Putting CAD Standards into a Windows Help file

[TerribleTim]

Who has had success setting up your company CAD Standards as a Windows Help file and what program did you use? I like the idea, and would like to look into it. Any input would be great.

[michael.12445]

A long time ago I turned our office manual into a Windows help file using one of the tools available from Microsoft (I don't remember which). This required writing everything as an RTF (rich text format) file, and then compiling it into a help file using the tool. However, I eventually turned the office manual into a series of web pages that people can access with a browser. I found this was much easier to maintain, as edits don't require recompiling. In addition, HTML, as opposed to the Windows help file format (HLP), offers you more design choices, cooler graphics, and even the ability to include sound and video files if you want. I just put the home page on our server, and then make a link to it on everyone's desktop.

In addition to plain old Windows Notepad, there are any number of WYSIWYG HTML editors out there you can use, including NVU (www.nvu.com), which is free.

Michael Evans
Togawa Smith Martin Residential, Inc.

[TerribleTim]

Good idea, hadn't thought of that route. I am familiar with HTML as I maintain my race team web page myself. And I have a good web page editor in Dreamweaver already on my home computer. Although that would mean building it at home. The joys of a CAD Manager right? Do we ever stop working? ;) I may look into the HTML avenue.

[pmedina]

I've done it. I started out doing my departments cad guidelines. Then I used that as a basis for our company's custom menu help. You can even get to it from a custom AutoCAD menu if set up properly.

Do a search on "help workshop" or try the link below to get the program.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=00535334-c8a6-452f-9aa0-d597d16580cc&displaylang=en

It'll take a bit of effort to figure it out but it works nicely.

You can use Microsoft WORD to set up your documents. Save them as HTM or HTML files.

If you decide to try it, I highly recommend you think about the file names you use. It is easy to lose control if your file names are not clear and logical. Trying to do an update can be confusing if you can't figure out where your source document is for a particular topic.

I set it up using topics and subtopics. I create the file names for my files this way:
"MainCategory_Topic_Description" or "MainCategory_Subtopic_Description"
Example: "Aviation_Topic_Toolbars" would link to some subtopics like: "Aviation_Subtopic_SignToolbar" and "Aviation_Subtopic_LayerToolbar"

You can create hyper links within your documents. You can use 'bookmarks' to link to specific parts of your current or another document.

Here's a tip I typed out for myself as a reminder about setting up bookmarks:
Use “Bookmarks” to hyper-link within a document, Or to a specific location in another document.

The pound sign (#) is used when linking one document to a bookmark in a specific area in another document.

Example: In this hyper-link “Aviation_Topic_Toolbars.htm#docLinkCalloutTool” the document “Aviation_Topic_Toolbars.htm” is opened. Then it goes to the bookmark “docLinkCalloutTool”. The pound sign (#) must be used. The “docLink” portion is created when it is know you want to link to the current document from another one. Upon creating the bookmarks, open the document from which this bookmark will be called. Then create the hyper-link. This will help avoid forgetting to create the hyper-link. (Note: "docLink" is not anything special. It it just my way of telling myself I am linking from another document to this location).

[cadtag]

Dang, the last thing I'd use for an HTML editor is MS Word. It makes _horrible_ HTML files! barely usable, and a nightmare to work with later. Just because you have a hammer laying around, doesn't mean the problem is always going to be a nail!

If you can't spring for Dreamweaver or FrontPage at least, get a copy of Nuvo for free. And use a Web server instead of a network file share. Life will be a lot simpler all around.

[Ed Jobe]

HTML is the way to go...but you can have it both ways. HTML Workshop allows you use the same project to both use as a website and compile to a file. However, HTML Workshop is not being updated anymore and does not support Help 2.0. I recently came across another free help editor that seem promising. Its called HelpMaker (http://www.vizacc.com/). The nice thing about these progs is that you can use the TOC and Index controls on your web page for a fully searchable website.

[Firedrake4]

If you are really looking into using the Windows type of help file then I might suggest the following, extremely easy to use software (and its free too!)

HelpNDoc

http://www.ibe-software.com/products/software/helpndoc/

But I agree with the above posts about the web pages. That makes it much easier to maintain since you only need to update a single location. Unfortunately, if you have a situation like I do where that option is not possible due to international connection issues, this is a good alternative. The pages are WYSIWYG and it is as easy to use as word (which is one less thing that I have to learn).

[TerribleTim]

Firedrake4 - Thanks for the link and the tip there. That is kind of what I was looking for. I'm still debating the webpage vs. help file topic. I like the idea of doing it as a webpage, but I'm not sure it would look as impressive to the boss. Here's a good question. Is there a way to put your standard template file into the "webpage" standards file and use i-drop or something to have the user be able to grab layers and text styles from there? Kind of using the "webpage" standards file in place of design center. Now that would make it the number one pick if you can do that. My goal is to find the easiest way to make the user get his layers and stuff from my template file, then they will be conforming to the standards without even really realizing it. It's all part of that "make standards stupid simple and automated" thing, right?

[SRBalliet]

Firedrake4 - Thanks for the link and the tip there. That is kind of what I was looking for. I'm still debating the webpage vs. help file topic. I like the idea of doing it as a webpage, but I'm not sure it would look as impressive to the boss. Here's a good question. Is there a way to put your standard template file into the "webpage" standards file and use i-drop or something to have the user be able to grab layers and text styles from there? Kind of using the "webpage" standards file in place of design center. Now that would make it the number one pick if you can do that. My goal is to find the easiest way to make the user get his layers and stuff from my template file, then they will be conforming to the standards without even really realizing it. It's all part of that "make standards stupid simple and automated" thing, right?

I currently use the webpage thing for our standards. I too thought the I-drop thing would be cool for drawing details where the user could see what he/she was getting by the use of a nice preview, but I could not get it to work. If you go that route and have success, let us know.

Another good thing about a web base, is that you can hyperlink all kinds of stuff. I have videos and tutorials (Civil 3D webcasts) linked so they are easy to view. I don't know if you can do that with a help file. Maybe you can?

[TerribleTim]

Well, I messed around with that HelpNDoc (http://www.ibe-software.com/products/software/helpndoc/) program awhile. It looks great in the program window, but when you compile it, then open the help file it doesn't work. It compiles an .HTML file at the same time, which works fine except the .HTML file doesn't maintain any of your text formatting like indents and tabs. The tabs are the killer, 'cause then your stuff isn't lined up. AARGH! I think I need to just stay with the webpage theory and build it in a webpage editor like I use for my website (http://haywire-raicng.8m.com)! I hadn't even thought about the whole video link idea. Do you link to videos on the company server or to external websites?

[SRBalliet]

Well, I messed around with that HelpNDoc (http://www.ibe-software.com/products/software/helpndoc/) program awhile. It looks great in the program window, but when you compile it, then open the help file it doesn't work. It compiles an .HTML file at the same time, which works fine except the .HTML file doesn't maintain any of your text formatting like indents and tabs. The tabs are the killer, 'cause then your stuff isn't lined up. AARGH! I think I need to just stay with the webpage theory and build it in a webpage editor like I use for my website (http://haywire-raicng.8m.com)! I hadn't even thought about the whole video link idea. Do you link to videos on the company server or to external websites?

Any video I can get on CD, DVD or download I do and then store on the network. I don't want somebody that has the motivation to want to learn to have to wait for streaming or download wait times. If I can't do that I mention that the link is to the web and a wait time might be needed. Give credit where credit is due for all the videos you use and store on the network.

[TerribleTim]

That's a fantastic idea. My only problem is, when do they watch the videos? Management here kind of freaks out if you are not "working" during "work hours". You know what I mean? It's like, "learn on your own time, work on our time". I have trouble gettign them to leave me alone so I can work on the company CAD Standards!

[SRBalliet]

That's a fantastic idea. My only problem is, when do they watch the videos? Management here kind of freaks out if you are not "working" during "work hours". You know what I mean? It's like, "learn on your own time, work on our time". I have trouble gettign them to leave me alone so I can work on the company CAD Standards!

I know each company is different, but the management has to know that training employees can get expensive when sending them somewhere else. If an employee takes an hour a week and learns something new it has to be worth while for the company in the long run. Somehow you have to convince them to that fact.

The people who want to learn will do so if the material is there. It can be done at lunch or short little bits of non-billable downtime. Some of the videos I have are only 15-20 mins, so if a draftsman has a bit of time waiting for an engineer to get markups to him/her, he/she can pop one on for a short training session.

[TerribleTim]

Any chance you can point me to the videos you have? What do they cover? Where did you get them?

[SRBalliet]

Any chance you can point me to the videos you have? What do they cover? Where did you get them?

AutoCAD 2005 Enhancements (AutoCAD Insider http://heidihewett.blogs.com)
AutoCAD 2006 Enhancements (AutoCAD Insider http://heidihewett.blogs.com)
Dynamic Block Tutorials (http://www.cadclips.com)
AutoCAD 2006/2007 CADclips (http://www.cadclips.com)
Infrastructure Solutions Webcast DVD (www.autodesk.com)
Autodesk Civil 3D Webcasts 8/01/05 - 7/31/06 (www.autodesk.com)

To name a few. Do a search on the net for free AutoCAD tutorials. Remember to give credit where credit is due.

[TerribleTim]

Many thanks! http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/thumbsup3.gif