Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

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ccinocco
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Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by ccinocco »

I upgraded to H&M 7 and am working on a project that has a lot of graphics with hotspots that link to other topics. (I do have the most current version installed.) Some of my hotspot graphics are not displaying in the compiled CHM.

*There are NO IF statements around them.
*Most of them are in the BMP format.
*In the compiled file, there is just a huge blank space where the hotspot graphic is SUPPOSED to be.

I opened the project in H&M6 and compiled it there and have no issues with these displaying properly.

I tried resetting the graphic in a JPG format, and adding the hotspot - with the same results.

As a side note - not sure it makes a difference, in H&M7, I did change the helpman_settings.js file to NOT display toggled graphics in lightbox (and it's added to my baggage in the project). These graphics are not setup as toggles as they contain HOTSPOTS.

I am NOT using a skin.

I need to know how to fix this problem - otherwise I will have to go back to H&M6 due to time constraints in completing this project. The problem with that is that I work on approximately 12 products that use graphic hotspots...so I'd prefer not to do that because it would then be across the board - so why upgrade?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Cindy @ Trimble
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Tim Green
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Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Cindy,

With problems like this it's impossible to say what is going on just from a description. We need to see an example. Please mail a small sample project to support AT ec-software.com (replace the AT with @) and we will check it for you. Don't forget to include the graphics files for the affected hotspots.

Before doing anything else, howeer, please make sure that you are using the current version of Help & Manual 7. Since this is a new release, updates are going to be released quite frequently in the first period. You can check your installed version with Help > About. The current version is 7.0.5 Build 3681. If you need to update you can download the latest installer from

http://www.helpandmanual.com/downloads.html?upd

Just install on top of your current version to update.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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ccinocco
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Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by ccinocco »

I am unable to email the file to you – our system won’t allow it. I am sending over our transfer replication system. You will receive a notification when the transfer is complete. The files remain up there for only SEVEN days.

In the sample project, the topic Spool Manager is the one missing the graphics in the compiled file. I reuse these same graphics with hotspots in the Spool Tab topic. The Drawing Tab and Defaults Tab use the graphics again – but with no hotspots (not needed).

I use hotspots again in the BOM topic, and the graphic displays and hotspots works. Obviously something is wrong with my Spool Manager topics – but I can’t figure it out. Yes – I did test just putting the graphic in the Spool Manager topic with no hotspots --- and the graphic displays fine. The hotspots seem to be the culprit.

I provided all of the necessary graphics – there are a few missing – but I am not having trouble with those in my project.

Thanks for your help…I am baffled.
Cindy @ Trimble
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ccinocco
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Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by ccinocco »

AND I do have the latest version installed - as I mentioned in my first post :)
Cindy @ Trimble
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Tim Green
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Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Cindy,

This is a simple problem caused indirectly by the fact that you are not using a skin. As a result, your old HM6 project is using the edited HM6 HTML templates it contained, and those are not compatible with Help & Manual 7's new HTML output. The images are there, but you can't see them because they are off the screen.

You need to either select one of the new CHM skins included with Help & Manual 7, or update the template in your project by selecting "Reset Template" in Configuration > HTML Page Templates > Default. This will reset the entire source code of the page template, so you should make a copy of your customized code first so that you can refer to it when re-applying your changes to the new version.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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ccinocco
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Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by ccinocco »

Well - that's convenient. We have guidelines we have to follow corporate-wide - and the H&M Skins don't fit those guidelines.

I assume that when I do the reset and copy the code back in from H&M6, all will be well? If not, I will resort back to using H&M6 - and we will be asking for a refund for H&M7. Upgrades should be seemless...
Cindy @ Trimble
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ccinocco
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Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by ccinocco »

Didn't work -

Reset the HTML template back to the default.
Copied the HTML code in
Saved Project
Compiled

Same issue.

Oh well...I will reassociate my project with H&M6 and talk to management about what our next step is.
Cindy @ Trimble
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Tim Green
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Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Cindy,

It definitely works -- I just did it several times with the project you sent me. Try one of the standard CHM skins delivered with Help & Manual 7 instead.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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ccinocco
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Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by ccinocco »

I CANNOT use the standard H&M skins...they do NOT comply with our company standards - which is why I do not use one. and why the template was altered. (You helped me several years ago with this.)

I tried using one close to our standards and see that it does work - but I will have to edit the skin to comply with standard...and I am not a HTML wizard.

I will play with it over the next couple of days. If push comes to shove, the project will be compiled using H&M6. I have four projects that are due in the next 45 days --- so not much time to mess with this right now.

Thanks.
Cindy @ Trimble
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ccinocco
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Location: Denver, CO

Re: Hot Spot Graphics in H&M7

Unread post by ccinocco »

I painstakingly edited the basic H&M7 skin 9not being very good at html - lots of trial and error) and reverted my project back to the defaul template. All is well with my graphics now. But I see another oddity with toggled text. I will post that one in a separate issue. Nothing we can't live with - but still weird.

Fortunately I can use the edited skin for all of my projects. :D

I assume the same issues will apply to WebHelp (I have 2-3 projects that are compiled to this format also - although I DO use a skin on those already).

Thank you for your help.

PS - I continue to try to get my managers to approve the purchase of the premium pack...
Cindy @ Trimble
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