Manual in PDF?

Is there a PDF version of the help file available anywhere?
I would like to read the manual on my portable mediaplayer!

Thanks

Unfortunately no PDF version at the moment, though we may consider it in the future.

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GMM wrote: Unfortunately no PDF version at the moment, though we may consider it in the future.

As many other things, this has NOT happened yet, and this was written in 2009 !!!

It seems that FF inc. did not consider important and essential to have a PDF manual that you couold have with a index and BE ABLE TO PRINT IT and so you could learn much better having it outside the computer and not have to be switching windows to see the instructions and see what components do what and how to configure them.

I think that nearly 95% of the software that you can buy comes with a PDF guide or manual to be able to use the software and learn about EVEN if there are also online help and video tutorials.

One of the other softwares of that 5% that ALSO DO NOT HAVE PDF manual is Genetica.

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Morgantao wrote: You don't understand SpaceRay, they are doing it to save the planet Think about how many would have to be cut down in order to print the manual

I understand it very well, and I agree with you, I want also to save the planet and save lots of of trees, that is why I was asking for A PDF MANUAL not a PRINTED MANUAL

Even Adobe after paying thousands for their software DO NOT give a printed manual, so I would never expect to have a printed from FF Inc.

BUT I do not bother, I am making the PDF MYSELF !!!! You will see soon how.

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SpaceRay wrote: As many other things, this has NOT happened yet, and this was written in 2009

We provide the manual in CHM and HTML formats. Anyone willing to convert it PDF can do this in a few mouse clicks:
Convert CHM to PDF
Convert HTML Help file (CHM) to PDF

SpaceRay, I suppose you are on the Windows platform (Macs don't support CHM)? On my office machine the CHM file is located in the c:\Program Files\Filter Forge 3\ folder.

GMM, There are problems with the CHM to PDF program you have put

Universal Document Converter software

1 - It does NOT convert the whole CHM file, you have to convert it chapter by chapter and can´t sel ect to convert ALL, and this is because it depends totally on the "print" driver and this does not allow select ALL.

2 - EVEN selecting ONE chapter is does not work right, I have selected the "components" part and it got frozen after 267 pages and did not work anymore.

3 - IS NOT FREE, and puts a very big black seal watermark on EACH page.

4 - IS very expensive for what it does, I would NOT pay 69$ for just converting files and using it only once in a while (I could use it probably to convert other CHM files)

www.freepdfconvert.com/convert_help_file_to_pdf.asp

It puts me that the Filter Forge Help file is invalid and can´t be read any other software can read it so the file is NOT invalid at all.

Also it have a limit of 10 MB file result, and the resulting file will be much higher than that 10 MB, so even it it would work and read the file it can´t process it because it is too big.
_______________________________________________________
Here below is the big black seal watermark fr om the universal converter

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GMM wrote: SpaceRay, Google finds dozens of CHM to PDF converters. Do you really want me to test them?

Yes, I want that you really test them Please could you do it ?

(Sorry is a joke, you do not have to do it)

I did not tell you before that I have already tried 8 different converters found on google and none of this worked as it was supossed and did not do the conversion right, OR it do BUT had a big watermark, limitation in pages could convert, text deleted from some pages because is a demo, or pages missing because is a demo, or other things, and the non free I found are expensive to buy from 40$ to 129$. I would pay ony 20$ for this

I will keep trying to find a way to be able to do it in some way.

I'm guessing Microsoft came up with the CHM file format. That would explain the problems in converting it.

I finally have discovered WHAT happens and why is so difficult to convert probably, it is because in the CHM file there are lots of pages that have a short or very short text and then the rest of the page is kept empty and blank, and the converters keeps all exactly the same and so it has SO MANY huge empty pages and reaches to 583 pages !!

So it will NOT possible to convert CHM to PDF or to HTML, the only possible solution is to convert the CHM to a Word document and then delete all the white spaces and join toghether all the chapters.

OR convert it to HTML and edit the pages deleting the white spaces and then convert it to Word or PDF

So finally I know what to do and what the real solution is

Now I have to find a good way to convert CHM to WORD

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SpaceRay wrote: the most important thing, LINKS do not work

SpaceRay, if you want working links you should really use the CHM or HTML version. I guess the file from Zamzar is close to the best PDF you can get.

Alternatively, you can reflow the HTML files in Word or another text processor to make them look the way you want and then print the result to pdf.

I found another very good conversion program BUT it costs 99$ for the basic version and 199$ for the professional version, and obviously I will not pay this to make a conversion, and the demo does not allow to save the result.

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FINALLY IT SEEMS I HAVE FOUND A SOLUTION

I have found another software called Nitro PDF Pro 7 this allowed me to convert the PDF created from the conversion from CHM to PDF (made by Zamzar website) into a WORD document without any watermark, missing text or any other lim itation or problem as it happened with other many softwares.

So I have converted it to Word and then opened this new file and now I can edit it and delete ALL the huge blank spaces that fill so many pages, and recover all the space and then finally keep all the text toghether, one page next to the other.

The problem here is that it will TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND MANUALLY WORK, as I have to go through the 583 pages of document file. I have already cleaned 40 pages. Surely after cleaning all the huge blank spaces, there will be MUCH less pages, and probably could be perhaps around 300.

When finished, if FF Inc. allows it, I would like to share it with anyone that could also interested to have it. It will NOT have the links, BUT you will be able to print it easily.

When finished I will use again the Nitro PDF software to convert it again to PDF

For having the links I will have to make another future conversion in another way.

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Carl wrote: A less complicated way is if you had Acrobat [ or use a free pdf printer] all you'd have to do is open the help file fr om the ui and click print > print as pdf. All links are retained, the format is preserved, which does mean the spaces would be retained,[ again you could edit ] only a problem if you want to print it

I have not tried this with Acrobat own application, BUT I have tried it with a PDF reader that is able to print it right but the problem is that the CHM is NOT configured to be printed, so it has lots of empty blanck spaces because CHM file is HTML files and they are made as hyperlink pages that are NOT intended to be printed, modified or edited. They are NOT like an book that all the pages are filled and one page goes after the other.

By the way the links COLOR is retained and is shown on the PDF I have converted from CHM, I mean the linked words are shown on blue instead of black, so if printed the links will be kept. What is not possibe is to USE them in the windows as they are NOT ACTIVE links, so you can´t use the links to go from one page to another (obviously this is inside windows, because when printed is impossible to have active links)

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Carl wrote: why not keep FF as green as possible and not print it

Well, I always try to keep as green as possible and ONLY print when it is really needed. This time I really need to print it because I do not have TWO screens, wh ere I could show in one the Filter Forge and in the other the CHM Help file, and is very difficult for me to keep changing back and forth from one window to another.

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CFandM wrote: Either way SpaceRay you have a lot of work ahead of you if you want to edit the white space out..

About this, today I have thought another solution. I do not need to edit the text with my main computer, I have also a laptop computer, and so I can take it to the dining room and put it in front of the TV and so while I am making the modifications I can watch the TV so it will be much less tiresome.

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CFandM wrote: Adobe does have a fully working 30 day trial of acrobat...You can save and edit with no watermarks...So you can edit that pdf you just made...

Yes, thanks for the suggestion, I will download the Adobe Acrobat trial and see how it works, BUT it will be the SAME is it happens now in my WORD version, because the PDF conversion is already done and as said the huge empty spaces comes from the mini HTML pages made for each of the chapter or links to the main texts, so there are A LOT of mini texts that must put all toghether.

I have not tried to edit yet with Adobe Acrobat, but I think that it will be probably exactly the same as with the WORD version, as the blank spaces are already inside the file and I do not think that Acrobat will have any kind of tool to make this automatically.

Anyway I will try it and see what happens

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SpaceRay wrote: This time I really need to print it because I do not have TWO screens, wh ere I could show in one the Filter Forge and in the other the CHM Help file, and is very difficult for me to keep changing back and forth from one window to another.

mmmmm you could use your laptop with your pdf next to your main pc with no need to print or edit

Acrobat performs the task easily - and spaces can close up automaticly

also once your 30 day trial has ended, just download Acrobat Reader [ totally free ] to view your pdf files

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Morgantao wrote: When you print to PDF, you have to print each section on it's own, right? You can't print the whole help in one go, or am I wrong? Posted: January 26, 2012 5:51 pm

Yes your right, you'd have to do 8 pdf and then combine them to make one document, again Acrobat does that easily

there is 8 heading, set it to do all sub-heading with in each heading

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CFandM wrote: Don't forget to be close to the snacks as well

LOL essential

WOW!! Thanks really very very much for all your help you are giving here, and be so kind to help in this topic.

I have just installed Acrobat X Pro and will try it as this has 30 days free without any kind of watermark, limitation or any other blocking thing, and is fully working with all the features available and save the result.

I will test all your very good given suggestions and see them.

I knew that as I told that I had a laptop computer you would would say that I could use it as secondary screen, but I have to say that before you said that I have ALREADY tried this and found it was a mess, and I needed to have TWO mouses and then the difference in size, and other problems.

BUT as you have suggested, probably I should find a better way to use the laptop toghether with my computer.

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Andrew B. wrote: plus I don't have permission fr om Filter Forge to transmit this.

Feel free to distribute it but the forum won't let you attach this file. Please use Dropbox or Rapidshare or any other filesharing service.

WOW !!!!! Carl, you have found THE BEST SOLUTION by long far by suggesting touse the Adobe Acrobat Pro own conversion tool through the "Print to PDF" way. And the best is as you say that

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Acrobat performs the task easily - and spaces can close up automatically pdf file - note spaces gone with no need to edit - hope this help makes it easier for you

YES, YES, YES, THIS IS HUGE HELP!!!!, and furthermore, the conversion is MUCH BETTER AND MUCH PERFECT using the Adobe PDF converter, and the CHM to PDF is much better than with any other tool (although the hyperlinks is missing too as with others, only keeps the word highlighted on blue)

I want to give give a you a great hug and a million thanks for this discovery, I also found this graphic to show you my thanks.



Now thanks to you I have a bigger and better plan for the FF Help conversion, and after the Acrobat PDF conversion, I converted again to WORD and I am changing it MUCH better than before, and I am reorganizing the texts inside the file because I do not like that the text is SO tight and compressed, and for me is much harder to read, so I am separating the lines that I feel could be separated to read and understand them better.

I have already done 240 pages and there is now less to finish.

+1.000.000
PDF Manual?
Very useful, especial for reading on tablets, etc!