Need System Screen shots? Just Snag It November 19, 2008
Posted by Amal in Tools and Softwares.Tags: SnagIt, software
2 comments
So what is the best screen shot editor for a technical writer? According to my opinion thank heavens there was Snag It. Let me describe why photoshop, paint and others are not so cute and smart for me.
So once we install snag it. It makes itself available in the task bar, we forget everything. Let’s see I have a User manual to create, well lets say I need to describe a authentication form. So here I go:
I jot out the main navigation of the system
I get in for a hardcore UAT of the developed system / software
Throughout the UAT, I just keep pressing Print Screen and keep saving the shots serially for each module
Nifty huh ?
What do you use for screen shots?
Tools For The Information Developers July 28, 2008
Posted by Amal in Tools and Softwares.Tags: information development, software, technical writing, tools
4 comments
Information development is a job yet an art. The best part of being an information developer is you have the power to utilize your knowledge, experiences with your visualization and logical power.
Analysis of your target user is not just another rule, but an obligation. The best explanation might be purchasing a laptop. Suppose you need to guide three different persons an, IT professional, a businessman and a teenage girl on the same laptop, would you prefer the same style of transferring information to all? Preferable Not!!
I don’t use the same tone and style for blogging and for test case manuals, both are intended for different sets of audiences.
For technical documentation sometimes we need flowchart, sometimes UML designing and sometimes just pure art. Some great software that information developers would love to use:
• Adobe Framemaker [http://www.adobe.com/products/framemaker/] – Powerful WYSIWYG Editor with XML capabilities
• Adobe Robohelp [http://www.adobe.com/products/robohelp/] – Help System, Help authoring tool
• Microsoft Word – The best and most popular drafting editor available.
• Techsmith’s SnagIt [http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.asp] – Screen capturing Software with possible editing capabilities.
• WordWeb [http://www.wordweb.info] – English dictionary and thesaurus software.
• Editplus [http://www.editplus.com] – A pure coder’s favorite text based editor.
• Microsoft Visio – The best tool for Flowchart diagrams, UML designing, Database model diagrams, Block Plans and Layouts, Project Planning.
• Adobe Acrobat [http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatproextended/] – PDF creator. (also check out cutepdf, if the requirement is just publishing pdf files from MS Word)
For an HTML editor some use Frontpage, while maximum designers prefer Dreamweaver. For a bit technically adapted person who has minimum requirements of HTML / XML to broadcast his information, Editplus is still trusted application.
Adobe recently launched Adobe Technical Communication Suite for technical writers and instructional designers. The suite consists of all tools required by an information developer – Adobe Framemaker, Adobe RoboHelp, Adobe Captivate and Adobe Acrobat. The suite is priced at US $ 1599 and every Information Architect’s dream suite.
Check out: http://www.adobe.com/products/technicalcommunicationsuite
Till my next post – deliver information in the best possible way, Take care.
