CAD (Computer Aided Design not Computer Aided Dispatch <grin>) files are vectors.
Converting to TIFF, GIF, BMP, PNG, JPEG, etc. makes your image a raster. Your best approach is to convert your CAD files to EPS format and import that into FrameMaker, because EPS supports vectors, splines, etc., and embeds font information. Use Illustrator or CorelDraw to handle vectors. As for the raster formats, JPEG is lossy, don't use that for converted vectors. Use TIFF, PNG, or BMP. GIF might not support colors the way you need. I'd use PNG. Cheers, Sean -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lisa M. Bronson (TCP) Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 10:42 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [TCP] graphics - balancing clarity and size Hi everyone, I'm on Windows XP using: * IPA 8.1 * FrameMaker 7.0 p579 * PhotoShop 9.0.2 * Corel PhotoPaint 8.369 * Acrobat Distiller 7.0.7 * Acrobat Professional 7.0.8 I have found a new use for IPA, the I3D software I've been using to animate 3D CAD files. I can also save static images and put them into a FrameMaker document, making some of the best looking procedures I've ever produced. The problem I'm having is that the graphics are either very large or they don't retain the clarity I need. I'm trying to find the best balance between the two, particularly in the pdf files, which we may want to email to customers. My experience is more with CAD than tifs, jpgs, and gifs, so I'm looking for ideas, hints, and advice from you. :) In IPA, I'm saving the files as tifs rather than jpgs because I have found tifs give me the crisp, clear lines I need. Saving as gif is not an option in IPA, and when I've tried converting the tifs to gifs in a graphics editing program, importing the resultant file makes FrameMaker crash. The FrameMaker file made with the tifs looks great, and while it's slow and 3.5 MB for a two-page file, I can deal with that for what I'm getting. The file prints slowly, too, but looks awesome. The first time I made a pdf file with the standard job options, the resulting print looked horrible, like I needed a new prescription in my glasses. So, in Acrobat Distiller, I changed the compression option to off. This time, it prints as clearly as the FrameMaker file, but the file is 4.5 MB, which would not be convenient for emailing. Zipping the file works (~350k), I'm just wondering if there is a better way to do what I'm doing. Any thoughts or suggestions for improving this workflow would be greatly appreciated. Happy Friday! Lisa B. ______________________________________________ Are you a Help Authoring Trainer or Consultant? Let clients find you at www.HAT.Matrix.com, the searchable HAT database based on Char James-Tanny's HAT Comparison Matrix. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for details. Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? 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Get the scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com -- your 3D documentation community. _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
