriter1995]

I checked Tools>Options & WYSIWYG is my default editor.

I closed Outlook and then closed & reopened Robohelp. (I left Outlook closed.) At first it didn't flicker but it started again after about a minute.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for all the help!

[Captiv8r · Accepted solution]

Hi all

Cindys, you may wish to try closing RoboHelp, opening Windows Explorer and clobbering the ProjectName.CPD file. Just rename it so RoboHelp can't find it. Then restart RoboHelp HTML and open the .XPJ file. The .CPD should rebuild automatically as a result and may eliminate the flicker. But be forewarned that the flicker will likely continue until the .CPD has been fully rebuilt.

As for checking that RoboHelp WYSIWYG is the default editor, it normally is. The trick is often the other option that is often missed. The setting that determines whether the editor is auto-selected or if the default is used. Normally that one is configured for auto-select. If so, it *COULD* cause a different application to open, depending on what was used to initially create the topic page.

Cheers... Rick

[techwriter1995]

Rick,

I did what you suggested & renamed the CPD file. It took hours for my files to rebuild upon reopening but I'm happy to report, the Project Pane has not flickered all day! This is awesome. So just out of curiousity, what is the CPD file? Why/how did it fix the problem?

Thanks so much!
Cindy

[RoboColum_n_]

The CPD file is an MS Aaccess database that holds much of the information about your project. It occasionally gets bloated and can cause issues. As it is automatically recreated each time you open a project if it is not present, deleting it can help is these type of scenario.

[AdamXT2]

Is any information permanently lost if you delete the CPD file (snippets, variables, etc)?

[Peter Grainge]

See the article on my site about Opening Projects. It's covered there.

[AdamXT2]

That's perfect, thanks!