Mind versus tree navigation; html versus rtf editing

Posted by Ken Ashworth
Mar 10, 2007 at 09:09 PM

Graham,

I’m no UR expert but I’ve run some quick tests with UR v.3.1 and here’s what I’ve found:

In the rtf editor (this would be the detail pane of a Text Item) when you drag-drop an image file from Windows Explorer a link to the file is created - the link will be absolute if the file location is NOT a child folder of the UR data file, otherwise the link is relative. The same will hold true if you select an image file in Windows Explorer and Copy, then Paste into the rtf editor - a link is created.

The only way that I could get an image to paste into the rtf editor was via the clipboard - which means that you’ve got to get the image itself into the clipboard, which means employing an external program to open the image, then copy to the clipboard.

The rtf editor appears to lack a File-Insert function.

The UR File-Import function will allow you to import an image file, this importation will create a new Doc Item (this is a different Type of Item from the Text Item) and should show the image in the detail pane (the Doc Item Type employs the UR Internal Browser). From here you can select-copy-paste into the rtf editor - in essence you are placing the image into the clipboard.

I guess you could call this a work-around, but it does eliminate the need to employ a separate image program to open and load the image into the clipboard for pasting.

Depending on your Import Option settings, the imported image will either be Stored or Linked.

As Chris mentioned, the only other option is to use Word for editing.

This can be accomplished in a number of ways:

The simpliest way is from a new Text Item (or any Text Item) do a Ctrl-J (Open Document) which will launch Word (assuming that rtf is associated to Word under Windows). Now from Word you can use its advanced rtf features to create tables, insert images (Word also provides automatic resizing and other image manipulation options). After editing in Word is complete, close Word and the document is now available back in the UR Text Item (may need to access it via one of the links that appear in the rtf pane).

Building on this, you could create a Word document with a table already created and image options already set, then Import this Word Document to the UR Template Folder (a new Doc Item will be created). Then from Tools-Options-Browser for File Extensions to Display in Broswer add the .doc extension. This will elimanate the need to launch Word when using this UR Template.

Anyway, as mentioned previously, the UR rtf editor leaves a lot to be desired and there are other programs that handle this funcitionality better. But if you have Word on your system, the above method may be the best solution.

Later,
KenA

Graham Rhind wrote:
> >1) I am typing some text as a topic (or whatever Kinook calls
>them)
>2) I want to add a picture. I cannot add a picture from a file (which I want to do).
>Instead I have to open up another program, open up the picture file, copy it to the
>clipboard, then go back to UR, and then paste it. For me this is ludicrous and already a
>reason not to use it. BUT:
>3) I now get a LINK to the image (NOT the image) in my text. To
>view the image I have to click the link, so the image opens in the “browser” window of
>UR.
>4) I.e., I don’t get the text and image together.
>