How to dislay only part of an image

[Tony]

Hi,

I am using Flare 9.1 and generating output for Web (HTML 5) and PDF, with all my files and images single-sourced.
For some screenshots in my PDFs, i want to crop the image so only a part of the image is shown, but also want that same image file to be fully displayed in the web output.
In FrameMaker this was very easy to do. I simply put the image in a Table Anchor and then could resize the border of the table anchor to "cut" the image to the size that I wanted (see the screenshot below where the red arrows are placed). In the PDF only the part of the image in the table border would show, but in the web output the whole image was shown since it was not really cropped.
I have tried to find a similar way to do this using Flare, and also Capture (which I also have), but the only thing I could find is to crop the image. But that means the the same cropped section will appear in PDF and in Web output. I do not want to create 2 sets of images. I find it hard to believe that there is not a simple way to do this in Flare.

Any ideas?

Regards,

Tony

FrameCutImage.png

[RamonS]

You can include two versions of the image and apply conditions so that for HTML5 the smaller version gets excluded and for PDF the larger version gets excluded. Not sure if you consider this an easy way and if there are other/easier ways to do that.

[Tony]

As I said in my original post:

I do not want to create 2 sets of images.

[Nita Beck]

I like a challenge so I tried to figure out a solution. I came up with a rudimentary one that probably will need some finessing.

Open the image in Capture.

Before you do anything else, do this: On the Edit ribbon, click Insert Image and then select the IMAGE ITSELF. (EDIT: I found out later that I could achieve exactly the same result by simply COPYING the image right in Capture! Much easier!) Capture will overlay the inserted image as an image object. You can now condition that image object for ScreenOnly. You'll need to reposition the image object so that it overlays the background image correctly. Then, to prepare for the next stage, with the Object Layers window open, HIDE the image object.

Now you can see the background image again, which you can now crop with Capture's Crop tool. You don't need to condition this background image; in fact, if you tried to condition the background image for PrintOnly, you'd be conditioning the file itself and (I believe; haven't tested this) the entire image would be stripped out of the online output.

If you don't plan to have callouts or other objects on either version of the image, you're done! Stop reading!

But say you do want to include callouts and other objects. Again, with the image object hidden, place whatever objects you want to on the cropped (background) image.

Next, to have these objects appear on the image object, all you need to is to make sure that the image object is at the BOTTOM of the stack of objects. So in the Object Layers window, select the Image and then sink it to the bottom. Because the other objects aren't conditioned at all, they'll show up in your online output.

Last, if there is an object that you want to appear ONLY on the image object, that is, only in your online output but not in the print output, simply condition it for ScreenOnly. If you don't, that object will appear to float beyond the cropped image in the print output. (I'm guessing; I didn't test this.)

I just tested this general process and it seemed to work well. Try it out, and let me know what you think of the results. I didn't take into consideration how inserting the image object might bloat the file size of the image.

[RamonS]

As I said in my original post:

I do not want to create 2 sets of images.

Sorry, I missed that, it clearly is there....then again, two images and conditions is rather simple and quickly done compared to figuring out anything else.

[Nita Beck]

But you don't need two images. You can have the image and a copy of itself (when full-sized) as an image object all within the same file. Condition and hide the image object and then crop the background image. I've been playing around with this for a while today and it's really quite easy.

[Tony]

Nita, you are a genius!

I tried your suggestion and was able to get the exact results that I wanted within minutes. The editing of each screenshot takes less than 30 seconds. The PDF is not bloated but is in fact smaller since the images that it contains are smaller (makes sense right ). The web help is also not bloated, but unfortunately yet another folder is added to the output (GeneratedImages). Not such an issue, although the sheer ammount of unnecessary files, folders, and tags included in the web output is a pet hate of mine. The only thing that I did not test is what happens when I send my help to translation. But since the Capture "edits" are stored in *.props files, I am guessing that there will be no issue as long as the translated screenshot has the same filename as the original screenshot. Lets keep our fingers crossed.
I find it surpsing that the Flare/Capture documentation does not include an example of how to do this simple task. I am sure that it is something that many customers are trying to accomplish. The fact that it is so easy (but only when you know how), is a big selling point for Flare/Capture integration.
Thanks you so much Nita for your help

Tony

[Nita Beck]

Tony, I'm glad to know my suggestion works for you, and seems to work so well!

I actually find the Capture documentation to be sorely lacking. It certainly describes all the different controls within the UI, but it fails utterly to offer suggestions for achieving real-world results, such as the one you were seeking.

BTW, I was so intrigued by your question over the weekend that not only did I devise and test the process, but I also wrote a blog post about it on my web site (link's in my signature). I've got another Capture article there, too, on how to create faded edges and "spotlights". Have a look!

[RamonS]

I dropped MadCap a line to craft a KB article from Nita's solution.