Rotating graphics in FO and Epic

[LynnHales]

We're still playing (sic) with the 40051-2A (style sheets for the -1A electronic TMs are a later task) style sheets.

What we're having a problem with is getting a graphic to rotate if it is too wide to fit in portrait mode. We're not trying to rotate the page set, just the graphic.

One potential problem we've had is that the 40051 DTD dropped the 'rotation' attribute from <graphic> in late 2003. We've reinstated it for testing but it still not recognized by the FO.

Anyone who isn't still overly stuffed from Thanksgiving have any words of wisdom?

Thanks

Lynn

[ClayHelberg]

Hi Lynn--

I haven't tried this myself, but if my read of the Arbortext XSL-FO annotated spec is correct, it should work:

Update your stylesheet so your to-be-rotated graphic is wrapped in a <fo:block-contaner reference-orientation="90"> element, and see if that does the trick. You might need to play with the width attribute on the <fo:external-graphic> to make things come out the way you want.

For general content, Arbortext only supports values of "90" and "-270" for the reference-orientation attribute, but hopefully that will be enough to give you what you need.

--Clay

[ptc-3050150]

Lynn,

One thing to keep in mind on fold-outs is the print driver. The Adobe Acrobat 9 print driver will recognize the 25x11 sheets, but will not rotate the graphics.

We had to run them through the PE - Compose to PDF method.

I bet I spent two days easy trying to get those fold-outs to rotate! Everything was set correctly in the XSL-FO...but the print driver didn't support the wide graphics - it kept rotating them so the 11" was the width.

Maybe that will help, maybe not, but certainly something to keep in mind.

John T. Jarrett CDT
Senior Tech Writer, Integrated Logistics Support,Land & Armaments/Global Tactical Systems

T832.673.2147 | M 832.363.7234 | F 832.673.2376| x1147 | -
BAE Systems, 5000 I-10 West, Sealy, Texas USA 77474
www.baesystems.com

[LynnHales]

John,

Thanks, right now, I don't even want to THINK about foldouts. We've got enough headaches without adding to them right now. 😄

But the driver issues is definitely worth sticking in the back of the XSL memory cell.

Thanks.

Lynn

[ebenton]

Foldouts - yet another reason why FOSI is better than FO.

[LynnHales]

Also with FOSI, you don't need a degree in programming to get what you want.

The major advantage I've seen with FO is its ability to work in a non-linear mode. I've wanted to be able to do that more than once in FOSI.

FOSI was designed to propagate one of the most difficult documents in the world to produce, a MILSPEC technical manual. One of the issues often cited against FOSI was it was 'too verbose'. Has anyone looked at the succinctness of XSL-FO recently?

I won't go any further. Let's just say that 'FO "Expletive(s) (LOTS OF THEM) deleted" and leave it at that.

Lynn

P.S. Being the 'pack rat' that I am, I found something in a box I was rummaging through the other day. A button from one of the CALS Expo's (anyone remember them????). Forget which company was handing them out, but it said

"SGML OR DIE"

[ebenton]

I have never seen an "SGML OR DIE" button, but I have one of Dan Vint's old diamond-shaped "SGML AT WORK" pins, though. It's stuck on the wall by my desk.

[LynnHales]

I've got a couple of those too. But I like the "SGML or DIE".

Lynn

[lfraley]

Have you all been watching the argument going on that James Clark
started (or I guess Norm Walsh started it, but Jim's post has gotten
more attention) ?

[ptc-953343]

the one I liked was the "I'm in my <element>" from SoftQuad back at one of
the original SGML conferences in Atlanta. One small auditorium and a
single track.

..dan

> I have never seen an "SGML OR DIE" button, but I have one of Dan Vint's
> old diamond-shaped "SGML AT WORK" pins, though. It's stuck on the wall by
> my desk.
>

[ptc-953343]

> Have you all been watching the argument going on that James Clark
> started (or I guess Norm Walsh started it, but Jim's post has gotten
> more attention) ?

The JSON vs XML on the web discussion? I think it is good to do this. What
I didn't like is how things have changed. That is, remember when and how
SAX was actually worked out? Everyone went to XML-Dev and carried ont he
conversation there. Now, you have to go to everyone's blog to see what is
going on. Someone brought this particular thread back to the general
distribution and it has stirred up a lot of interesting ideas/comments, I
just wished some of these folks hadn't left the list for their own
websites. Makes it much harder to see what is going on. Can't remember the
last time I saw a direct posting from Tim Bray or John Bosac - it is a
shame.

..dan

[lfraley]

That's the one. I totally agree. Having all the splinters is the wrong
direction.

[LynnHales]

I really hate to post this for various possible reasons, but it is SO FUNNY.
I went to the website and their archive does not go back that far, so here
goes (I HOPE).

Lynn

[douglaswade1]

I have an "SGML or DIE" button. I wonder where I put that thing.

douglas

[ebenton]

Upon closer examination, my "SGML AT WORK" pin has an old, small, trapezoidal Arbortext tree logo on it. Hmmm.

[LynnHales]

Ed,



Are you going to make me get up and go TRY to find mine and see what it
says???? 😄



Lynn

[ptc-953343]

> Upon closer examination, my "SGML AT WORK" pin has an old, small,
> trapezoidal Arbortext tree logo on it. Hmmm.
>
>

Yeah I didn't think a pin was ever issued for my book, but I didn't know
what the publisher was up to on all fronts. Also the book had such a short
shelf life. I think I have the honor of being the last book published on
SGML as it came out during the hayday of XML and all the books that were
pushed out at that time. My book didn't hit the shelf until the summer
after XML was released. Talk about timing! 😉

..dan

[LynnHales]

Dan,

It may please you to know that I do have a copy of your book. So it wasn't
all a waste. 😄

Lynn

[ptc-953343]

thanks, Over the last few years I have run into people that knew of the
book and actually used it; I'll add you to the list of those I'm aware of.

..dan

> Dan,
>
> It may please you to know that I do have a copy of your book. So it wasn't
> all a waste. 😄
>
> Lynn
>

[DavidS.Taylor]

Dan,

You'll be pleased to know Amazon still shows two NEW copies of your book available (at $53.90) and 7 used copies (starting at $2.49).

AbeBooks has 10 copies listed, ranging from $2.49 to $60.92.

There's a copy here on my bookshelf as well... we hung in with SGML until about 2002.

Cheers,

David

David S. Taylor

Project Manager, Structured Information
Institute for Research in Construction
National Research Council Canada
Bldg. M-23A, Room 239
1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6

[ptc-953343]

Yeah I check Amazon every now and then as well. Problem is the book went
into the liquidation market within about 2 years. I see nothing from any
of these sales. I've seen some places ask for almost twice the cover
price. Don't know if they actually get sold at that price, but it is
amazong how this process works.


> Dan,
>
> You'll be pleased to know Amazon still shows two NEW copies of your book
> available (at $53.90) and 7 used copies (starting at $2.49).
>
> AbeBooks has 10 copies listed, ranging from $2.49 to $60.92.
>
> There's a copy here on my bookshelf as well... we hung in with SGML until
> about 2002.
>
> Cheers,
>
> David
>
> David S. Taylor
>
> Project Manager, Structured Information
> Institute for Research in Construction
> National Research Council Canada
> Bldg. M-23A, Room 239
> 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6
>

[ebenton]

We still use SGML for our PDF output DTD. We edit in XML and transform using DSSSL to an SGML DTD for PDF output using Print Composer.
I also have a copy of Dan's "SGML At Work" book. There is a CD in the back of the book along with some other "heavy-paper" pages, so maybe that's why I thought there was a pin in there.

[JasonBuss]

Still have your book on the shelf, and I do refer to it from time to
time. It's sitting in between Maler's "Developing SGML DTDs" (still use
regularly), and Goldfarb's "SGML Handbook" (used to cure insomnia, along
with the 28001 spec) 😉

[LynnHales]

Did I say I used it? I have a large collection of SGML and XML books here in
the office. Most I've learned from through osmosis. 😄

No, I actually have gone through it, but not recently.

Lynn

[LynnHales]

Darn that sounds almost as bad as what we did at the shipyard when I was
there. Authored in one of two or three SGML DTDs then used Omnivison to
convert it to a generic DTD for publishing through XYvision's print engine.

Lynn

[steve.thompson4]

Going to be really hard to find these by topic, with the Subject: line they have...

;-D

Steve Thompson
+1(316)977-0515

[ebenton]

Just file them under "stream-of-consciousness"...

[ptc-953343]

> Still have your book on the shelf, and I do refer to it from time to
> time. It's sitting in between Maler's "Developing SGML DTDs" (still use
> regularly), and Goldfarb's "SGML Handbook" (used to cure insomnia, along
> with the 28001 spec) 😉

I thin you were the first person I heard from that had the book. Looks
like it is in good company.

..dan