Importing Flare topic from another Flare project, w/images..

[Tekwriterman]

OK,

I can "Add a New Topic" and pick a topic in another Flare project, which contains a few screenshots/images. The topic shows up, the images do not. Do I really have to get images one by one from other Flare projects??? I thought that Flare brought associated files along?

Or am I just using the wrong tool to bring in a topic and ALL of its contents?

And no, I am not looking to link this topic from/to another Flare project.

There must be an easier way than having to get images one by one...anyone?

[KevinDAmery]

The "Add New Topic" feature is designed to create a new topic file, not to import existing ones. Traditionally for "importing" existing topics we've just copied them in. However, in version 4 there is now a new feature called Global Project Linking which allows you to link some or all files from one project into others. It sounds like that might be more of what you're after.

[Tekwriterman]

Thanks for the reply K.

Nope, I don't want to link to another project, I just want to bring in topics that will stay mostly the same (including images)... So I guess I'm stuck with having to copy in the topics, then get the images one by one...ick!

Not to practical.

Where's that wish list? I'd like to add an item where an option to "import" a topic with images from another Flare project would offer up a "Do you also want to copy the imported topic images to your project?", click Yes and that is what happens.

Cheers.

[KevinDAmery]

You can make feature requests and bug reports here:

http://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx

[Tekwriterman]

Thanks for the link.

Just to close off this topic, I came from RoboHelp X5, I consider Flare to be much of an improvement over it. BUT... In RH, I could import a topic from another RH project, and, just as described above, it would ask me to confirm that image files were also being copied over to my current project.

C'mon MadCap, I thought we did "everything" RH did, but better? This sounds like it would be a basic function to have and have improved on...

Still a fan.

[kristil]

I think you can do what you're wanting by importing the file and then breaking the link afterwards. I don't think there's anything that forces you to keep the imported file associated with the source project. You can use an import file to import the topic and select the "Auto-include linked files" check box. It will ask you if you also want other linked files, like the CSS and any condition files, and you can decline those if you like.

[knichols]

I'm trying the same thing - copying files from one project to another by importing files - the trouble is, I can't figure out how to break the link so the files in the new project are independent of the project I imported from.

Does anyone know how to import files from one project to another then break the link so the files are no longer globally linked?

[kristil]

Hmm, there might be another/better way, but this is pretty easy: just type anywhere in the topic. A dialog is immediately displayed to warn you that you are not editing the source file and to ask you whether you want to remove the link.

[knichols]

aha! You're right. Thank you. A bit tedious, but pretty simple and fast once I get going.

Thank you.