* Help Files

[ColinMc]

I know Nick has reported that his least enjoyable part of development is the help file!

I've just read this sentence in the recent release (about an enhancement that I actually requested)

The image viewer is designed to be kept open while adding an image and to help with transcription, but this option may be useful to those who choose not to use the Image Viewer screen for this purpose.

I have used AS from virtually the first day I bought FH, and I've found it absolutely indispensable. It is a godsend.

In 100% of those entries, from that day till today, I have added an image to AS, then opened that image in my Windows picture viewer to help with transcription! I never even gave it a thought to use the built-in picture viewer - even though it was staring me in the face!

So thanks for persevering with the Help files Nick! It got through to this user eventually.

Now I'm trying to read about converting old census entries!

Colin

PS I still think the Save & Close enhancement is worthwhile!

[jbtapscott]

I would agree with Colin on both counts here - I have always used an external image viewer and have already started using the new Save & Close button - a small thing but a great improvement!

[NickWalker]

The image viewer does have some quite nice features, such as if you have a census record that is split across two pages and you scroll down to the bottom of one image to view the start of the household then as you flick back and to between the two images it remembers the scroll position on the first one. You can press the Home key to go to the top and the End key to the bottom (Ctrl+Home to go left, Ctrl+End to go right, etc.). To be fair though, the image viewing facilities on Ancestry, etc. have got a lot better over the years and so the benefits of using the viewer in AS are less than they were 12 years ago when I first developed it.

[NickWalker]

I would agree with Colin on both counts here - I have always used an external image viewer and have already started using the new Save & Close button - a small thing but a great improvement!

The new option to have the 'Copy Image File' dialog remember your response so it doesn't show every time is also a nice a new feature which saves a click.

[ColinMc]

To be fair though, the image viewing facilities on Ancestry, etc. have got a lot better over the years and so the benefits of using the viewer in AS are less than they were 12 years ago when I first developed it.

Must admit I NEVER work of an Ancestry screen. for two reasons. Firstly I want a copy of the document on my PC, and secondly, if I'm browsing Ancestry, and stop to enter data every time I find something of interest, it slows me down massively on Ancestry and breaks the train of thought that I am following in the various branches I've found to explore. Also, so many times when entering, I find one (often more) item of data that conflicts with existing information, so again another diversion is needed to investigate that discrepancy.

I find it so much more convenient to download all images I want, then keyword, date and trim them, and do data entry at a later stage which can be any time.


Colin

[neil40]

I also use the same method as others have stated!
I download the census image, open in my image viewer and add the entry in AS with both side by side!
Adding the image was always my last task and AS handily reminds me if I forget!
I’d never realised I could do it the other way as I’m used to other programs being locked by ‘pop out’ windows!
My method will change from this point on.

Edit: Slight caveat to the above. I am trying to correct the entry I reported in the 7.5.x thread, and if you have the Source Convert window open, you can't then manoevre the data entry window to be able to see the image if you open it from the link in that window.