Why don't my skins show up?

Report · Aug 17, 2010

I am using RH8, and generating merged, browser based air help.

When I generate air help the correct skins display on my pc. However, when I access them on the server (using the URL) the template is correct but the skins are incorrect. The color and the branding options don't display properly.

I have been looking for the skin file and I don't think I have one. But I'm not sure exactly what the file name is or where it should be located.

SueKL had this problem a few months ago. I read through the postings. There didn't seem to be a final solution.

Can anyone tell me if this is the solution - my skin files might be missing? If not, what else can I try.

Thanks for the help

Pat

Report · Aug 17, 2010

Hi Pat

I stand to be corrected on this, but I don't think you can expect the Browser Based version of AIRHelp to exactly resemble the locally installed counterpart.

Aside from that, you might also be interested in the following Technical Note. I believe the Browser Based AIRHelp skins are composed of Flash elements. So it's possible that you need to tweak the MIME types on your server to allow Flash SWFs to be transmitted.

I think the link below offers more on this.

Click here to view

Cheers... Rick

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Report · Aug 18, 2010

Hopefully Rick's reply will help you.

You said the thread you found at http://forums.adobe.com/message/2861270#2861270 did not have a solution. In that thread Praful Jain asked for further information so that he could assist but no one responded to him! It might be worth pursuing that if you cannot resolve things via the link Rick supplied.

You will need to involve IT.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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Report · Aug 18, 2010

Is there another solution for this? We can't make our customers change their mime files to run help.

I am wondering if I even have a skin file. Can anyone tell me where it's supposed to be and if it's .skn.

Thanks.

Pat

Report · Aug 18, 2010

Hi there

The key to this question is to ask where the help will be when the customer accesses it. Will it be on your company web server or theirs? The setting is controlled at the server level and not each individual PC.

As for the skin file, the source files are different than what the output contains. Perhaps it will help to think of it like this. Think of the skin as gift wrapping paper. Before you present the gift to the recipient, you pull paper off the roll. You wrap it and present the gift. You don't hand the gift to the recipient along with the roll of wrapping paper.

Skins work like that. They are part of the files that are distributed and there is no single skin file found among the output files.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links

RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form

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SorcererStone Blog

RoboHelp eBooks

Report · Aug 18, 2010

Where an application and / or the help is being installed on a customer's server the same changes will be required but typically that would be for a large scale application and you would be working with your customers and able to explain why these changes are needed. It's that or host the help on your own servers and make the changes there.

There is no skin editing in AIR help, desktop or browser based. The theme and colours should be much the same but there will be differences such as no commenting icon for browser based AIR help as that feature is not available. Also the help will run inside the normal browser window.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

Report · Aug 19, 2010

Hi Pat,

I had this problem awhile back. I was told that this was a glitch that RH was going to address. I was advised to rename the ac_oetags.js file to AC_OETags.js. This worked for me on one server but not on another. This solution was courtesy of Praful.

You can find this .js file in your output folder:

SSL --> Adobe Air --> BrowserBasedHelp.

Hope this helps.

P.S.

Everytime you regenerate you will have to go in and do this as you'll have a new output file.