Question around Save As

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Dave Gehman
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Question around Save As

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Scenario:
My project has a number of highlighted chunks that require more information from the software developers -- "software" being the software that's getting the project's help output.

These chunks need to be removed temporarily for the production of a clean Word output so that angel investors aren't confused by work in progress as they review the progress so far.

I set out to "save as" so I could simply work on the saved-as file to delete these chunks. But, I'm not seeing a simple "save as."

Two* seem to indicate that they go into a different folder (and thus lose the several hundred referenced graphics).

The final two (skin and repository) aren't suitable.

Question:
Is there a simple save-as somewhere?

or

Do I just copy all the referenced graphics into the new folder/location?

_________________-
* I'm confused by the uncompressed XML save-as type (I have H+M pro) -- can this be saved in the current Project folder (and thus draw from the same graphics) under a name different from the working file, which is saved as HMXZ?
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Martin Wynne
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Hi Dave,

To make a duplicate of the entire project which can be edited as a separate project, I simply close H&M and use Windows File Explorer. Just make a copy of the entire project folder somewhere else, and rename it.

All the paths and references in H&M are relative, so it will all work fine. Just open the copied project and make your edits.

If you have saved your graphics within the project folder, any new ones you create subsequently will need to be saved to both folders. If you use somewhere else as a graphics folder, you don't need to do that.

p.s. don't bother with the .hmxz option. Everything goes in a single zipped file -- which is a great way to lose your project if the file gets corrupted.

Martin.
Dave Gehman
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Thanks, Martin.

I'll follow your lead. Much appreciated.
Dave Gehman
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

So, I did some more thinking. Two separate files could be a maintenance headache. I decided to keep everything in a single version and created an include option, if a bit reversed (it's really an exclude option, to be brought into play when publishing an output.

I created a DIRTY custom build and encased all in-process comments and questions in an IF DIRTY [comment/question] END.

When I want a clean copy for investors -- or top execs -- I just exclude (i.e., leave unchecked) anything in the DIRTY build option. When I want all the comments and questions for software project management and developers, I simply check DIRTY before publishing.
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julio
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by julio »

That is the best way of handling these situations. Here we have a few tutorials that are used for in-person and online courses. The difference between them is that online course students use a demo version of our software, so there are limitations in exercises, for example. For this, I use a PRODUCT build for in-person versions and a PRODUCT_ONLINE build for online versions. This allows me to create different versions with those specific texts and images and, of course, everything else that does not match these builds.
Dave Gehman wrote:So, I did some more thinking. Two separate files could be a maintenance headache. I decided to keep everything in a single version and created an include option, if a bit reversed (it's really an exclude option, to be brought into play when publishing an output.

I created a DIRTY custom build and encased all in-process comments and questions in an IF DIRTY [comment/question] END.

When I want a clean copy for investors -- or top execs -- I just exclude (i.e., leave unchecked) anything in the DIRTY build option. When I want all the comments and questions for software project management and developers, I simply check DIRTY before publishing.
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Tim Green
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by Tim Green »

Addendum: Also don't forget that the multiple TOCs feature can also be a very powerful method for creating different versions. You can create secondary TOCs with not only different topics and chapters included, but also with completely different structures for different needs. And you can create the different output just by selecting a different TOC to publish with, without having to worry about individual build options for all the topics involved at all. 8)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Dave Gehman
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Thanks, Tim. The multiple TOC is in the works, but right now our software has only one version. Soon there will be significantly different versions around integration into two platform integrations of the software and they will spawn the need for alternate topics and segments.

The comments I wanted out of the "clean" version were at most only one paragraph and most were either a symbol, sentence fragment or one sentence, all buried within topics. I didn't see multiple TOC as a solution in this case.
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Tim Green
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by Tim Green »

Dave Gehman wrote:The comments I wanted out of the "clean" version were at most only one paragraph and most were either a symbol, sentence fragment or one sentence, all buried within topics. I didn't see multiple TOC as a solution in this case.
No, definitely not. 8) How you deal with comments depends on whether you want them to be in your published output, ever, or not. If you only want them for design time and possibly for proof-reading, you can use HM's comments feature. Then comments will always be excluded, but you can optionally include them for proofing in a PDF if you want (the option for that is in the Publish screen). You can also convert comments into a normal body text paragraph by right-clicking on them in the editor and selecting "Convert to plain text".

Alternatively, for comments that are part of the output, you would need to use conditional text tags on them.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Dave Gehman
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Comments... :oops: Thanks for alerting me to this feature, which (had I a brain) I might have found -- since the whole thing revolves around comments.

We don't use PDF for review or editing. The Word 'track changes' + ready access to adding / deleting / sharpening by content experts, all add up to the right review mode for us.
Tonea Morrow
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Re: Question around Save As

Unread post by Tonea Morrow »

It seems you have a solution for your needs.

But, if you need to track different versions or major changes, then keep in mind that you don't need to copy the entire project. My project folder has several sub-folders in it. The screen shots are in an images folder. In a sub-folder of that are other folders: impict graphics, the project's skin and it's customized icons, and a folder for any screen shot that had to be spliced and tiled, as well as the GTOC (images used in the graphical table of contents). This means that no matter what version of the project I'm working on, I don't have multiple copies of these files. I have just the one location. Attached is a screen shot of the current project's folder. Each version folder has only the H&M files needed for that version (history, baggage, maps, topics).

Tonea
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