Copy into document graphics vs. Import by Reference

[Diane Gaskill]

Hi Gillian,

If you are going to even possibly localize your docs, definitely import them by reference.  It's very simple to use the same filenames to replace English graphics in a directory with translated graphics.  This costs very little.  But if the L10N vendor must remove a graphic and manually insert and size a new one you will be charged for it.   It will cost you from $8 to $12 per graphic, per language.  For example, if you have 100 graphics and 5 languages, it will cost you 100 x 5 x $8 = $4000, plus a lot of extra time.  

Second, copying by reference keeps your FM files a lot smaller and they are easier to manage.  Less chance of crashing FM because you don't run out of RAM.  Files open and save faster too.  Also much easier to edit because the original file is easy to edit.  You just click the graphic in FM and it opens the file in the original authoring tool.  But there is one drawback, and that is that you have to manage the files.  This includes deciding on a reasonable file naming scheme, and optionally putting a name or a number in the drawing itself so that you can find it when needed.

BTW, I hope you come to Daniel's presentation in Feb.  I plan to be there.

Diane

-----Original Message-----
>From: Gillian Flato <gflato at nanometrics.com>
>Sent: Dec 8, 2006 10:17 AM
>To: framers at frameusers.com
>Subject: Copy into document graphics vs. Import by Reference 
>
>Guys,
>
>We're having a debate in my TW team about whether to use Import by Ref
>for graphics or Copy into Document. I always Import by reference. The
>hardware writers copy into document. Their books take much longer to
>build than mine, and I am convinced that it's because they are copying
>the graphics into the document.
> 
>Am I right, is this what's causing their slow book building process?  I
>have much bigger books than they do, in terms of pages, but they have
>bigger graphics.
> 
>Also, what are some arguments for importing by ref vs copying in? What
>do you guys do?
> 
> 
> 
>
>Thank you,
>
> 
>
><mailto:gflato at nanometrics.com> 
>
>Gillian Flato
>
>Technical Writer (Software)
>
>nanometrics
>
>1550 Buckeye Dr. 
>
>Milpitas, CA. 95035
>
>(408.435.9600 x 316
>
>7  408.232.5911
>
>* gflato at nanometrics <mailto:gflato at nanometrics.com> .com
><blocked::mailto:v at nanometrics.com> 
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