Wrong image links in Word output

[DocuWil]

When I publish my project to Word, some of the images link to the wrong folder in the word document.
This leads not only to missing images when I try to embed the images (See picture below) but also when I copy the contents of the publish folder to another location the images are missing when I open the Word document.

Word_links.png

You can see that it links to the Output folder of the project!!
Some of the images even do not exist in this output folder. Then the 'Item' column shows '--'
Example:
An image named "TopLeft_Testprotocol_264x52.png" is listed and I didn't create it. It is also not at any place in my PC. What I did create was "TopLeft_Testprotocol.png", but it was shrinked within the project to 264 x 52 (Hé, what a coincidence).
It looks like Flare does anything weird.

Does anyone has the same problem? Or has a solution/suggestion?

[LTinker68]

There is an option, I think it's in the target, where you can specify if want new files to be created for images that you resized from within Flare. I've never used that feature, so I don't know at what point the new file is created (after being resized or during project build) or where it's saved, but you can try turning that field off and seeing if it makes a difference.

[DocuWil]

Thanks for your suggestion Lisa.
I tried it, but it didn't work. By the way, the image in the example picture wasn't resized.

[LTinker68]

By the way, the image in the example picture wasn't resized.

In your previous post, you said that you had an image file called "TopLeft_Testprotocol.png" and that it was sized down within the project to 264 x 52. Doing that caused a new file to be created called "TopLeft_Testprotocol_264x52.png". If you originally had that option enabled so that the new file was created, then perhaps the source files outside the project are temporary files created when resized image files are created. In other words, you may not find "TopLeft_Testprotocol_264x52.png" in your project or the output folder because it's created at build time not authoring time, so it's put into a temporary folder instead. Although if it is created at build time then I don't get why it wouldn't be put in the output reference file.

Anyway, that's speculation. I resize my images outside of Flare so that they go into Flare at full size and I don't have that option enabled, so I'm not sure what normal behavior is. When you said you disabled the option, did you delete the output folder before rebuilding?

[DocuWil]

Hi Lisa,

I again deleted the output folder to be sure, but that didn't help.
Besides that, my images are not resized in Word when I disable this option. So, I have to enable it again.
Resizing the images outside Flare doesn't help; the example picture shows an image ccmSTP_test environment.png. This image isn't resized at all and still linked wrong.
The other images make part of the headings.
I think it's time that I put it through to Flare's support and send my packed project. However, the FLPRJZIP file is rather big now: 6Mb

The thing is that a PDF output doesn't give me this trouble, but this project is a Software Test Protocol (hence STP) and other people in my company need to do a so-called pre-FAT (Factory Acceptance Test).
This test will be done in a digital form and as far as I know Flare has no possibility to produce check buttons in a PDF document (that would be nice, isn't it?)
At customers side it will be a SAT (Site Acceptance Test) with the full load of all stuff they use. However, they can use the PDF document because they have to print an sign it.

Thanks for trying to help me out.

[LTinker68]

I believe MadCap will give you info on how to FTP the file to them. I know they much prefer to work with a project that is definitely having the problem than trying to recreate the problem.

Good luck. Post back with the solution, once they figure out what it is.

[wclass]

Something else to think about - how are the images inserted? Are they inline or floating?

Most of my images are screenshots that are added "inline" to a paragraph on their own and they all come through to Word OK. When you view the link in Word you can see that it links using a relative path to the image (relative into the Output folder, not back to your source).

I have noticed that any image that has a "float" property is treated differently - it comes through to Word as a "floating" image that is anchored to the page rather that in line with a paragraph, and if you view the links it shows a full path to the image - this might be causing you problems.

You screen shot shows a path starting with "C:\..." which looks like a full path to me - how are you inserting the images?

However, when I generate Word documents the first thing I do is embed the links and I don't have any problems moving the document after that (I have a handy macro that does this). I don't let Flare resize my images, but this should not be a problem with embedding them. It will create a new image file with the size added to the name, but these should be generated into the Output folder.

[DocuWil]

Hi Margaret,

Thanks for jumping in.
You are talking about the Output folder. There is no problem. The problem is with the Publish folder.
The images that give me trouble are "inline". There are also floating images in this project and they do not give trouble.

However, when I generate Word documents the first thing I do is embed the links

You can only embed images if the links are correct.

But ..... you brought me to a workaround.
I embed the images not in Flare's Publish folder but in Flare's Output folder. After that I publish the project, but of course you an also copy the document to the wished folder.