Answered
Using Images in RoboHelp HTML
We are currently investigating the possibility of
centralizing/consolidating our documentation to our online help
system and are seeking input from anyone who has experience with
what we are proposing…
We create several online Help systems for a series of Web based applications and we use RoboHelp HTML 7. Currently, the content in our Help systems is essentially text only--descriptions and step-by-step instructions—we have some images such as logos and icons but the majority is text.
We export the text to Word, add screen captures, and create PDFs that are printed for use in face-to-face training sessions.
We are looking at revamping/centralizing our process by including all the screen captures in the Help system. However, concern has been raised about how the addition of a lot of image files will impact the speed and functionality of the Help system.
We compile our Help systems and send the entire WebHelp folder to Development where it is tested and then deployed to our servers. It is then accessed by our clients from within our application via Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari
Our customers access our application via high speed internet connections, so access speed will not be a problem. And of course we would save the images as GIF format to get the smallest actual file size. But questions remain such as:
- Is there a limit to the number of images you can use in a Help system?
- Is there a limit to the number of images you can use in a topic?
- What effect will having a large number of images in the Help system have on the compilation process? (I realize that it may take longer to compile, but is there a point at which the system will break down?)
- Is there a limit to the size of the Help file set?
In addition to these questions, I'm wondering:
- Do you use images in your Help systems?
- Have you had any problems doing so?
- Any tricks or tips you would like to share on using images in a Help system?
We create several online Help systems for a series of Web based applications and we use RoboHelp HTML 7. Currently, the content in our Help systems is essentially text only--descriptions and step-by-step instructions—we have some images such as logos and icons but the majority is text.
We export the text to Word, add screen captures, and create PDFs that are printed for use in face-to-face training sessions.
We are looking at revamping/centralizing our process by including all the screen captures in the Help system. However, concern has been raised about how the addition of a lot of image files will impact the speed and functionality of the Help system.
We compile our Help systems and send the entire WebHelp folder to Development where it is tested and then deployed to our servers. It is then accessed by our clients from within our application via Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari
Our customers access our application via high speed internet connections, so access speed will not be a problem. And of course we would save the images as GIF format to get the smallest actual file size. But questions remain such as:
- Is there a limit to the number of images you can use in a Help system?
- Is there a limit to the number of images you can use in a topic?
- What effect will having a large number of images in the Help system have on the compilation process? (I realize that it may take longer to compile, but is there a point at which the system will break down?)
- Is there a limit to the size of the Help file set?
In addition to these questions, I'm wondering:
- Do you use images in your Help systems?
- Have you had any problems doing so?
- Any tricks or tips you would like to share on using images in a Help system?
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