Is there a way to specify Distiller job-options when converting images from FrameMaker to RoboHelp?

[feline_1973]

Hi, I am using Technical Communicator Suite 4 (RoboHelp 10 and FrameMaker 11).

I have some EPS graphics in my FrameMaker source, which have a particular Pantone colour specified (as device-independent LaB, created in Illustrator CS6).

I am using TCS4/RoboHelp to convert my Frame source to HTML Help (.CHM files).

The EPS graphics are coming out pretty awful looking (put it this way - the 8-bit on-screen preview in Frame is a better match for the intended Pantone colour than the resulting RGB PNG in the HTML Help).

In the RoboHelp settings, I have set it to use DIstiller to convert the EPS graphics, as per:

"Use Distiller to generate image

Select this option to generate web-friendly image formats from graphics linked and inserted in FrameMaker documents. You should use this option especially if you have vector graphics formats, such as EPS or AI, or graphics with text content in them. "

...but I know Distiller  should be capable of doing a better job than the rubbish I'm currently getting in my .CHMs!

How do I change the job options that Distiller is using for this conversion? As it is obviously not using very good ones by default!

[feline_1973]

No?

[Peter Grainge]

I am not aware of one from looking at the options. EPS is not file format Rh works with so perhaps you need to a compatible format in Fm and then tag to use the required format according to whether you are printing from Fm or linking to Rh.

Otherwise you need a Fm to Rh user to wade in.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[feline_1973]

Seems very odd that this dialog allows you to invoke Distiller, but not to select the Job Options to use it with. That's like giving someone the option to watch television, but hiding the remote so they can't change channel.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I'm also not aware of any place to specify what options to use - maybe you need to shoot a comment at the TCS blog team where they talk about using that Distiller setting.

[feline_1973]

Well, I tried experimenting some more with this. When DIstiller gets invoked like this, its GUI pops up. There is of course a particular job option displayed in the GUI ... and you can see a various log file output getting displayed ...  I would like to think that, logically, the Job Options getting displayed in the GUI when that log file output is generated are the Job Options that Distiller is actually using to do the stuff shown in the log file.....   but either they are not, or something else is going on as well: because I have good colour management settings made in the Job Option I can see in the GUI...... but the graphics output I am getting in Robohelp is miles out, the colour is awful.... Those joboptions don't produce those results if I used Distiller on its own.

But, there don't seem to be any other settings I can use to change things... so I've given up. As Peter Grainge suggests about, I've just rasterized my EPSes and converted them to a good RGB equivalent, and used them in FrameMaker for this workflow instead. That way they end up looking the right colour in RoboHelp's .CHM output.

I would've hoped TCS4 would've been able to make this work out of the box without the need for an ad hoc manual fix like this

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

This integration between two totally different products is still evolving - go to https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform and voice your request.

[feline_1973]

A cynic might venture that Adobe's marketing claims about what Technical Communicator Suite can do are evolving at a somewhat faster rate than said integration...

Also, whilst I know that "these are only user-to-user forums - Adobe are not necessarily reading them": Google is certainly reading them. And indexing them. And bringing them up in search results for anyone on the entire Internet to see.  
Adobe, don't make me go type all this stuff again on your "wishform". Keep and eye on your own forums and see what problems your users are having.

[Peter Grainge]

I rather doubt that Adobe would search Google for every comment about their software any more than you or I would. Much better that you do post as it sticks the problem right under their noses.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[feline_1973]

Dude, this is *their forum*. It's hosted on *their domain*, adobe.com 

And believe it or not, automated searching tools are available.  Sandra from the product dev team doesn't have to personally sit feverishly hunched over her monitor, frantically clicking every time her ears start burning.

[Peter Grainge]

Have it your way, I'm trying to let you know what works best.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge