RE: Graphics Utilities for Callouts?

["David Demyan" <dbd -at- mendem -dot- com>]

Eric Peterson asked:

I write software documentation in Word and use SnagIt to create screenshots
in
PCX format.  Normally, I link to the graphic files externally, but if I want
to
add callouts, I have to save the graphic in the document.  I recently
produced a
very graphic-intensive document and sent it out for revisions - my boss sent
it
back with suggestions for lots and lots of callouts and other elements.
After
adding all this stuff, I ended up having major memory problems viewing and
printing the document.  My final solution, which works klunkily, was to
create a
mini Word document for each graphic with callouts, then link to the mini
document from the main document.

Two questions:
1) Could I have come up with a more graceful solution using these tools, and
2) Is there a graphics editing package that will allow me to add callouts,
labels, arrows and such to a PCX file and save the result as a graphic file,
which I could then link into my document?

Eric,

I'm glad you use SnagIt. It is one of the best capture programs.
[Disclaimer: I work for the maker, TechSmith. I create the help
system.]

The more recent releases of SnagIt, 5.0 or later, have a nifty
feature called SnagIt Studio. This pulls in your bitmap as
the background, then you can add callouts on top of it, save the
Studio file (in case you need to make updates later on), and
export the graphic with callout embedded as a bitmap. Then you
simply place this annotated bitmap in the document.

Studio has many options for annotating the graphic, including
clip art, rubber stamps, callout balloons, arrows, and the like.

Hope you can use this to create some really cool art.

Dave Demyan.
Mendem Concord, Inc.
Contract Technical Writers.
888-753-8500
http://www.mendem.com