Variants for file object templates

[Ben Mansheim]

Hi all,

I am starting to play with using variants for file object templates to manage screenshots for different releases. My first impression is that it is disconcerting to not be able to see the correct image for my version in my topic because the variant only gets resolved on publish.

Alternatives are:

1. Variant the file objects instead of the template - many file objects
2. Somehow make the template point to the latest release as a default
• Each time I move to a new release, I would have to change the base template to my new version folder and make a variant for the old version folder
• When I change the base template, AIT would update all of my images with that template
• I would not be able to use the variant fallback paths because only images that exist in the new version folder would display in the Editor
  

Anyone else have any insights?

Ben

#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
Ben Mansheim
b...@mansheim.com
home 077-440-3105
cell 052-691-6188
US 401-441-5473 (however we are still 7 hours ahead of Eastern time)

[Erica Dyson]

I would leave the template alone because it affects so many other users.

You could create your own publishing profiles I guess.
Erica Dyson

Mobile Israel:  +972 (0)50 544-80-44

[Miriam Lottner]

Hi Ben,

When I variant the entire file object template then filter the variants as I work, the correct graphic show up. What exactly are you doing that it only resolves at publish time?

Did you use a variable in the path name and that only gets resolved at publish?

 

I variant the entire file object template (new paths etc.) and so it resolves all the time while working and filtering.

 

Tell me if I missed something in your explanation as to why this won’t work.

 

Good luck,

Miriam  

 

Miriam Lottner | CEO

T: 077.200.6818  M: 054-530-2308

mir...@tech-tav.com |  www.tech-tav.com | www.tech-tav.com/technical-writing-blog

 

[Adriane Rivka Bernstein]

Ben Hi,
There really is a very simple way to do this.
Graphic objects are so simple to variant.
Firstly because you have to do it in the library, whereas with topic
objects, you can make the mistake of creating a variant from within
the book.
Try this, locate the graphic object. Convert it to a variant first. In
the general tab add the release that this is applicable to.
Right click and add new variant. I also try and maintain my naming
convention, so I would give the new graphic the same name but add
_R2.3 for example.
Put the new graphic in the AIT data graphic folder.
Put in the correct name of the new file (I always use linked graphics
and not embedded).
In addition, in any topic object that I have a graphic variants, i
note this in the general tab as well.
Save the book, do the filter and the correct graphic will appear in
the topic.

Good luck and please don't hesitate to ask me for any further
assistance. BTW, I don't have to do anything to the publishing
profiles.

Regards
Rivka

On Jan 1, 1:32 pm, "Miriam Lottner" <mir...@tech-tav.com> wrote:
> Hi Ben,
>
> When I variant the entire file object template then filter the variants as I
> work, the correct graphic show up. What exactly are you doing that it only
> resolves at publish time?
>
> Did you use a variable in the path name and that only gets resolved at
> publish?
>
> I variant the entire file object template (new paths etc.) and so it
> resolves all the time while working and filtering.
>
> Tell me if I missed something in your explanation as to why this won't work.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Miriam
>
> Miriam Lottner | CEO
>

> T: 077.200.6818  M:054-530-2308begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            054-530-2308
>
> mir...@tech-tav.com |   <http://www.tech-tav.com/>www.tech-tav.com|
> <http://www.tech-tav.com/technical-writing-blog>www.tech-tav.com/technical-writing-blog
>
>  <http://www.tech-tav.com/> tech-tav-sig-file.gif

>
> From: Ben Mansheim [mailto:bmansh...@gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2012 1:14 PM
> To: author-...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Author-it] Variants for file object templates
>
> Hi all,
>
> I am starting to play with using variants for file object templates to
> manage screenshots for different releases. My first impression is that it is
> disconcerting to not be able to see the correct image for my version in my
> topic because the variant only gets resolved on publish.
>
> Alternatives are:
>

> 1.      Variant the file objects instead of the template - many file objects
> 2.      Somehow make the template point to the latest release as a default
>
> *       Each time I move to a new release, I would have to change the base

> template to my new version folder and make a variant for the old version
> folder

> *       When I change the base template, AIT would update all of my images
> with that template
> *       I would not be able to use the variant fallback paths because only

> images that exist in the new version folder would display in the Editor
>
> Anyone else have any insights?
>
> Ben
>
> #-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
> Ben Mansheim
> b...@mansheim.com

> home077-440-3105begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            077-440-3105
> cell052-691-6188begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            052-691-6188
> US401-441-5473begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            401-441-5473      (however we are still 7 hours ahead of Eastern time)
>
>  image001.gif
> 5KViewDownload

[Ben Mansheim]

@Adrianne: Thanks for your response. Rather than making variant objects for each of the graphics that I am changing, I want to use a variant for the linked file-object template so that the graphics just point to a different folder. From what I have found, these variants only resolve at publish time so that even if I filter a book for the variant I still see the base graphic in the editor.

@Erica: Can you expand on how I could use publishing profiles to address this?

@Miriam: Hopefully you'll see what I mean from the video that I sent you and you'll be able to tell me what I am doing wrong.

Ben

#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
Ben Mansheim
b...@mansheim.com

home 077-440-3105
cell 052-691-6188
US 401-441-5473 (however we are still 7 hours ahead of Eastern time)

[Adriane Rivka Bernstein]

Hi, What you are doing sounds interesting, but I think that in the
long run is going to create much many more problems.
When I took over AIT there were folders and links to different things
that it becomes impossible to maintain. I had to consolidate
everything and find it much easier to manage.
Sometimes the long way around is the quickest in the end.
Needless to say, I will be interested to know how you solve the
problem.
Regards
Rivka

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