Using Kraken to reduce images

HelpXplain is the exciting new animated infographics and screencast tool that integrates with Help+Manual.

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Olivier Beltrami
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Using Kraken to reduce images

Unread post by Olivier Beltrami »

Hi,

Can I safely use Kraken (kraken.io) to reduce the size of the images in the Xplain folders, before uploading them ?
Very best regards,

Olivier
Olivier Beltrami
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Tim Green
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Re: Using Kraken to reduce images

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Olivier,

Alex will probably wade in on this, but it will probably be OK if you just increase the compression without changing the dimensions. If you change the dimensions you may have problems. If you just increase the compression you will only get lower quality images. :)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Martin Wynne
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Re: Using Kraken to reduce images

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Hi Olivier,

If they are screenshots in PNG format, a good way to reduce the file size is by changing to 8-bit colour. It makes a big difference to file size, without having much effect on the image.

cheers,

Martin.
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Olivier Beltrami
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Re: Using Kraken to reduce images

Unread post by Olivier Beltrami »

Thank you very much.
This should be a very useful tip as most of my images are quasi BW with a lot of white.
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Alexander Halser
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Re: Using Kraken to reduce images

Unread post by Alexander Halser »

Hi Olivier,

Please get the latest build 1132 from:
https://www.helpandmanual.com/download/ ... p-v110.exe

This update is a beta with audio support. And it includes a bug fix regarding images. HelpXplain keeps the source of the original image that you insert. As long as images are not modified (cropped, or filters applied, which would create a new image), it is supposed to export the original image. In other words, if you insert an 8-bit-PNG, it should output an 8-bit-PNG. If you insert an optimized GIF, it should output this optimized GIF.

There are a couple of checks in place that might not output the original image, but create a new one. These checks are:

1) If the image is cropped, HelpXplain will export a cropped image, not the original one. File name is the same, however.
2) If an image has image effects. These effects (e.g. blur, overpaint) modify the pixels of the image, hence the conversion.
3) If an image is too large. The maximum size of an image is 3 x viewport width and 3 x viewport height. If the picture is larger than this, it will be resized to a smaller version.

For regular screenshots without modifications, none of this typically applies. So there should be no conversion and the output result must be bit-identical with the original image that you inserted. Build 1132 implements that.
Alexander Halser
Senior Software Architect, EC Software GmbH
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Martin Wynne
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Re: Using Kraken to reduce images

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Alexander Halser wrote:For regular screenshots without modifications, none of this typically applies. So there should be no conversion and the output result must be bit-identical with the original image that you inserted. Build 1132 implements that.
Hi Alexander,

That's good. It's important to me to be able to insert working animated GIFs. It's the only way at present to show program activity resulting from mouse movement rather than actual clicks. As for example in a CAD drawing program. Or adjusting a slider control.

Also for keyboard activity, such as entering text in an edit box.

But animated GIFs work fine.

cheers,

Martin.
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Olivier Beltrami
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Re: Using Kraken to reduce images

Unread post by Olivier Beltrami »

Thank you very much, Alexander.
Olivier Beltrami
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