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PDF User Guide Manual.

mrthom1 shared this idea 11 years ago
Completed

Would like to see all of the Locus user information pages compiled into a downloadable,printable,searchable PDF file.


Thanks

Replies (15)

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The manual changes (almost) every day


-> http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php/manu...


If there were downloadable doku files -> too many outdated files spread the www


So -2 from my side

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Thank you for the Link. Your graphic is exactly what I have been doing as I cannot get the JS script to run within my browser. Downloaded and unzipped the script, installed " Execute JS" plug-in in my FireFox browser, run the Open ExecuteJS tool in the browser and frustration..bang bang bang . Reread the information on the JS script page at least ten times and cannot get past the Installation instructions title line...bang bang bang..


Thanks anyway..

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link from berkley was not on script that you may run in your firefox. It`s link to script that have to be installed to DokuWiki site (site where is manual page) and I need to define pages that will be in the end exported to PDF file.


Anyway as gynta wrote, manual is not yet complete, quite a lot of pages change often and it will take some time till Locus will be in quiet, stable and not-to-fast-changing state. So I really suggest to test and play directly with locus, ask and search here for solution for troubles and read manual online ... for now

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I have been going through all of the options that I can find and most are very intuitive to use. I am a person that is compelled to look at all of the menu options and develop an understanding of them. I prefer to have the printed manual in front of me and so I can follow along with the explanation as I use the device or software. I have a problem in leaving a screen switching to an on-line manual and then going back to the screen.


Unfortunately, I seem to be unable to retain information read from a computer and require a physical print in my hands for full comprehension. In talking with friends I find that there are many people like me in that respect.


I hike in remote areas where data reception is rarely available and on-line help is a moot issue. So hopefully a PDF will eventually be available to load into the phone for reference when needed and I can have my little booklet in my backpack. :-}


I do appreciate the assistance given by all in this thread.


Locus Pro is a good app and your continual support to it is appreciated.


Thanks again.

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ok understand. because you created this topic, you`ll be notified when here will be any changes. I understand that complete PDF manual should come handy, so I`ll try create one (and post about it here), once wiki will be at least from 90% complete ...

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Thank you , It was a suggestion and I now understand the complexity of the situation. I would prefer that you spend your time working the app itself and on some of the very beneficial requests by the other users. That is more important.


Best regards....


PS: Really appreciate the Custom Screen, DashBoard and DashBoard Editor features.

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:D

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Is it possible to download and print the users manual ?

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It's really hard atm to create a PDF User Guide Manual... I guess!!! because menion is doing alot of stuff, many things change and I prefer that he is working on the app, instead of writing a manual :P lets not forget, even if Locus is perfect and gets more popular, there is always something to do, to make new features... and iPhone, thou I hate it, I would like to recommend it to iOS users, but we are far away from this. (And I will hope till my death, that someday my windows laptop has the possibility to run locus, thou I got a VM to run it on PC)

if there's a manual, it must be translated in different languages, and that costs ressources again. Overall: The content is really HUUGEEE... I make atm a youtube manual for Geocachers (german only, sorry) and explaining every little stuff needs time - thou I really explain very into details, but Locus got so complex in the meanwhile, especially new users are very fast confused and overwhelmed by the content.

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PDF version of Basic chapters have been added to wiki. And that's it, folks. We've decided not to create the whole Locus documentation in pdf - it's too much time consuming and would be an neverending story - the user guide is continuously updated.

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At least for users of the paif POR version, you should offer a pdf for each version.

Note this is an app for which users often need to check the guide away of internet connections, unlike most other apps

Yes, it's work. But yes, it's money.

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If there are no plans to create a PDF of the entire manual, then I vote to offer the "Book Creator" feature for all chapters of the manual.

Currently, a small portion of the manual supports a feature called "Book Creator". Using the "Add to book" function, you can add chapters of the manual to a custom book and then export it to PDF. However, "Add to book" is currently only available for the Advanced section of the manual. I vote to offer it for the entire manual so, at the very least, we can use the Book Creator feature to make our own (PDF) manual.


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@Taras D - thanks for reporting! - we didn't know the feature is visible (and usable) for non-admins. Now it's available for all Knowledge base users in all its pages so the problem is solved.

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Thank you! Unfortunately, I just tried to generate a PDF of the entire manual but was unsuccessful.


I selected 97 pages, gave the document a name, clicked "Export to PDF", it displayed a progress message, then I waited patiently for about 5 minutes. It produced an error message.


I tried it again, waited for ten minutes, the progress message remained unchanged, and it failed to produce a PDF. I aborted the operation, removed 16 pages from the selection, tried again, waited, and it produced another "Error" message.


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I removed almost all pages from the selection, leaving just ten pages, and it successfully produced a PDF.

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So it works with ten pages but fails with 80+ pages. I don't know if it's related to the number of selected pages or perhaps the order of the pages.


I'll try again later (when I have more time) but in its current state I don't think it allows people to produce a complete manual with 90+ pages.


I'd also like to say that if this is how *you* have to create a complete manual (painstakingly selecting ~100 pages from the list) then I completely understand why you don't want to offer it as a regular service! :)

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UPDATE:

It works with 40 pages but fails at 50 pages.


I examined the 40 page document and discovered this entire process of creating a custom book has a critical flaw: all links point to the Locus web-site instead of pages within the document.


For example, if I click "Maps Item Management" it leads me to the web-site for this topic instead of the relevant material in the document.


Sadly, this makes the custom PDF document impractical to use offline.

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Hi Taras D,

thanks for thorough testing of the PDF plugin of the docuwiki system our Knowledge base runs on. You are absolutely right, we tried to create whole manual PDF this way and were discouraged to do so again the same way as you. Nevertheless, I at least managed to create a PDF from the whole "Basics" section - with Basics main page and individual sub articles linked together in one document. As a matter of fact I didn't try a more linked-through document, just this simple hierarchy which works.

EDIT: someone recommended FireShot browser plugin which promises multi-page PDF in its paid Pro version

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I can confirm Book Creator insists on creating links that point to the web-site, not pages within the document.

I created a three-page manual composed of a very simple hierarchy:

  1. "User Guide" (user_guide)
  2. "Main Screen, Controlling" (maps_mainscr_ctrl)
  3. "Main Screen, Main Menu" (mainmenu)

When I click "Controlling", in the "User Guide", the link goes to the web-site, not the "Controlling" page within the manual.


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hm, that's weird because I created multi page PDF from the Basics section in three languages and the links within the document are connected, see e.g. here: http://docs.locusmap.eu/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=manual:locus_map_basics.pdf

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I just cleared all 97 pages from the selection ("Clear Selection") and started over again. I picked 6 pages, generated the PDF and all links work correctly (i.e. they point to pages within the document).

Perhaps something was corrupted within the original selection of 97 pages ... because it works correctly now. Weird.


I'm reluctant to manually select 97 pages again and possibly have it fail. So I will pick a few dozen pages and confirm it works before attempting to create a complete manual.


EDIT

Just tried 43 pages, waited about 10 minutes but it still says "Preparing download ...". This feature is unreliable when there are more than just a few pages (like in the Basic manual).

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I would really like to know some reliable solution how to make a multipage linked-through pdf document from such a complex website like an online manual. This Docuwiki plugin is obviously not robust enough to tackle such task.

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Hola me gustaria saber como puedo agregar una ruta o varias rutas de direcciones y en que formato lo tengo que bajar

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