image resolution (dpi) is completely wrong in Fm 2017

[yves.barbion]

Hi all

I'm using FrameMaker 2017 all patched up (14.0.3). I import an png image (a screen shot at 96 dpi) and I select 150 dpi in the "Imported Graphic Scaling" dialog. However, this doesn't seem to work: the image is scaled to 1.04% of its original size and the dpi is "unknown" in the Object Properties dialog panel pod thing even though I didn't scale the image by dragging one of its corners.

Has anyone else seen this bug?

Cheers

[Stefan-Gentz]

I just tried the same: Imported a screenshot png (2195 x 1397 px / 96 dpi). During import (via > Insert > Image, the screenshot is scaled down to fit (20.77%, dpi unknown). I set the dpi manually to 150 dpi and the screenshot gets resized to 48.0% at 150 dpi.

What size is your screenshot?

[nicholasb56967193]

Hi, this feels a lot like a bug and it's still there in 14.0.4.511.

Using the "old fashioned" File > Import > File command, you get the Imported Graphic Scaling dialog that asks you to select a dpi setting. Any dpi setting you input is ultimately ignored (even if you use an object style) and you still have to right-click and select Object Properties to set it a second time.

For some reason, the Imported Graphic Scaling dialog does not seem to come up when you use the Insert > Image method and you have to resize the image through Object Properties.

Why the Imported Graphic Scaling dialog is called for one method and not the other is a mystery. Why the dialog has no effect is an even bigger one.
I'm surprised I haven't seen more mention of this problem. Importing an image is a pretty basic functionality.

[Stefan-Gentz]

I have just tried this again with 14.0.4.511, and it works as expected for me.

I import a JPG image through File > Import > File route which has 168 dpi.

Dialog "Imported Graphic Scaling" comes up, recognizing the intrinsic 168 dpi of the image and defaulting to "Custom dpi" = 168:

I keep "Custom dpi" at 168 dpi and click "Set".

The graphic gets imported, and is correctly set to 168 dpi:

The Insert > Image route is a new and completely different process which skips the "Imported Graphic Scaling" dialog and does a number of calculations automatically: It reads the intrinsic dpi of the image (if present), imports the image at this dpi, calculates if the image fits into the text frame, and if not, scales it proportionally down to fit into the frame.

[Hezy A]

What would you recommend as the best method.

"Insert Image", or "Import file"?

[Stefan-Gentz]

It depends 🙂

If I want to define the dpi before importing the image, I go the File > Import > File route. Otherwise, the Insert > Image is (at least for me) the faster and more convenient route.

[Winfried Reng]

I use FrameMaker 2019.0.2.503.

I want to import a jpg file with  dimensions of 610 x 457 pixels and 300 dpi.

First I tried to import into a table cell. When I insert this jpg image, the DPI value is Unknown. If I do this via Insert | Image, the scaling in the object properties is 1.97 %. If I do this via File | Import | File, the scaling in the object properties is 4.27 %. Any dpi values during the import are ignored.

When I create an anchored frame first and import via Insert | Image, then the scaling is 72 dpi, no matter, if the image will fit into this frame. If I import via File | Import | File, then the set DPI value is kept correctly.

When I import the jpg file into the regular text flow, then the results are almost the same. When I  import via Insert | Image, then the DPI in the object properties is Unknown and the scaling is 72 dpi. If I import via File | Import | File, then the set DPI value is kept correctly.

When I create an anchored frame first and import via Insert | Image, then the scaling is 72 dpi, no matter, if the image will fit into this frame. If I import via File | Import | File, then the set DPI value is kept correctly.

When I create an anchored frame first, then the results are the same as in the table: When I  import via Insert | Image, then the DPI in the object properties is Unknown and the scaling is 72 dpi. If I import via File | Import | File, then the set DPI value is kept correctly.

I tested this with a completely new file with the FrameMaker default template.

At least on my PC the import does not work reliably. My results are almost the same as Yves'.

[Stefan-Gentz]

Let's try to break that down. I have created an image with 610 × 457 px at 300 dpi and went through it:

I want to import a jpg file with dimensions of 610 x 457 pixels and 300 dpi.

First: Given, that 1 inch is 25.4 mm, the image dimensions of this test image are 52 × 39 mm:

Length: (610 px × 1 inch) / 300 dpi = 52 mm*

Height: (457 px × 1 inch) / 300 dpi = 39 mm*

* all image dimensions given here are rounded, even if FrameMaker shows the exact number with three decimal places.

Import into a table cell

First I tried to import into a table cell.

When I insert this jpg image, the DPI value is Unknown.

If I do this via Insert | Image, the scaling in the object properties is 1.97 %.

If I do this via File | Import | File, the scaling in the object properties is 4.27 %. Any dpi values during the import are ignored.

I can confirm that. Looks to me like importing an image into a table cell follows its own "rules". Needs further investigation. I will check this with the developers.

Import into an existing anchored frame

When I create an anchored frame first and import via Insert | Image, then the scaling is 72 dpi, no matter, if the image will fit into this frame.

If I import via File | Import | File, then the set DPI value is kept correctly.

Yes, if I import the test image via Insert > Image into an anchored frame, it is imported at 72 dpi. Dimension is 215 × 161 mm. Scaling is given as 100%.

Length: (610 px × 1 inch) / 72 dpi = 215 mm

Height: (457 px × 1 inch) / 72 dpi = 161 mm

Yes, if I import the test image via File > Import > File into an anchored Frame and select 300 dpi in the "Import Graphic Scaling" dialog, it is correctly imported at 300 dpi and dimension is correct at 52 × 39 mm. Scaling is given as 24%.

Import into the text flow

When I import the jpg file into the regular text flow, then the results are almost the same.

When I import via Insert | Image, then the DPI in the object properties is Unknown and the scaling is 72 dpi.

If I import via File | Import | File, then the set DPI value is kept correctly.

Same as importing into an existing anchored frame.

So, with File > Import > File into the text flow or into an anchored frame and setting dpi during import to 300 dpi, FrameMaker imports the image correct at 300 dpi with the correct dimension of 52 × 39 mm. The scaling is given as 24%, which might be a little bit confusing at first. However, the scaling that FrameMaker gives in the object properties is the scaling compared to the image size at 72 dpi.

For the Insert > Image route, FrameMaker imports the image always at 72% (= 100%). When importing an image with this route into an anchored frame, FrameMaker does not scale down the image if it is bigger than the anchored Frame. When importing an image with this route into the text flow, FrameMaker checks if the image is bigger than the frame (at the default import size of 72 dpi). If so, FrameMaker scales down the image until it fits into the new anchored Frame (maximum width = text flow/column width minus anchored frame padding).

Again, importing into table cells is a different thing. I will check this with development. Looks like a bug to me.

[nicholasb56967193]

Ok, so the bug is when importing an image into a cell. We usually put our images into Figure tables, which explains this behavior. We previously had FM10, where this worked fine.

[Stefan-Gentz]

I have tested it through with tables now over all versions since FM 10, and as far as I understand the bug with importing images into table cells came in 2017 release. We will analyze this deeper and come back asap.

[Th. Zeisig]

It seems that the bug is not only linked to graphics and table cells.

We encountered a similar behaviour when we tried to import a graphics file into a column of a two column layout (FM 2019 structured)

When we adjust the paragraph where the graphics should be placed to run over all columns the graphic is imported in the correct size without scaling.

As we create our graphics in a certain size and a resolution of 200 dpi, we rely on the dpi attribute. In FM 2015 the graphics came in with the correct size, without wrong scaling. Now in FM 2019 when we load our sgml files for publishing to PDF, the graphics get scaled down. So we can´t publish anymore. We have not the time to check about 1200 graphics per release, if they are correctly imported. We went back to FM 2015 for that reason.

Best Regards

Thomas