Skip to main content
J
Joe_Russo1-Visitor
1-Visitor
October 2, 2017
Solved

Image size in Arbortext Editor

  • October 2, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 5835 views

Is there any way to limit the size of images in the ArborText Editor window? Here's the situation:

  • We use a custom table to display <steps>. Each <step> is a row, <cmd> is the first column, <substeps> in the second, and <info> is in the third.
  • We place photos or screenshots in <info> by using <img>, but ususally don't use @scale or @width to resize images.
  • In PDF output, The column widths are set to (0.5in 1* 1*), so the images are automatically scaled to fit the width of the third column.

The problem:

  • Some of our photos are huge--like >2000 pixels wide.
  • In Arbortext Editor (v7.0 M030), images appear at 100%, so we have to scroll down forever to get to the next step. In addition, we cannot scroll to the right to see the whole image.

Ideal solution:

  • Set up some sort of rule that says somkething like:
    For step/info/img, scale images in ATE so that they are no more than 900px (or 3in) wide.
  • This rule would ideally be applied ony to the stylesheet for the XYZ bookmap. However, if it needs to be more broadly (or even universally), that's acceptable.

 

Attempted workarounds:

  • Turning off the display of graphics has limited usefulness. Yes, scrolling to the next step is faster, but we generally want to see the images as we are writing.
  • Setting the column width for the custom table to an exact size (such as 3in) for Arbortext Editor failed. The column width does get set, but images were not actually rescaled in the window.

Any thoughts about using FOSI, APP, ACL, or duct tape to make this happen?

Best answer by ClayHelberg

You've almost got it, you just have to set the graphic attributes in your gentext dynamically to reflect the graphic specified in the document. Try this:

 

  • Follow your procedure, using Insert->Graphic. Pick any graphic, it doesn't matter because you're going to change where the pathname attribute points.
  • Put the caret after the _gentextgraphic you inserted. Use Modify Attributes to remove the value of "pathname", and also set the value of "reprowidth" to the width of your table column
  • Now from the menus choose Insert->Advanced->Attribute Modifier
  • Set the attribute name to "pathname"
  • Inside the AttributeModifier element, insert Attribute Content, choose "href" from current element
  • Save the stylesheet and apply it to your document. You should now see a scaled version of the graphic in your table.

Hopefully that will get you the rest of the way there.

 

--Clay

2 replies

B
18-Opal
bfriesen18-Opal
18-Opal
October 2, 2017

Do you use IsoDraw for the images? If not, could you create a template and resize each image before referenceing the image from editor.

We use a template in Isodraw that when exported it clips at the VDC extent. This allows editor to only show what our template size is.

 

Bryon 

J
Joe_Russo1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
October 2, 2017

Not IsoDraw. Most of our images in Windchill are photos or screenshots that are saved directly as PNG or JPG. Some have been edited in SnagIT or Photoshop to add text, callouts, etc.

C
ClayHelberg18-Opal
18-Opal
October 3, 2017

You can probably do this in Styler, something along these lines:

 

* For your graphic element in the context of table, switch from Base (all outputs) to Arbortext Editor

* Set the graphic to hidden

* In generated text, add a new graphic that points to the same graphic location, but has the size constraints you want

 

This should give you a manageable view in the Editor window, without affecting published output.

 

--Clay

J
Joe_Russo1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
October 5, 2017

I like the idea...especially beccause that was the path I originally pursued. However, I had no luck. Based on your suggestion, I tried again, but still failed. Are you able to make it work for you?

 

The method to my madness:

  • I tried various contexts (steps//image, info/image, steps//info) and conditions (IF ancestor::step).
  • For the Text category, I set Hidden to Yes. I also found out that I have to go to Tools > Preferences > View, and then deselect Hidden Content.
    Interestingly, images in conreffed steps are always hidden, but images in the step that are 'hardcoded' in the topic are affected by this setting.
  • For the Generated text category, I played with before-text and after-text. I can get text or a table that add to show up, but...
  • I tried Insert > Graphic, but this brings up a Browse window for the PE server. I can close it without choosing a file, but that just results in a blank _gentextgraphic.
  • If I insert Element Content or XPath String, I cannot get the image to display. The only time it worked was for steps//info, but then there is no way to scale the image.

 

C
ClayHelberg18-OpalAnswer
18-Opal
October 5, 2017

You've almost got it, you just have to set the graphic attributes in your gentext dynamically to reflect the graphic specified in the document. Try this:

 

  • Follow your procedure, using Insert->Graphic. Pick any graphic, it doesn't matter because you're going to change where the pathname attribute points.
  • Put the caret after the _gentextgraphic you inserted. Use Modify Attributes to remove the value of "pathname", and also set the value of "reprowidth" to the width of your table column
  • Now from the menus choose Insert->Advanced->Attribute Modifier
  • Set the attribute name to "pathname"
  • Inside the AttributeModifier element, insert Attribute Content, choose "href" from current element
  • Save the stylesheet and apply it to your document. You should now see a scaled version of the graphic in your table.

Hopefully that will get you the rest of the way there.

 

--Clay

    Terms & ConditionsCookie settingsAccessibility statement