Find out tool versions

Axialis IconWorkshop:

  • Select Help => About Axialis IconWorkshop
  • Version 6.70

ComponentOne Doc-To-Help:

  • Select Help => About ComponentOne Doc-To-Help…
  • ComponentOne Doc-To-Help Enterprise 2006.3
  • Version 2006.3.0.313

Microsoft Word

  • Select Help => About Microsoft Office Word
  • 2003 SP3

Microsoft PowerPoint

  • Select Help => About Microsoft Office Powerpoint
  • 2003 SP3

Microsoft PhotoDraw:

  • Select Help => About Microsoft PhotoDraw…
  • Version 1.0

Edit text files

Text files used in Distance include:

  • %BASE%\Interface\Help - rtf files for built-in help, information and text
    • This includes Authors.rtf and Sponsors.rtf
  • %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\ReadMe
    • This includes the ReadMe.rtf for each release

Edit text files with WordPad, not Microsoft Word - Word adds extra characters that can mess up the formatting of the files.

To edit a file in WordPad:

  • Right-click file name
  • Select Open With => WordPad

Edit Distance icon

  • Open icon, ico, file in Axialis IconWorkshop:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Icons\DistanceProject2.ico
  • Create new file:
    • Select File => Save As…
    • Browse to %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Icons\
    • Enter file name e.g. DISTANCE_ICON_FILE.ico

Copy Distance icon for use in Visual Basic and release

Copy %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Icons\DISTANCE_ICON_FILE.ico (for example %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Icons\DistanceProject2.ico) to %BASE%\Interface\Main\Graphics - Misc and General\DistanceProject.ico


Create splash screen for new version

  • Open Microsoft Image Composer, mix, file, in Microsoft PhotoDraw:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Splash\D62release.mix
  • Create new file:
    • Select File => Save As…
    • Browse to %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Splash\
    • For release, enter file name: DMNreleaseR.mix
    • For beta, enter file name: DMNbetaR.mix
    • M is the major version number, N is the minor version number, R an (optional) release number.
    • Click Save
  • Update version number:
    • Click ‘version 6.2’ in image
    • Edit text in box on right-hand side e.g. ‘version M.N’
  • Update release number:
    • Click ‘release 1’ in image
    • Edit text in box on right-hand side e.g. ‘release R’ or ‘BETA R’
  • Save mix file:
    • Select File => Save
  • Save mix file as a jpg:
    • Select File => Save As…
    • Select Save as type: JPEG File Interchange Format
    • Browse to %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Splash\
    • Click Save to save image with name as mix file but with jpg extension

Copy splash screen for use in Visual Basic and release

Copy %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Splash\DMNbetaR.jpg or %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Splash\DMNreleaseR.jpg to %BASE%\Interface\Help\DistanceLogo.jpg, where M is the major version number, N is the minor version number, R an (optional) release number.


Update user guide version number

  • Open Doc-To-Help, d2h, file, in ComponentOne Doc-To-Help:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\distance.d2h
  • Update Distance version number:
    • In properties on left-hand side, click Help Targets
    • Click Name: distance Manual
    • For release, select Property: Title and update Value: Distance M.N Release R
    • For beta, select Property: Title and update Value: Distance M.N Beta R
    • M is the major version number, N is the minor version number, R an (optional) release number.

Build HTML Help

  • Open Doc-To-Help, d2h, file, in ComponentOne Doc-To-Help:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\distance.d2h
  • Build HTML Help:
    • In menu-bar drop-down build targets list, select distance HTML Help
    • Select Build => Make Target OR Press F5
    • To rebuild everything, select Build => Rebuild Target
  • Check:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\HTMLHelp\distance.chm

Copy HTML Help for use in Visual Basic and release

  • Copy compiled HTML help:
    • Copy %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\HTMLHelp\distance.chm to %BASE%\Utilities\Help\
  • Copy Visual Basic macro file for use in Visual Basic components:
    • This contains a list of constants giving shortcuts to the help pages and is used to provide context-sensitive help.
    • Copy %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\HTMLHelp\distance.bas to %BASE%\Utilities\Help\
  • Note that compiled HTML help is not usable from the Help menu within development versions, but it is usable in release versions.

Build HTML Help from command prompt

  • Start command prompt:
    • Select Start => All Programs => Accessories => Command Prompt
  • Change into HTML Help folder:

chdir %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents
  • Build HTML Help:

"C:\Program Files\ComponentOne\DocToHelp\C1D2HBatch.exe" -build distance.d2h "distance HTML Help"
  • Check:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\HTMLHelp\distance.chm

Update title slide with splash screen

  • Start Microsoft PowerPoint:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Images\TitlePage\TitlePage.ppt
  • Insert splash screen:
    • Select Insert => Picture => From File…
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Splash\DMNreleaseR.jpg or %BASE%Extras\Graphics\Splash\DMNbetaR, where M is the major version number, N is the minor version number, R an (optional) release number.
    • Replace current splash screen image in slide with newly-inserted one
  • Save title slide:
    • Click CTRL-S

Build title page image

  • Start Microsoft PowerPoint:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Images\TitlePage\TitlePage.ppt
  • Save as Windows Metafile, wmf:
    • Select File => Save As…
    • Select Save as type: Windows Metafile (*.wmf)
    • Browse to %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Images\TitlePage\
    • Click Save
    • If asked ‘Do you want to export every slide in the presentation or only the current slide?’ click Current Slide Only

Build user guide

  • Open Doc-To-Help, d2h, file, in ComponentOne Doc-To-Help:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\distance.d2h
  • Build Microsoft Word document:
    • In menu-bar drop-down build targets list, select distance Manual
    • Select Build => Make Target OR Press F5
    • To rebuild everything, select Build => Rebuild Target
  • Check:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\distance-master.doc

Build user guide from command prompt

  • Start command prompt:
    • Select Start => All Programs => Accessories => Command Prompt
  • Change into HTML Help folder:

chdir %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents
  • Build HTML help:

"C:\Program Files\ComponentOne\DocToHelp\C1D2HBatch.exe" -build distance.d2h "distance Manual"
  • Check:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\distance-master.doc

Add title page image to user guide

  • Start Microsoft Word:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\distance-master.doc
  • Insert title page image:
    • Select Insert => Picture => From File…
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Images\TitlePage\TitlePage.wmf
  • Resize image so it is the same width as the black-bordered place-holder on the front-page
  • Select the image and press CTRL-X (cut)
  • Select the place-holder and press CTRL-V (paste)
  • Save the document
    • Click CTRL-S

Build user guide PDF

  • Start Microsoft Word:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\distance-master.doc
  • Check conversion settings:
    • Select Adobe PDF => Change Conversion Settings
    • Check Conversion Settings: Standard
    • Click OK
  • Create PDF:
    • Select Adobe PDF => Convert to PDF
    • Browse to %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\
    • Click Save
    • If asked ‘Do you want PDFMaker to turn off tagging for this document?’, click No
    • This can take a long time!
  • Check:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\document-master.pdf
    • If the images do not look OK then try again with a higher-quality conversion setting

Build user guide PDF from command prompt

Note that using this approach results in non-hyperlinked cross-references.

This assumes that:

  • Adobe PDF is the default printer
  • Adobe PDF will not prompt for a file name or display the PDF. To configure this:
    • Select Start => Printers and Faxes
    • Right-click Adobe PDF => Printing Preferences…
    • Select Adobe PDF Output Folder: My Documents\*.pdf
    • Uncheck View Adobe PDF results
    • Click OK
  • Start command prompt:
    • Select Start => All Programs => Accessories => Command Prompt
  • Change into Manual folder:

chdir %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\
  • Run:

start /WAIT "" "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 2003\OFFICE11\winword.exe" distance-master.doc /q /n /mFilePrintDefault /mFileSave /mFileExit 
  • Move file:

move "%userprofile%\My Documents\distance-master.pdf" %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\
  • Check:
    • Double-click %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\distance-master.pdf

Copy user guide PDF for use in Visual Basic and release

  • Copy %BASE%Extras\External Documentation\Documents\Manual\distance-master.pdf to %BASE%\Utilities\Help\distance.pdf
  • Note that compiled HTML help is not usable from the Help menu within development versions, but it is usable in release versions.