Robohelp Tutorial: How To Create Image Maps In Robohelp 8?

InyourhelpsystemsyoucreatewithRoboHelpforyourapplications,youcanincludeimagemaps.Whatareimagemaps?Thesearegraphicswithhotspotarea(s).Ahotspot,inRoboHelp8,canlinktoanotherwebpage,afile,aFTPserverandother.

Howdoanimageandanimagemap,bothwithahyperlink,differ?Consider,forexample,animageoftheU.S.map.Itsacompositegraphic.SayinthemapyouwanttohyperlinkTexas,NewYork,andCaliforniatodifferentpages.Toaccomplishthistaskyoushoulduseimagemaps.

Throughimagemapsyoucandefinetheboundariesofthehotspots.Youcannotdothesamewiththetraditionalwayoflinkinganimagetoadestination.Withsuchanoption,youcanlinktheentireimage,andnotthepartsofittoapage/otherlocation.So,ifyouveanimagewhosepartsyouwanttolinktodifferentdestinations,imagemapsisthesolution.

Letsuseanimageofaflowchartandlinkitscomponentstodifferentdestinations.

Step-by-StepProceduretoCreateanImageMapinRoboHelp8

STEP1:StartRoboHelp.TheStarterPodappearsp>TheStarterpod

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STEP2:ClickBlankProjectintheCreateNewcolumn.TheNewProjectWizarddialogappearsp>TheNewProjectWizarddialog

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STEP3:TypethecontentineachfieldandclickFinish.

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STEP4:RoboHelpdisplaystheProjectManagerandTopicListpodsandthetexteditorintheDesignmode(theothermodeisHTML)p>TheProjectManagerandTopicListpodsandthetexteditorintheDesignmode

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STEP5:Insertanimage:OnthemainmenuofRoboHelp,ClickInsert>ImageorpressCtrl+G.TheImagedialogdisplaysp>OntheRoboHelpmainmenu,clickInsert>ImageorpressCtrl+Gtoinsertanimage

TheImagedialog

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STEP6:SelectanimagetoloadandclickOK.Theimagedisplaysinthetexteditor.

NOTE:Youcanloadanewimagebyclickingthefoldericonandselectinganimagefromaharddriveandfolderp>Theinsertedimage

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STEP7:Clicktheimagetoselectitinthetexteditorp>TheselectedimageandtheObjectstoolbar

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STEP8:IntheObjectstoolbar,click,forexample,thepolygonshape(highlightedinred).The+cursorappears.Ihavecreatedanimagemapforthedecisioncomponent(thediamond-shapepart)oftheflowchart.

Hereshowyoucreateapolygon-shapehotspot:

Clickastartingpoint.Withoutreleasingthemouse,dragthecursortothesecondplace.Clickagain.Repeatthesameprocedurefortherestofthepoints.Double-clickthelastpointandreleasethemouse.TheImageMapdialogappears.

NOTE:TheothershapesavailableinRoboHelp8forcreatingimagemapsarerectangleandcircle.

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STEP9:Linktheimagemaptoadestination:Clickthedown-arrownexttotheLinktolabel.Fromthepull-downmenu,chooseanoptionp>Thepull-downmenuthatdisplayswhenyouclickthedown-arrownexttotheLinkto:label

SayyouselectedWebAddress.Thetextthefieldp>ThetexttheLinktofieldifyouselectWebAddressfromthepull-downmenu

TypetheURLofthepageimmediatelyafterthetexttheHyperlinkOptionsframeintheImageMapdialogtospecifywheretodisplaythedestinationpage

Apurposeoftheimagemapistogivemoreinformationonahotspotinanimage.Intheaboveimage,theflowchartelement"Changesrequired?"isahotspot.Whentheuserclicksonthathotspot,moreinfodisplaysonhowtohandlethevoice-overscriptchangerequestsbythecustomer.Wheretodisplaytheinfo?UsetheHyperlinkOptionsframetospecifywhethertodisplaythecontentinanewwindow,apopuporother.

TheHyperlinkOptionshasthreeradiobuttons.Forexample,ifyouclicktheDisplayinauto-sizingpopupradiobutton,theinfodisplaysinapopupwindow.RoboHelpautomaticallysizesthewidthandheightofthepopup.

ClickOK.RoboHelpcreatesanimagemap.

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STEP10:RepeatSTEPS7-9tocreatehotspots,withhyperlinks,forotherpartsofyourimage.

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STEP11:Toviewtheresults:Compileyourhelpsystem.ClicktheGeneratePrimaryLayoutbuttonontheProjecttoolbarp>TheGeneratePrimaryLayoutbuttonhighlightedontheProjecttoolbar

RoboHelpdisplaysthestatusofcompilationintheOutputViewpod.Afterthecompilationfinishes,theResultsdialogappearsp>ThestatusofcompilationofthehelpfiledisplaysintheOutputViewpod

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STEP12:ClickViewResultp>TheResultdialog

YourWebHelpsystemdisplaysinthebrowser.Clickanimagemapinthegraphic.Thewebpagetheimagemaplinkstodisplays.

ThetutorialHowtoCreateaWebhelpSystemwithRobohelp8?detailsthestepstodevelopasimpleWebHelpsystemforyourapplication.

ThetutorialHowtoCreateaMicrosoftHTMLHelpSystemwithRobohelp8?detailsthestepstodevelopasimpleMicrosoftHTMLHelpforyourapplication.

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