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Author Topic: Dr.Explain 4.0 -- Rapid Creation of Help Systems to Speed up Software Rollouts  (Read 21499 times)

cognitive

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Hello DCoders!

I'm happy to finally introduce Dr.Explain 4.0, the most significant release of our innovative help authoring software, with over 10 new features and enhancements, including improved interface usability, customizable page layout, visual styles, on-demand screenshot annotating mode, search and index functionality in HTML manuals, PDF output and more. New Dr.Explain makes it even easier and faster to document software, ensuring faster software rollouts.
The new version is available at http://www.drexplain.com


Check out our new identity also!  ;)

Unique to Dr.Explain is its innovative approach to making help documentation much quicker than it is with other tools. The program parses a live application and automatically produces screenshots of its windows along with a sequence of explanatory callouts for each control. The process is accurate and fully automated, so the user only has to enter a description for each callout. The project can be exported to HTML, CHM Help, RTF or PDF format.

Improved Flexibility and Efficiency

Dr.Explain 4.0 includes but not limited to the following key new features:

*   Improved usability - The newest version introduces a wide work area, sleek icons and slim toolbars, contributing to increased user satisfaction. Unlike before, there are no separate edit boxes for every control. Content of an entire topic is now presented on a single page and can be edited on the fly.

*   Customizable look - In the new version, the user can rearrange objects and change layout page content remarkably easily in the editor. The format of headings, sub-headings and normal text can be adjusted easily. Besides, it's possible to create custom visual styles and quickly apply them to document parts.

*   On-demand screenshot annotating mode - Now the user can enter the screenshot annotation mode by double-clicking on a screenshot image. The workspace area is grabbed only when required. The floating panels will help the user to organize the workspace layout as needed.

*   Search and Index in HTML manuals - Now Dr.Explain allows the user to integrate search and index functions into HTML manuals to enable quick search through an on-line manual. This feature doesn't require scripting capabilities on a server and may be used even on websites with free hosting.

*   PDF output - Following the requests from users, the authors expanded publishing output options by implementing export to PDF. Now the user can export help documentation to Adobe PDF with support for national characters, images, hyper-links, bookmarks and table of contents.

Full list of new features can be found at http://www.drexplain.com/versions

Dr.Explain Availability

Users who bought the product in 2009-2010 can upgrade to the new version at no cost. A downloadable trial version is available at http://www.drexplain.com/download .
BTW, the program comes with "Compatible with Windows 7" logo, which means Dr.Explain has passed Microsoft tests for compatibility and reliability on Windows 7.

Note to blog owners:  :Thmbsup: A free serial number for Dr.Explain 4.0 is provided to editors, Internet columnists, bloggers and webmasters who intend to write a review of the program on their website, blog or column.

I'm looking forward to your feedback regarding the new version.
Dennis Crane
Dr.Explain : the fastest way to make software help
http://www.drexplain.com

mouser

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Very nice.

JavaJones

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I'll probably be upgrading just to get the PDF output and single page editing for control texts. But I'd really, really (really) like to see a better web component for this. Something that hooks into a CMS or a wiki would be awesome. As it is I've had to "roll my own". ;)

- Oshyan

iphigenie

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Just noticed it's on bits du jour

Now must figure out fast if it adds things that screensteps doesnt have :)

cognitive

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We're happy to introduce a preview of the upcoming Dr.Explain 4.1, a tool for software help file authoring and documentation writing.
Meet the Dr.Explain 4.1 Beta!


Here is a list of main new features of 4.1:
* User interface is now available in six languages: English, German, Spanish, Russian, French, & Portuguese
* Import of CHM files
* Import of HTML files
* Batch import of folder with HTML files
* A lot of tweaks, improvements, and minor modifications.

Please find more details on the support forum:
http://www.drexplain...ic.php?f=4&t=289

The update is free for all owners of version 4.0.

We invite you to download and try the Dr.Explain 4.1 Beta. Direct download link:
http://www.drexplain...ile.php?product=beta

We'll appreciate your feedback, bug reports, and ideas regarding the new version.

BTW, check on the new video that demonstrates the key benefits of software documentation authoring with Dr.Explain: http://www.drexplain.com/live_demo/
Dennis Crane
Dr.Explain : the fastest way to make software help
http://www.drexplain.com

cognitive

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Indigo Byte Systems announces Dr.Explain 4.1, an important upgrade to its state-of-the-art documentation authoring tool which is now also available in 8 languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Sweden, Russian, and Dutch. Now, users can read the information on the website and use the program in their native language.

The new version is available as a free trial from http://www.drexplain.com 

In addition to localization, the latest product version brings over 15 new features and improvements. For example, user can import existing CHM, HLP, RTF and HTML files to Dr.Explain and keep on creating and updating documentation with ease and comfort in the modern help authoring environment. Version 4.1 also includes optimized graphical algorithms that produce PNG image files of a smaller size without losing on quality. This allows making the size of an output help file by up to two times smaller than was possible with previous versions. The newest version also enhances the print output experience with improved PDF Export performance.

To learn more about Dr.Explain 4.1, please visit http://www.drexplain.com/versions/
Watch a live video demo: http://www.drexplain.com/live_demo/
Download a free trial: http://www.drexplain.com/download/

Dennis Crane
Dr.Explain : the fastest way to make software help
http://www.drexplain.com

PaulSmith

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Would be nice if it worked across our shared drive.  Having developed and tested on my machine, it fails when anyone else tries to use it.

cognitive

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Dr.Explain 4.5 is available at http://www.drexplain.com/download

Watch and re-share the video press release about Dr.Explain 4.5 update:



WHAT'S NEW

1.   Annotation Template Editor
Create callouts of any design, complexity & style.
2.   New spell checker
Full Unicode support, extended dictionaries, and simplified settings.
3.   Improved RTF\DOC import
More flexible handling of styles & formats upon import.
4.   Improved HTML import
More careful handling of complicated HTML markup.
5.   Simplified settings of export functions
Create CHM, PDF, RTF, or HTML in two clicks without worrying about basic settings.
6.   More obvious CHM compiler settings
Customize CHM compilation settings and CHM viewer window position and size.
7.   Better performance of JavaScripts and optimized CSS and HTML markup in on-line manuals
Your on-line manuals will load up to 4 time faster.
8.   Auto-update function
Never miss the latest release of Dr.Explain
9.   About 200 improvements, fixes, and optimizations were made

The update is FREE for all 4.x uses. Just download and install it over previous 4.x version
Dennis Crane
Dr.Explain : the fastest way to make software help
http://www.drexplain.com

cognitive

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Dr.Explain 4.9 is available at http://www.drexplain.com/

Dr.Explain 4.9 is an application used by software developers and technical authors to automate the creation of software help systems and user manuals.


What’s new in Dr.Explain 4.9

New interactive design of online user manuals.
The modern style, a number of ready-made color schemes, and flexible settings for creating a unique design let one easily make the online user manual an integral part of the corporate or product website.

Social media optimization (SMO) of user manuals.
In the new version of Dr.Explain, some tools have been added for promoting software products through social networks. A software developer can add the “Like” (Facebook), “Google +1”, “Tweet”, or other buttons to the pages of the online user manual. Users that like some feature of the software product can easily create posts about it in their social networks, so that their friends will quickly learn about the application via a news feed.

User generated content.
Now Dr.Explain can add widgets for commenting on Facebook or Disqus (the most popular content commenting platform) to a help system in order to provide instant feedback from software product users and create a strong “viral” effect. This way, information about the product can easily spread over social networks even without any efforts on the software developer’s part, creating a brand recognition effect.
   
Adding videos to user manuals.
Dr.Explain provides a handy tool for adding videos from YouTube and other popular video hosting services to user manuals, which will make the help system even more vivid, informative, and illustrative.

Instant PDF preview.
The quick PDF preview feature lets one easily preview pages without fully exporting the help project to the PDF format.

Download a free trial: http://www.drexplain.com/download/

Also watch the two new demos about creating online help and user guides in Dr.Explain:
   

The update is FREE for all 4.x users. Just download and install it over previous 4.x version

Dennis Crane
Dr.Explain : the fastest way to make software help
http://www.drexplain.com

cognitive

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Dr.Explain 4.10 facilitates faster creation of software documentation
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2013, 11:09 AM »
Indigo Byte Systems, LLC releases Dr.Explain 4.10, a professional tool which allows software developers to create user documentation for their products much faster thanks to the automation and visualization of the most time-consuming processes.

What’s new in Dr.Explain 4.10

The new version of Dr.Explain offers even higher level of automation and visualization for faster development of help systems and user manuals.

Among other things, the new version provides a very simple and intuitive process of creating tables of content and title pages both for printed documentation and for software help systems.
410_toc.png

The redesigned user interface enables flexible and intuitive management of output formats for sections of the help project.
The ideology of Dr.Explain 4.10 is based on visualization, high productivity, and minimization of stressful efforts when developing user documentation.

Download the new version from http://www.drexplain.com/

Dennis Crane
Dr.Explain : the fastest way to make software help
http://www.drexplain.com

cognitive

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We are happy to introduce Dr.Explain 5.5 - the latest release of a professional tool which allows software developers to create user documentation for their products in different formats quickly.

Dr.Explain has been significantly changed since the last update announce at DonationCoder:

  • Teamwork and collaboration
    500_feat_02.pngDr.Explain 4.0 -- Rapid Creation of Help Systems to Speed up Software Rollouts
  • 64 Bit architecture
  • Hi-DPI monitors support
  • New revamped user interface
    55_ui.pngDr.Explain 4.0 -- Rapid Creation of Help Systems to Speed up Software Rollouts
  • New single-document interface (SDI) model
    53_main.pngDr.Explain 4.0 -- Rapid Creation of Help Systems to Speed up Software Rollouts
  • New start up dialog
    53_startup.pngDr.Explain 4.0 -- Rapid Creation of Help Systems to Speed up Software Rollouts
  • Simpler page design and layout customization
    54_layout.pngDr.Explain 4.0 -- Rapid Creation of Help Systems to Speed up Software Rollouts
  • Responsive layout of online manuals for better accessibility on mobile devices
    52_mobile_layout.pngDr.Explain 4.0 -- Rapid Creation of Help Systems to Speed up Software Rollouts
  • Automatic numeration of the documentation topics
    52_autonumbering.pngDr.Explain 4.0 -- Rapid Creation of Help Systems to Speed up Software Rollouts
  • Colored export logs
  • Verified Windows 10 compatibility
  • Ability to insert annotated screenshot in any existing topic
  • Ability to convert any plain image into annotated screenshot
  • Ability to set line and paragraph indents and table dimensions with editor ruler
  • Indicating a topic’s parents in project tree
  • Ability to import very large MS Word files
  • Better RTL (Right-To-Left writing) support
  • More customizable multi-level lists
  • Screenshot capture and analyzing tool was improved
  • New hot keys for faster work
  • The Import function got more flexible and robust
  • The Export functions were optimized
  • Several dozens of requested improvements and fixes will make your work with the Dr.Explain 5 much more intuitive, faster, and easier.

Download the new version from https://www.drexplain.com/

Dennis Crane
Dr.Explain : the fastest way to make software help
http://www.drexplain.com