Designer Pro Manual

[jedasa]

Hello,
I have just d/l the latest version of Designer Pro, and noticed that the pdf manual does not have a clickable table of contents? I find it surprising that a program of this stature does not have a manual with a menu that one can access with a simple click. Every other pdf manual I have used certainly has this accessibility. The manual provided in this form is quite useless!

Thanks.

[gwpriester]

Welcome to TalkGraphics. Good point. Most of us have used the program for a long long time but yes, a good searchable PDF manual should be a given.

That said, in any tool press F1 for a complete listing and explanation of that tool or function. In any menu if there is a help button, press this for context sensitive options for that tool or function.

And in the Help menu you can search for most tools and functions.

[jedasa]

Welcome to TalkGraphics. Good point. Most of us have used the program for a long long time but yes, a good searchable PDF manual should be a given.

That said, in any tool press F1 for a complete listing and explanation of that tool or function. In any menu if there is a help button, press this for context sensitive options for that tool or function.

And in the Help menu you can search for most tools and functions.

Thanks, I appreciate your reply and helpful tips! Maybe someday a "real" pdf manual will be supplied.

[Egg Bramhill]

Like Gary I'm a long term user and very rarely require the help files. However try this:

LINK

[browj2]

@jedasa

I have just d/l the latest version of Designer Pro, and noticed that the pdf manual does not have a clickable table of contents?

Mine does, kind of. Click on the menu button at the top left, just to the left of the page number to turn on/off the menu. It isn't a real menu, though. I'll raise this with Magix.

[handrawn]

The manual provided in this form is quite useless!

This is not true

I take on board your point that the PDF search facility should be implimented, but if you are serious about learning a program there is no substitute for reading right through the manual making notes and trying things out; ideally in a structured learning environment although i don't think that exists for xara

If you do this it will:

a] show you things you did not know existed
b] highlight where the manual is out of date

So whilst the manual is not as helpful as it should be for fast access to specific points, it is not useless

[browj2]

@jedasa

Like Handrawn says, read the manual.

Instead of a ToC in the left column, there are thumbnails. You can quickly find the ToC and then quickly go to the page by putting the page number in the pages box at the top left of the interface.

[jedasa]

This is not true

I take on board your point that the PDF search facility should be implimented, but if you are serious about learning a program there is no substitute for reading right through the manual making notes and trying things out; ideally in a structured learning environment although i don't think that exists for xara

If you do this it will:

a] show you things you did not know existed
b] highlight where the manual is out of date

So whilst the manual is not as helpful as it should be for fast access to specific points, it is not useless

Thanks to everyone for your input. I have been working with pdf technical manuals for many years. I am aware of the thumbnails, and they are a work-around, though cumbersome.

Handrawn, I appreciate your input, but your view is subjective. I'm glad the manual works for you. However, for me, as it is, the manual is quite useless.

I am not referring to the content; the content is superb.

However, as I mentioned, I have worked with pdf manuals in Industry for many years. It is not acceptable to have a technical pdf manual that is not instantly accessible via clickable links. That is why pdf manuals have replaced physical, full color, hard copies. To use a hard copy would be wonderful; having a manual on one's desk while working with a program has always been beneficial. However, pdf manuals have in many cases replaced physical copies, and throughout Industry fully accessible, searchable, clickable pdf manuals are NOT the exception, but rather the standard.

[Boy]

Have you tried Ctrl+F in the pdf?

[handrawn]

@jedasa

respect - but you said the manual was 'useless' and I, being a pendant if you like, as most good technical people are, was pointing out that it is not 'useless'; that is a fact not a point of view

limited in its capability, yes; useless, no

To use a hard copy would be wonderful; having a manual on one's desk while working with a program has always been beneficial.

if you want a hard copy on your desk, might I suggest you print it out...

pretty soon inflation will be back in double figures, just like it was when I first started reading technical manuals, my that was along time ago....