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HP Forum Archive 21

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[WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #1 Posted by Chris Tvergard on 20 May 2012, 2:36 a.m.

Walter,

I was hoping to extract certain of your excellent schematics into a Windows Phone Word based Compact Interactive Reference Guide; I was planning to start with the page 96 schematic and then bookmark the entries to the specifications in page 48+.

I can't convert your .pdf to .doc so the question is, do you have your own reference manual in Word format or do you create directly in pdf?

There is just no way I can make a better manual. You did an awesome job and I can appreciate it being highly laborious with the never ending minute details and pleasing graphics. Your manual works perfectly on my tablet with seemingly all interactivity at play.

Chris

Edited: 20 May 2012, 2:41 a.m.

      
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #2 Posted by Marcus von Cube, Germany on 20 May 2012, 3:38 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris Tvergard

Walter is using Word but even the other team members don't have access to the original source.

      
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #3 Posted by Dave Shaffer (Arizona) on 20 May 2012, 11:02 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris Tvergard

Do you have Adobe Acrobat (the "full" version) or access to it (i.e not just the universally available, free, reader)? It will let you export images in graphics formats (GIF, jpeg, TIFF, etc.). Does that help? You could then make your own word document.

            
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #4 Posted by Chris Tvergard on 20 May 2012, 11:54 a.m.,
in response to message #3 by Dave Shaffer (Arizona)

Marcus & Dave,

Thanks for the information. I am aware that there are commercial translaters available at a price beyond my range. The objects like .jpg, are copyable, of course, but I need to keep the entries in a searchable text mode. I want the functions listed alphabetically indicating the shortcuts and then by touching the entry it would bookmark to the more detailed section.

Not until I started on this help system did I ever imagine how much work and consideration goes into a high quality manual. It may be more beneficial to me at least to just keep working with the unit and learn the catalog's structure by memory. And not to forget to mention how much work and logical thinking the three primary team members of Marcus, Walter, and Pauli have been presented with by this A+ WP34S project. Thanks to you all.

Of course, having the pdf manual on my tablet changes the equation somewhat. There is no substitute for the entire manual as everything Walter put in there is relevant.

Chris

Edited: 20 May 2012, 12:07 p.m.

      
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #5 Posted by Walter B on 20 May 2012, 3:52 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris Tvergard

Chris,

Thanks for your further kind words. If I had known the amount of hours spent beforehand, I dunno ... It's not like sitting down and writing a manual - many paragraphs have been edited many times over and over again in parallel to ongoing development.

Quote:
I was planning to start with the page 96 schematic and then bookmark the entries to the specifications in page 48+.
That would mean some 500 text marks plus the same number of links, the latter from the catalogue pages. Pretty boring work. And AFAIK MS Word I'd guess that would bring it to its limits. Thus I'd vote for skipping that. BTW, did you notice links are implemented from the specifications in the index to the respective catalogue pages already? And as long as you know the alphabet ... ;-)

As I did explain here some months ago, I like to focus on the contents and typography (which is some fun for me at least and thus one motivation factor). I'm not keen on ironing out the errors of other people - enough work to get rid of mine ;-)

            
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #6 Posted by Harald on 20 May 2012, 5:29 p.m.,
in response to message #5 by Walter B

Quote:
I'm not keen on ironing out the errors of other people - enough work to get rid of mine ;-)


Don't remind me I have to go to work tomorrow.... ;)
                  
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #7 Posted by Etienne Victoria on 20 May 2012, 5:47 p.m.,
in response to message #6 by Harald

Me too...but with an iR printing 34s beside the 81, it will be fun :-)

Comparing the respective TVMs outputs will be even more fun!

Etienne

                        
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #8 Posted by Katie Wasserman on 20 May 2012, 8:54 p.m.,
in response to message #7 by Etienne Victoria

Quote:
Me too...but with an iR printing 34s beside the 81, it will be fun :-)

Am I correct in deducing that you use an HP-81 at work? That's amazing, I'll bet that you're the only person in the world doing so.

                              
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #9 Posted by Etienne Victoria on 21 May 2012, 1:01 p.m.,
in response to message #8 by Katie Wasserman

You are correct.

1) My trusted 81 for serious work :

2) One of my 80s for mobile work :

You can't see the 41CL on the pic but one of my 34s here connected through USB to the PC.

I use IR printing at home. For work, the 81 is sufficient :-)

Sorry for the yellowish pictures.

Cheers

Etienne

Edited: 21 May 2012, 1:13 p.m.

                                    
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #10 Posted by Harald on 21 May 2012, 5:28 p.m.,
in response to message #9 by Etienne Victoria

Very nice collection there!

I've been trying to work out from the picture what you do for a living. But haven't come to a conclusion yet...

                                          
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #11 Posted by Etienne Victoria on 21 May 2012, 5:49 p.m.,
in response to message #10 by Harald

Hmmmm...let's see...one hint on the red folder...one hint is the black device...

Here is an additional picture with more hints :-)

Have a nice evening.

Etienne

                                                
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #12 Posted by Harald on 21 May 2012, 6:03 p.m.,
in response to message #11 by Etienne Victoria

Ok, got it :) Wasn't sure befor, although the walkie talkie was a strong clue.

            
Re: [WP34S] Underlying format of manual.pdf v3.1?
Message #13 Posted by Chris Tvergard on 20 May 2012, 5:53 p.m.,
in response to message #5 by Walter B

Walter,

I agree with you in every aspect of your entry and I did notice your interactive links. Your answers are exactly why I wanted to copy your links. And I do not mind receiving suggestions back from you at all since you have much more insight into this project than do I; which is, obviously, the exact very reason for why I go on the Forum to benefit thereof. Yes, had team known beforehand what they got themselves into they may have had second thoughts.

In an earlier entry Pauli aired the concept of an alphabetical sort of global catalog, which I referred to as the gCAT, with entries similar to those we use in internet browsers by keying in a few first characters. That would solve most of my problems at least. But I think that discussion may be DOA due to the programming efforts required on top of everything else.

In conclusion, I have decided that I really need your entire document on my tablet at all times as my needs and experience level change continuously. And thanks for all that work and thinking you put in this magnificent manual.

Until I receive my cable and become flash capable I'm kind of out of the evolutionary loop, however.

Thanks.

Chris


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