Images missing in tables in HTML5 output

[fifelaura]

Hi all, am hoping someone can help solve this as I am very frustrated by this issue! I have researched this problem on this site but can find no answer that works for me. 

My problem is that random png images do not appear in my project manager or in the HTML5 output. 

This usually occurs when they are in tables.  This has happened before, and I once solved it by double clicking the image and clicking OK, then Save. This seemed to register the image’s presence, but this is not working now.

Details:

• I am using Robohelp Classic 2019.
• My files are all on the local drive.
• I have tried deleting the CPD file from File Explorer and restarting/regenerating project
• I have checked the box under Options which deletes the CPD file automatically
• I've looked at the HTML code and copied rows/cells from the same table where the images are showing.
• The images are inserted by selecting Insert Image and selecting an image.
• When I insert the rogue image elsewhere in the project and save, it appears in the Project Manager and in the output. I've tried applying a condition to the "extra" image so that it doesn't appear in the output, but when I do this, the image in the proper place also does not appear.
• There is nothing special or different about the images which are not appearing - they are just small png files.
• Am attaching the row of this table with the problem. Here, the first and third images do not show, the second and fourth do.

<td style="vertical-align: top;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br />
		<span><a href="Configure_Network_Connections.htm" id="a2111" style="color: #005baa; 
				 font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; ">Output Stream 
		 Parameters</a></span></p>
		<p class="TOCheading" bodytext"="" style="text-align: center; color: #005baa; 
			 font-size: 14pt;"><a href="General_Device_Management.htm"><img 
		 src="Images/Output Stream Parameters%402x.png" alt="" style="border: none;" 
		 width="100" height="100" border="0" /></a></p>
		<p class="BodyText" style="text-align: center;">Options relating 
		 to the output stream</p></td>
		<td style="vertical-align: top;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br />
		<a href="General_Device_Management.htm" id="a21111" style="color: #005baa; 
			 font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; ">General Device Management</a><a 
		 href="Configure_Network_Connections.htm" id="a21111" style="color: #005baa; 
		 font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; "> </a></p>
		<p class="TOCheading" bodytext"="" style="text-align: center; color: #005baa; 
			 font-size: 14pt;"><a href="General_Device_Management.htm"><img 
		 src="Images/Device Management%402x.png" alt="" style="border: none;" 
		 width="100" height="100" border="0" /></a></p>
		<p class="BodyText" style="text-align: center;">General encoder 
		 management</p></td>
		<td style="vertical-align: top;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br />
		<a href="Maintenance.htm" id="a21111" style="color: #005baa; font-size: 14pt; 
			 text-decoration: none; ">Device Maintenance</a><a href="Configure_Network_Connections.htm" 
		 id="a21111" style="color: #005baa; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; "> 
		 </a></p>
		<p class="TOCheading" bodytext"="" style="text-align: center; color: #005baa; 
			 font-size: 14pt;"><a href="General_Device_Management.htm"><img 
		 src="Images/maintenance_icon.png" alt="" style="border: none;" 
		 width="100" height="100" border="0" /></a></p>
		<p class="BodyText" style="text-align: center;">General encoder 
		 maintenance</p></td>
		<td style="vertical-align: top;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br />
		<a href="Serial_Interface_Connection.htm" id="a2111111" style="color: #005baa; 
			 font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; ">Serial interface</a></p>
		<p class="TOCheading" bodytext"="" style="text-align: center; color: #005baa; 
			 font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="Serial_Interface_Connection.htm"><img 
		 src="channel_config.png" alt="" style="border: none;" width="100" 
		 height="100" border="0" /></a></span></p>
		<p class="BodyText" style="text-align: center;">Serial interface 
		 connection details</p></td>
	</tr>
	<tr style="height: 32px;">
		<td style="vertical-align: top;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br />
		<a href="Configure_Network_Connections.htm"><img src="Images/learn_more.png" 
														 alt="" style="border: none;" 
														 width="208" height="43" 
														 border="0" /></a></p></td>
		<td style="vertical-align: top;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br />
		<a href="General_Device_Management.htm"><img src="Images/learn_more.png" 
													 alt="" style="border: none;" 
													 width="208" height="43" 
													 border="0" /></a></p></td>
		<td style="vertical-align: top;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br />
		<a href="Maintenance.htm"><img src="Images/learn_more.png" alt="" 
										 style="border: none;" width="208" 
										 height="43" border="0" /></a></p></td>
		<td style="vertical-align: top;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br />
		<a href="Serial_Interface_Connection.htm"><img src="Images/learn_more.png" 
														 alt="" style="border: none;" 
														 width="208" height="43" 
														 border="0" /></a></p></td>​

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Laura

[fifelaura]

I have managed to work round this issue by stripping everything out of the cell with the problem image, then introducing the image, generating, adding text, generating etc.

At the moment it is working as expected but I have no idea still why it occurred, and am not sure it will not happen again so if anyone has any insights I would be very appreciative.

Thanks

Laura

[Amebr]

A longstanding problem for me in old versions of Robohelp has been various files vanishing from the project manager after the cpd file is deleted. You might delete the CPD manually or you might have the setting "Clear project cache" enabled. The problem affected images and stylesheets in various projects at different companies and through many versions of Robohelp. It's possible you're encountering this.

I have no solution, but the quick way to reinstate them was to create a new folder. In most instances the images or stylesheet showed up again and I could delete the folder. (It is bit of a pain if you're using source control.)

As best I can tell, the new folder forces RH to regenerate it's database, while creating or updating a topic does not.

Give that a go if it happens again.

My other suggestion would be to make sure your file names contain only letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores (and the dot before the extension of course). I've found that other characters sometimes cause strange things to happen even though they should, and mostly do, work.

[fifelaura]

Many thanks for taking the time to reply. I’ll give these a go and see how I get on.



Laura Fergusson | Technical Writer | Exterity Ltd

[Personal details removed for security. Please do not include if replying by email]

[fifelaura]

When you say “Create a new folder” do you mean in RH or in Windows Explorer? Should I put just the missing images in it?

Thanks for any help.

[Amebr]

In Robohelp so that RH knows about it.

You won't do anything with the folder, it just forces RH to refresh the database so that the missing files *should* show up in the correct folders again. If the images show up where you expect, then you delete the folder you just created. If the images don't show up, then you have a different issue.