Control Graphic Conversion
Applicable for: 
WebWorks Publisher handles graphics in anchored frames only. The software knows of two types of anchored frames:
- If the content of the anchored frame is exactly one object AND this object is a graphic Imported By Reference AND it is a GIF, JPG, or PNG file (WinHelp: BMP, GIF, or WMF file):
Then the referenced original will be copied to the output directory.
Markup details are specified in Building Block BZImageImport.
- In all other cases the anchored frame will be copied into a temporary document,
this will be printed to a file using the PostScript printer driver WebWorks Rasterizer,
and finally this PostScript data will be converted to the specified output format using the built-in
PostScript-clone GhostScript.
By default, WWP uses the Graphic Style which is alphabetically first in the list of those that
haven’t set the option »Import by reference«. This is usually GIF (or with Winhelp: BMP).
Markup details are specified in Building Block BZImageGenerate or inside the Graphic Style.
So what’s the problem? Using WWP’s user interface, you can control the target format (i.e. the Graphic Style) for each anchored frame using the Output mapping table. However, in case you change the number or order of graphics in your document the settings will be wrong. And if you rebuild your WWP project you have to start all over. If you want to use a template together with wpbatch.exe or WWP AutoMap, you are lost!
My offer
I created a Graphic Style which allows you to set almost any graphic generation parameters
from within your FrameMaker document.
To set those parameters I use a special marker type with the name »Rasterizer«.
- Pro: You don’t need to manually map any graphic in WebWorks Publisher.
You can control the graphic conversion completely from the FrameMaker document.
Even if you rebuild the WWP project there are no additional steps that you tend to forget so easily.
- Con: Inside the WWP project window all generated graphics will have a default extension
depending on the Graphic Style you use in the project.
All graphics with changed output formats will not reflect those changes and the
graphics will be considered as missing. If you do batch processing you won’t see that.
Whether the pros outweigh the cons is up to you!
Further Information
Example
A single JPG image
In this case, the original image (32114 Bytes) is used: any scaling or hidden parts (due to your positioning of the anchored frame) in FrameMaker are ignored.
A JPG image with call-outs
Without any further actions this image will be converted into a GIF image (41803 Bytes).
This results in sharp text but minor image quality with this kind of image.
All of the following changes to the default conversion could be made using WebWorks® Publisher.
However, you would have to
- create a unique Graphic Style for every type of graphic,
- manually map each image to the appropriate Graphic Style,
- and you have to repeat this with every project.
The same image with Rasterizer instruction »JPG Q50«
Colour representation is enhanced due to the use of the JPG image format,
but the low quality setting leads to visible artefacts around any text in the image (8562 Bytes).
The same image with Rasterizer instruction »JPG Q100«
With a high quality setting, all parts of the image are of good quality, even the call-out texts.
The file size has increased quite a bit (47443 Bytes).
You can decide which quality setting is the right one by modifying the Rasterizer marker in your documents.
The same image with Rasterizer instruction »JPG Q100 R128«
The quality remains the same compared to the previous example,
but the image was rendered somewhat larger, because of the higher resolution setting (71062 Bytes).
Use and Application
How to use markers of the type »Rasterizer«
To use the marker, just create a new text frame inside the anchored frame with the graphics content
(unless there is already a text frame) and add a new marker of the type »Rasterizer«
with one or more of the following keywords as the marker value (space separated):
- Output format: BMP, GIF, JPG, or PNG. You don’t have to specify the default format,
which is specified in User Macro UMBetterGraphicControlDefaultFormat.
- Output resolution (dpi): Rnnn (all digits following the letter »R« are taken as the resolution value);
Default: The value of UMBetterGraphicControlDefaultResolution (with a default of 96).
- JPG quality: Q1...Q100 (all digits following the letter »Q« are taken as quality setting);
Default: The value of UMBetterGraphicControlDefaultJPGQuality (with a default of 75).
- GIF options: TRANSP and/or INTERL for transparent or interlaced GIF files;
Default: not transparent, nor interlaced.
Remember, all graphics with modified output format will be shown as non existent
and with the default filename extension in the WebWorks® Publisher project window.
Viel Erfolg!
Installation
You will receive:
- BetterGraphicControl.wdt
- Sample FrameMaker book (for FrameMaker 6 and FrameMaker 7)
- Sample WebWorks® Publisher project
System requirements
I have tested it with WebWorks® Publisher Professional 6.0.7 as well as WebWorks® Publisher Professional 7.0.5.
How to import the styles from BetterGraphicControl.wdt into your own project
- Open BetterGraphicControl.wdt using WebWorks® Publisher.
Do not migrate the project, if WebWorks® Publisher asks you.
- Next, open your own project file and select Style>Import.
- A dialogue appears. Inside the area »Items to Import« please activate the options »Styles«, »Markers«, »Graphics«,
and »User Macros«. At »Import From:« select BetterGraphicControl.wdt.
Activate »Replace items that have the same name« if you want to override previously imported styles.
Click OK.
The following styles will be added to your project:
- Marker Style Rasterizer
- Graphic Style BetterGraphicControl
- User Macros UMBetterGraphicControlDefaultFormat,
UMBetterGraphicControlDefaultResolution and UMBetterGraphicControlDefaultJPGQuality -
here you can change the default values
Check whether the file extension of the Graphic Style BetterGraphicControl is set to "img" (see figure, lower right corner):
All FrameMaker markers of type »Rasterizer« will be mapped to the equally named Marker Style,
and all graphics which must be rendered by WebWorks® Publisher will be mapped automatically to the style BetterGraphicControl.
How to create the marker type »Rasterizer« in your FrameMaker documents
- Using Adobe FrameMaker, open your template document and select Special>Marker.
- In the dialogue »Marker«, select »Edit...« from the list »Marker Type«.
- In the dialogue »Edit Custom Marker Type«, enter the new marker name: Rasterizer. Click Add and Done.
- Using File>Import>Formats and the option »Document Properties«, you can import this new marker type into all documents or books, where it might be useful.
You may as well create the marker type by copying and pasting an existing marker into another document.
