#Access Software
17 messages in this thread
Any comments on the following Access Engines:
Folio Quantum Kay Software (I probably spelled this wrong) Lotus Bluefish ?
Thanks.
– Dan
Daniel:
FWIW, Folio is good, inexpensive engine when you don't need anything really
fancy. Quantum Kay Software I'm not familiar with. Lotus no longer
markets Bluefish (or so I was told last year), but they do sell a package
called SmarText, which has gotten mixed reviews.
Best – Rich
Thanks for the info.
Right now we are likely to go with Folio.
Any suggestions on what engine to use when we are going to be accessing a
lot of pictures/overheads along with the text?
– Dan
Daniel:
I assume you mean page scans or page images, which might be accessed by
pointers from the text. If so, most packages have this ability these days
(its a feature that's pretty easy to implement). If you have large volume,
are concerned about performance, or want to do anything more sophiticated,
you'll probably be looking to move up a grade or two from Folio (although
in all fairness, I have seen their latest releases, so I might be mistaken
about them). A Fulcrum-based package, Dataware, PLS, etc.
Rich
Daniel,
Folio is IMO clunky and boring, but it works. I personally also
find it hard to do searches. But it works. (Get the message?)
Bluefish is indeed dead. (we have a major customer stuck on it, and
hurting). Smarttext is a whole different kind of look and feel. I would
say really neat for repacking small things, (especially if they're
organized for print) but perhaps not the best for a conventional data base
kind of app.
Frank
Well Frank, if Folio is clunkey and boring but working, do you have some
thoughts on something that is neat and wonderful and works — even for
repacking not-small things, even when they are not organized for print.
Also, let me revisit your comment on Smarttext a little more — if we are
putting in a bunch of books and stuff along with some associated graphics +
some overhead presentations. Access will be through the TOC as if the
reader were looking through the books, or by keyword. Would Smarttext work
okay?
– Dan
Dan,
That does sound like a pretty good smarttext application: They use
a bookshelf metaphor–Threre's actually a bookshelf on the screen and you
click on hte one you want. You can hypertext from the TOC to where you want
to go, and do the same with keywords. Plus, since it's windows you get
fonts and italics and such in your screen display.
They also have conventional search capabilities, within books or
across the whole bookshelf. I haven't seen it on a CDROM, but it's _fast_
on a hard disk–a windows app that's faster than its' DOS equivalents.
The only real limitation we've found is that there's no way to
automate the linking procedure–ie find references in the text to "section
12, paragraph 42" and have the link inserted automatically.
We are VARs–email us an address and I'll send you a Smartext demo
and literature on our data prep company.
Frank
Daniel G. Mintz WJ Culver Consulting Inc 8500 Leesburg Pike – Suite 402
Vienna VA 22182
Thanks.
– Dan
Daniel:
A CD-ROM package that I've used extensively is Innerview from TMS. It
comes as a stand-alone Windows app as well as a Windows API. I'm using it
for publishing technical documentation. It offers support for hyperlinks,
graphics, and word searching. If you have any specific questions about
this package let me know and I'll try to answer them or put you in touch
with the vendor.
James
Why not send me a vendor contact for TMS.
Thanks.
– Dan
Daniel,
FWIW, TMS also has a really slick hyperactive image database application.
It has the capability of embedding hot buttons or overlays into images that
could be used to popup zoom-in views, etc. Talk to Rick Scanlan if your
interested in this kind of application. They're a good company, with
quality products.
Kathy <<– The One-Off CD Shop MidSouth, Inc. <<– no connection with TMS
What's Rick's id?
– Dan
Daniel,
Rick is TMS's General Sales Manager. I don't know if he's on CIS. I'll
look up his phone # for you when I get into the office tomorrow, though.
Kathy <<– The One-Off CD Shop MidSouth, Inc.
Thanks.
– dan
Daniel,
Here's the info I promised:
Rick Scanlan, Director of Sales
TMS, Inc.
110 W. 3rd St.
PO Box 1358
Stillwater, OK 74076
(405) 377-0880 FAX (405) 377-0452
The product I described is called "InnerView" for Windows.
Pls tell him "Hi" for me!
Thanks.
I'll call him sometime this week. Will let you know if anything happens.
– Dan
Hi Paul,
is there a reason why Kodak's Access Software doesn't allow to load PCDs
from other media than CD-ROM, e.g. a Syquest ? As I've heard Coreldraw 3.0b
and Micrografix Designer 3.1 will allow this.
Torsten