Category: Help Authoring

You can easily create hyperlinks to just about anything in your RoboHelp project by selecting some topic text (or an image) and choosing Insert > Hyperlink. But what if you want to link to an external file, such as a PDF. And what if you also want to add a link to the PDF directly to your TOC? There doesn’t seem to be an easy way to do that–until you read on…

Linking to external files

1. Open a topic and highlight the text or image you want to use for the hyperlink
2. Choose Insert > Hyperlink

The Hyperlink dialog opens.

3. Select File from the Link to drop down menu



4. Browse for the file you want to link to and click Open
5. Click OK
6. Click Yes when prompted and the file will be copied to your project’s Baggage Files folder.

Adding Links to Baggage Files to the TOC

1. Select the TOC Pane
2. Add a New Page to the TOC by choose File > New > Page
3. Give the new page an appropriate Page Title (in the example below, the new page has been given the name Link to a PDF)



4. Select Baggage file from the Link to drop down menu



5. Select the file you want to link to from the Baggage File drop down menu



6. Click OK

The page you created appears on the TOC.



When you Generate and View the project, the file you selected from Step 5 above will open if the TOC page is clicked.

Want to learn more about RoboHelp? Click here.

If you import an image into RoboHelp, you can easily resize it in one of two ways:

1. Drag the resize handles (the square’s that surround the image) to the desired size
2. Double-click the image to display the Image Properties dialog box, click the Size button and change the Width and/or Height.

The problem with both of these techniques isn’t that they don’t work–they do. However, both techniques will likely result in an image that no longer looks very good (it will either look blurry if you made it bigger or like mud if you resized it smaller).

The next time you need to resize an image, consider using RoboHelp’s ReSize tool, a program built specifically for resizing your project images.

Use ReSize to Change the Size of an Image

1. Click the Tools tab at the bottom of the RoboHelp window
2. Find and double-click the ReSize button to start the program



3. Choose File > Open and open the image you’d like to resize
4. On the Size tab, change either the Width or Height (if you leave Keep aspect ratio selected, the image will remain proportional as you change either the Width or Height)



5. Save your work and exit Resize

And that’s it. All you would have to do now is import the image into your RoboHelp topic (Insert > Image). You will find that the resized image will invariably look better than anything you might have done directly in the topic using RoboHelp.

Want to learn more about RoboHelp? Click here.

RoboScreenCapture Makes Screen Shots Easy

RoboScreenCapture (RSC) is a screen capture utility that allows you to capture images of anything on your computer that you want to include in your Help system, manuals or Web site. The program is similar to SnagIt and FullShot–except RSC is included for free among the tools on the RoboHelp Tools pane.

Here are some of the top RoboScreenCapture features:

• 10 capture modes including Free Hand, Virtual Screen, and Multi-Region
• Assign custom keyboard shortcuts to capture modes
• Save screen capture in more than 20 image formats
• Add enhancements to captures such as callouts, image stamps, frames and drop shadows

Start RoboScreenCapture

1. Click the Tools button at the bottom left of the RoboHelp window
2. Double-click RoboScreenCapture to start the program

Configure RoboScreenCapture

1. Choose Capture > Capture Settings
   
2. Select the Copy & Print tab
3. Select Copy each capture to clipboard

The Copy each capture to clipboard will work well with screen shots intended for RoboHelp since the pasted image becomes an image you can rename in RoboHelp. If you intend to import the screen shot into other programs, you set each screen shot to become a file (the options can be found on the Quick Save tab).



4. Click OK
5. Choose Options > Configure Hot Keys

Notice that the shortcut for capturing a region is Ctrl + Shift + R. The shortcut can be changed easily enough (by clicking the existing shortcut button and entering your own), but this will work fine for the next activity.



6. Click Close

Use RoboScreenCapture to pull a screen shot

1. Minimize RoboScreenCapture
2. Open a program or window you would like to capture
3. Press [ctrl] [shift] [R]

RoboScreenCapture starts.

4. Position your mouse above and to the left of what you would like to capture
5. Drag over the object you would like to capture (until you have drawn a rectangle that covers your target)
6. Press [enter] to capture whatever is inside the rectangle shape that you just drew

The captured window appears in the RoboScreenCapture editing area, and the capture is on your clipboard.

7. Close RoboScreenCapture and return to the RoboHelp Project
8. Click inside any open topic and choose Edit > Paste

   The screen shot you created appears in the topic.

Want to learn more about RoboHelp? Click here.

Adobe RoboHelp 6 Compatibility with Word 2007

I’ve been using RoboHelp for several years. I have been upgraded to Office 2k7, which does not work with RoboHelp HTML X5 or Adobe RoboHelp 6. I do not know to what extent RoboHelp "needs" Word, or if it needs any other components of the Office suite. Do you see any way out of this dilemma?

Answer

You are correct, Adobe RoboHelp 6 does not work with Word 2007. However, RoboHelp 7, which is due out very soon will fully support Word 2007 and Vista.

RoboHelp 6 can be installed on a PC without Word. However, if Word is not installed prior to installing RoboHelp, you will not be able to import Word documents or create printed documentation. Everything else will work fine.

If you have access to Word 2003, there is a way you can get things to work (you’ll have to install Word 2003 prior to installing RoboHelp 6). Here’s a link to an article that will step you through it.

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Creating Expanding Hotspots in RoboHelp 6 HTML

Dynamic HTML (DHTML) gives you the ability to add myriad special effects to your topics. RoboHelp provides Dynamic HTML formatting of topic elements via the DHTML menu. You can add effects to text or graphics that will make things fly onto the screen, fade in, change color, glow and much more.

While many of the DHTML Effects might seem cool, they can also be annoying–and actually detract from your content.

Expanding Hotspots is one DHTML effect that is far from annoying. In fact, this effect can actually enhance your project by encouraging user interaction.

Here’s a perfect example of when you might want to use an Expanding Hotspot in a RoboHelp topic: You want a Glossary Definition to appear next to a Glossary Term (or vice versa). You only want the Definition to appear if the user clicks the Term. And did I mention that you do not have the JavaScript skills necessary to pull off the effect? No problem. If you make the Glossary Term an Expanding Hotspot, the Glossary Definition will expand (appear) if the user clicks the hotspot. Cool!

Here’s how you create an Expanding Hotspot:

1. Open a topic
2. Highlight a word or phrase
3. Choose DHTML > Create Expanding Hotspot and Text
4. Click in the Expanding text editor area and replace "Type your expanding text here" with the text you would like to appear should the user click the hotspot

   In the example below, the phrase equal employment opportunity was selected and EEO was typed into the Expanding text editor.



5. Click outside the Expanding text editor to close it
6. Preview the topic
7. Click the hotspot and the expanding text will appear

Want to learn more about RoboHelp 6 HTML? Click here.

Generating and Publishing, Publishing and Generating. They are both RoboHelp commands you will use while developing your Help project. Many people confuse the two commands. Let’s clear things up…

Generating

While working in your RoboHelp project, you use the Generate command to output your finished Help project. Depending on your end user, you can elect to Generate any of the following layouts (there are more layout types than those listed below, but these are the most popular):

• HTML Help
• WebHelp
• WebHelp Pro
• FlashHelp
• FlashHelp Pro

When Generating, your project will, by default, be generated into the SSL (Single Source Layouts) folder, a folder that resides inside your project folder. After Generating, you will end up with a different folder for each layout you Generate from the list above. For instance, if you set WebHelp as your Primary Layout and Generate, you will end up with a WebHelp folder inside the project’s SSL folder. Later, if you change your Primary Layout to FlashHelp and Generate, you will end up with a FlashHelp folder inside the SSL folder.

Generating is a process you should repeat every time you make a change to your project, no matter how small the change. Should you fail to Regenerate your project, your users would not see your updated content.

Publishing

While Generating your project is mandatory if you want to output your files, Publishing your generated project files is optional.

If you have generated your project into the SSL folder, your next challenge will be to get the generated project files into the hands of your customers or users.

You can copy and paste your generated output files to a server and, assuming users know the address of the Help system’s start page, you would be finished. The problem with copying and pasting the output files into a final destination is that you’ll have to replace all of the files every time you update the Help system.

As an alternative to manually copying the output files into a final location, you can Publish the output files to a server right from your computer. Once you have published the project, you can elect to re-publish the entire project each time you make a change and have regenerated, or you can publish only the files that are newer or different than the last time the files were generated.

Since Generating and Publishing are completely different processes, never Publish your finished output files into the SSL folder (which is where output files are Generated by default).

Click here to learn more about our step-by-step RoboHelp workbook (Essentials of Adobe RoboHelp HTML 6).

You can now teach yourself RoboHelp via our online, interactive lessons. Click here to learn more about the course and to test drive a few of the lessons for free

Anyone who has attempted to rename project files in RoboHelp can tell you that it’s not as cut and dry as it seems. When renaming project files, it’s important to realize that there are three places you may need to go, depending on what you are trying to rename.

Rename the Project

If your goal is to change the name of the project (the XPJ file that is the backbone of your entire project), follow these steps:

1. Choose File > Rename Project
2. Give your project the desired new name (avoid spaces in the project name)



3. Click OK

   There will not be a visible change on your screen. However, if you were to explore your project folder, you would see that the new project name is now being used by the XPJ file and a gaggle of support files.

Change the Project Title

The Project Title appears in the title bar of the browser window when your Help system first appears on a user’s screen. Follow these steps to change the Project Title:

1. Choose File > Project Settings

2. Change the Project Title as you see fit (you can and should use spaces in the Project Title)



3. Click OK

   The changes to the Project Title will appear the next time you generate WebHelp or FlashHelp.

Change the Start Page

The Start Page is the first page that appears when the Help system is called by the user. It’s a frameset and can be given any name you like (typically, the Start Page is given the name index.htm). Follow these steps to change the name of the Start Page:

1. Right-click a WebHelp or FlashHelp layout in the Single Source Layouts folder
2. From the Select Output Folder and Start Page area, change the name of the Start Page



3. Click OK

   The change you made to the name of the Start Page will not manifest itself until you next Generate the project.

Click here to learn more about our step-by-step RoboHelp workbook (Essentials of Adobe RoboHelp HTML 6).

You can now teach yourself RoboHelp via our online, interactive lessons. Click here to learn more about the course and to test drive a few of the lessons for free.

One of the limitations of Adobe RoboHelp 6 HTML is that you can only open one project Topic at a time. If you need to fix editorial problems in multiple topics, and you don’t want to use another authoring tool like Dreamweaver, you’re stuck opening one topic at a time in the WYSIWYG pane, fixing the problem and then plodding on to the next problem.

Or you can use the RoboHelp’s Multi-File Find and Replace tool, which gives you the ability to change phrases or words for multiple topics in a project–at one time.

Use the Multi-File Find and Replace Tool to Replace One Word with Another

1. Click the Tools button beneath the Project pane



2. Double-click Multi-File Find and Replace tool



The Multi-File Find and Replace options appear.



3. Type the text you’d like to find into the Find area
4. Type your replacement text into the Replace area



5. Click the Browse button
6. Open the folder containing your project and then click OK
   
7. Click the Find button

The project will be searched and any occurrences of the text you specified in the Find area will be found.

8. Click the Replace All button
9. Click OK
10. Click Close

Click here to learn more about our step-by-step RoboHelp workbook (Essentials of Adobe RoboHelp HTML 6).

You can now teach yourself RoboHelp via our online, interactive lessons. Click here to learn more about the course and to test drive a few of the lessons for free.

Adobe has released an updated DLL for Adobe RoboHelp 6 HTML that improves how RoboHelp names Topic Titles when you import topics. Currently, imported Topic Titles will have underscores instead of spaces. After installing the DLL, you will not need to rename your Topic Titles and manually remove the underscore.

You can now teach yourself RoboHelp via our online, interactive lessons. Click here to learn more about the course and to test drive a few of the lessons for free.

Image Maps allow the user to click on a particular area (hotspots) of an image and jump to different areas of your Help project. Image Maps are made up of two elements: An image, which can be a GIF or JPEG, and hotspots. Hotspots (also known as clickable regions) can target Web addresses, other topics (that are either in your project or another), email addresses or PDF files. You can create circle, polygon or rectangle clickable regions.

1. Open or create a new topic
2. Insert a new image or select an existing image
3. Locate the Create Image Map Using Rectangle Shape tool on the Objects toolbar



4. Using the Create Image Map Using Rectangle Shape tool, draw a box a small part of the selected image

   The instant you finish drawing what appears to be a square over the image, the Image Map dialog box will appear.

5. Select any of your topics from the list of Topics
6. Click OK

   The red box you see on your image is the hotspot. You can move the red box, resize it or delete it. If your Image Map link is wrong, you can double-click the red box and change the link.

You can now teach yourself RoboHelp via our online, interactive lessons. Click here to learn more about the course and to test drive a few of the lessons for free.

Click here to learn more about our step-by-step RoboHelp workbook. (Essentials of RoboHelp HTML 6).