Unable to display graphic

[JonC_]

I am using Robohelp for Word v8, and after I compile the project the image will not display.  I generated a .shg image, and this displays when I compile the projuect, but if I add a hot spot to the image I get an error message saying "Unable to display graphic" where the image is supposed to be.  I have the updated ImageAPI.dll file so the hotspot would remember the link, but the image would display with multiple hotspots before the update it would not remember the topic linked to the hotspot.  When I updated the .dll file and add a hotspot to the graphic, it will not show up.  Did I miss a setting that I needed to update with the new ImageAPI.dll file?  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.

[Guest]

Hi Jon,

Are you saying that the graphic *will* display if you insert it without hotspots, but that it *won't* display if it has hotspots?

If that's the problem, then I'm not sure what to do - although you might try the fix below anyway and see if it helps.

If the graphic just isn't displaying in compiled help, whether it has hotspots or not, then I may know how to help. The last problem we had with our recent nightmare conversion to RoboHelp 8 was that a graphic which had been showing up fine for ages suddenly started not displaying. (It was the only graphic in that particular .hlp in our multi-.hlp project.)

Go into your .hpj file in Notepad and check your BMROOT path for the graphic that is not appearing. In RoboHelp Explorer, it probably shows up as a relative path (for example: BMROOT=images). You can't fix it in RoboHelp Explorer, because I believe it sets the path up as a relative path automatically. You need to find the BMROOT path in the .hpj file and change it to the exact location of your image file (for example: BMROOT=C:\help\images).

Off and on, over different versions of RoboHelp, I had occasionally encountered this problem with BMROOT. But, as I said, this graphic had been working fine with a relative path for ages. I never thought to connect the problem of our disappearing graphic with the new ImageAPI.dll, but given the time frame for when we updated the .dll, that would make sense. So let me know if this works - I'm curious.

(Also, did you make sure you have both the .shg and the .bmp it is based on in your images directory? You probably did, but just in case, I thought I'd mention it.)

Good luck - Sandy

[JonC_]

The graphic will display without hotspots, but will not display if I add a hotspot to the graphic. I have a graphic that I am trying to add multiple hotspots to different regions of the graphic.  The graphic will show if there are no hotspots on the graphic, but as soon as I add a hotspot to a region on the graphic it will not display in the compiled view.  The graphic shows up in RH.  I am using a WinHelp 4 output.  Should I change this?

[Guest]

Hi Jon,

Did you check the BMROOT path to your graphics directory and make sure it was

an absolute path, not a relative path? Also, are the .bmp and the .shg both

in your graphics directory, since you need both of them? Those are the only

things that I know to check.

I was using a WinHelp 2000 output. I don't know if that makes a difference or

not. But after I updated the BMROOT path as described in my previous post, I

did not have any more problems with graphics not displaying. Hope it helps -

Sandy

[JonC_]

Sandy,

I could not find the BMROOT to any of my graphics in the .hpj file.  All I can see are the alias of my topics.  Are you sure it is the .hpj file?  Thank you for your help.

Jon

[JonC_]

The .bmp files and the .shg files are in the same place as well.

Also, it does not matter which version of WinHelp it is compiled in.

[Guest]

Jon,

Yes, it is in the .hpj file. I have attached some sample text from an .hpj

file for you, only I moved it into Word so I could highlight the BMROOT

section.

Don't worry about the message at the top of the .hpj that says "do not modify

this file." It's OK to modify it. (Notice that underneath, it also says "You

may edit this file.")

The only reason I included the other sections from the .hpj was so that you

would see where the BMROOT information is located in relation to the other

parts of the .hpj. You will not necessarily have all the same sections in

your .hpj. But if you have graphics, you definitely have to have a BMROOT

section.

I hope this helps. - Sandy

[JonC_]

I was not using my BMROOT folder.  I put all my images into that folder and compiled the project, but I had the same result.  I could see the graphic only if there were no hotspots on the graphic.

Jon

[Guest]

Hi Jon,

I am not sure what you mean by saying you are not using your BMROOT folder.

The BMROOT "folder" (in RoboHelp Explorer) is just a way to identify the

place where you have your graphics. The name of the actual folder where you

have the graphics stored will almost certainly not be BMROOT. It sounds like

you might be confusing RoboHelp Explorer and Windows Explorer.

BMROOT is not an actual location. It is just a pointer that points to a

location in your Windows file structure, so that RoboHelp can "see" where

your graphics are.

You shouldn't have had to move anything. You can leave your graphics wherever

you want (as long as it's on your local drive - I'm assuming you're compiling

over a network, which can cause problems). It doesn't matter where the

graphics are, as long as the place where they are is defined as one of your

BMROOT paths. You can have one BMROOT path, or more than one, it doesn't

matter.

I'm sorry if I confused you. Here's what I would try:

1) Determine where your graphics are, using Windows Explorer (not RoboHelp

Explorer)

2) Put the path to that folder in a BMROOT line in the .hpj

Then try compiling. Good luck - Sandy

[Guest]

Sorry, I left an important word out of this message. I meant to say: I'm

assuming you're NOT compiling over a network. Compiling over a network can

cause problems. You should keep all your project files on your local drive.

Hi Jon,

I am not sure what you mean by saying you are not using your BMROOT folder.

The BMROOT "folder" (in RoboHelp Explorer) is just a way to identify the

place where you have your graphics. The name of the actual folder where you

have the graphics stored will almost certainly not be BMROOT. It sounds like

you might be confusing RoboHelp Explorer and Windows Explorer.

BMROOT is not an actual location. It is just a pointer that points to a

location in your Windows file structure, so that RoboHelp can "see" where

your graphics are.

You shouldn't have had to move anything. You can leave your graphics wherever

you want (as long as it's on your local drive - I'm assuming you're compiling

over a network, which can cause problems). It doesn't matter where the

graphics are, as long as the place where they are is defined as one of your

BMROOT paths. You can have one BMROOT path, or more than one, it doesn't

matter.

I'm sorry if I confused you. Here's what I would try:

1) Determine where your graphics are, using Windows Explorer (not RoboHelp

Explorer)

2) Put the path to that folder in a BMROOT line in the .hpj

Then try compiling. Good luck - Sandy

[JonC_]

Thank you for all your help.

Sorry, I should have been more clear about what I did.  I was asked to convert a help system from ForeHelp to RoboHelp.  When I converted the files the conversion process dumped all of the images into the same folder as the .hpj file, and I guess it did not set up a BMROOT folder.  So that is what I meant when I said I moved all the images into a folder, because RH gives a warning if the BMROOT folder is the same location as the folder that contains the project.

I moved all the images into their own folder, and moved the entire project to my local drive, but this did not solve the problem.

Jon

[Guest]

Hi Jon,

Well, I'm sorry not to have been of more help - and now it looks like we're

having the same problem. I posted a new thread on this

(http://forums.adobe.com/thread/684762), because I'm not sure if the experts

on the forum see all these exchanges once they get down to this level. If

they do, sorry to everyone for double-posting. - Sandy