Making the XDPXv16.3 PDF Manual work for you

[Egg Bramhill]

That post made my night!

[Acorn]

The farce continues. The same muck around with the XDA v17.0 > Help > PDF Manual jumping to a Magix link that insists on a full download each and every use.

@Xara - do you actually care at all? Do you actually ever try to use the detritus that you and Magix churn out?

Acorn

P.S. Will a Mod move this to the Dear Xara Forum.

[handrawn]

I am wondering if magix logic is their way means that you are always looking at an up to date manual ? - now this may well be more principle than substance as I have no idea how often the manual is updated within a version number, if at all

there is [or at least for me] an option to open the PDF in my default PDF app, and I have downloaded the file for use offline

I have other programs where the help link is online only [and therefore, hopefully at least, up to date], with a seperate option to save/download; the annoyance for me with the magix way, is not going directly into the manual

[Acorn]

I am wondering if magix logic is their way means that you are always looking at an up to date manual ? - now this may well be more principle than substance as I have no idea how often the manual is updated within a version number, if at all
there is [or at least for me] an option to open the PDF in my default PDF app, and I have downloaded the file for use offline
I have other programs where the help link is online only [and therefore, hopefully at least, up to date], with a seperate option to save/download; the annoyance for me with the magix way, is not going directly into the manual

No, there is no logic.If an application links always forces a download without checking that it is new then the logic is utterly wrong.

MagiXara are failing to see that a product and its support are two sides of the same coin. Without either, you have a defaced your currency. Without both, you are a blank commodity.

Acorn

[handrawn]

ok well we can argue that both ways - all i said was in principle, magix could update what was available to download if they chose to work that way, and like i said, you can just open the pdf in the browser/viewer, you dont have to download duplicate files - apart from not opening directly i don't see this being significantly different to what happens with photoshop, or for that matter toon boom

[Acorn]

ok well we can argue that both ways - all i said was in principle, magix could update what was available to download if they chose to work that way, and like i said, you can just open the pdf in the browser/viewer, you dont have to download duplicate files - apart from not opening directly i don't see this being significantly different to what happens with photoshop, or for that matter toon boom

My objection is having a defunct submenu option (Help > PDF Manual) that always forces a download. Why should I have to take special measures (as listed) or remember NOT to click an option and go to a safe place to look at a document I frequently access. If the link went to the PDF directly, my browser cache would not download it until there was an update. There is no such option.

Acorn

[mwenz]

My thoughts on this subject? Glad you asked...

A PDF manual should be installed when the application is installed. The help menu item for such a PDF should link to that installed copy.

If Xara/Magix desires to ever have a link to the web for a manual, it ought to be a proper html5 version that can be updated and have a full index of terms to aid in searching.

A new PDF should be installed during an update.

[browj2]

I just checked the latest Magix Video Pro X. Under Help, it says "Download manual" and this opens the following screen:


Is this what happens with Xara 17 and the later version 16?

I am still at 16.2.0.5... so clicking on "Open manual" actually opens the one on my hard drive.

I think that many programs open the manual directly from the internet without downloading it, whereas Xara and other Magix programs do not. The problem with this is that the version may not correspond to the version/update that you actually have (another Update Service problem). There should be a proper place to put the manual and the button (link) "Open pdf manual" should open it. There should also be a "Download pdf manual" button/link that does exactly that and prompts you to replace the existing one.

Unfortunately, in my experience, too many users do not have the computer skills to download, move/put the downloaded file in an appropriate location and put a shortcut on the desktop. Thus, the process should be simplified. It is, after all, the manual for the program.

Also, the manual should have a version number. AFAICS, right now there is no way to know which version you have, no way to know if you have the latest version, no way to know if it corresponds to the installed Xara version, no list of manual versions anywhere, no way to know if an update has been released, and no simple way to know if an updated manual has been installed with a new version (at least, I don't think that there is).

I don't even know if the chm file has been updated to include whatever new features came out in an update. My experience with other Magix products is that the new features show up a couple of updates down the road.

So, Acorn, keep plugging away at getting Xara and Magix to fix this, everywhere.