HyperSTI
- Standardize and Simplify Illustrations
- Considerable Savings on Time and Cost
- Create Illustrations only once
HyperSTI - Simplified Technical Illustrations
Simplified Technical Illustrations is a methodology developed by Etteplan | Tedopres in order to effectively communicate information to a product user, and to provide single sourcing for illustrations, which can save considerable time and cost in the creation, management and publication of (technical) illustrations.HyperSTI
HyperSTI ensures optimal reuse of illustrations, by creating illustrations that consist of separate components. These components are structured using XML and are stored in a database. From this database, the separate components can be assembled to form an illustration.
Please view the below video for a demonstration of HyperSTI.
Benefits
Cost Savings for Translation & Localization
HyperSTI illustrations are configurable. A technical author can create his own configuration and use it in his editor to create the documentation. No technical illustrator is needed to create a special configured illustration after a HyperSTI illustration has been created. The translation process for illustrations can be very time-consuming. With HyperSTI this translation process is kept outside the illustration and therefore faster. The translation of text inside HyperSTI illustrations is XML based. This process is handled like translating just text. After the text has been translated, HyperSTI illustrations are translated automatically. Benefits are even bigger when illustrations must be changed because of a product change. The translation and publication process is often not affected and can be reused. For new languages only the text needs to be translated, there is no need to change or edit the illustration itself.
The difference (for 1 language)*
| Quantity | Common translation | HyperSTI translation | Difference |
| 1 | 15 minutes | 1 minute | 14 minutes |
| 30 | 7 ½ hours | 30 minutes | 7 hours |
* Example based on a document containing 30 illustrations.
Software related illustrations
Illustrations of displays in documentation are always software related. Publishing illustrations must be part of the software release process if you want to make sure all illustrations contain the same text version as the real software.
With HyperSTI this is possible. The configuration, localization and translation of your illustration are embedded in the product release process.
Further Cost Savings
Simplified Technical Illustrations will result in cost savings thanks to:
- External translation process
- Configurable illustrations
- Reusable on multiple media platforms (PDF, HTML)
- Integration with CMS (content management system)
- Configuration of illustration is done by author
- Extra language added easily
Customer satisfaction and improved customer service
As a result of using Simplified Technical Illustrations, your product manuals will be easier to understand by your customers. One of the benefits: you will receive fewer phone calls from customers with problems.
Reduced time-to-market
Creating technical documentation more efficiently as a result of using Simplified Technical Illustrations, will save time and reduce your time-to-market. There will be a reduced time for maintenance and operation; maintenance manuals are clear and easier to understand, which saves time during maintenance and operations.
Efficient authoring
Not only will your technical documentation increase in quality, your technical writers will also become more efficient and increase their level of content creation. Content can be reused. For new languages, only the text needs to be translated, there is no need to change or edit the illustration itself.
HyperSTI Features
- Optimum usability: thanks to its many levels of detail, a Simplified Technical Illustration can perfectly be tailored to any type of application and for different types of target groups
- Optimal reusability: by using component illustrations, Simplified Technical Illustrations are easily manageable, cost effective and up-to-date
- Content management: Simplified Technical Illustrations are stored in a database. The same illustration can be stored in different configurations. Each configuration can be linked to related text.
HyperSTI technology
HyperSTI is a client – server solution, with SVG drawings. SVG is an abbreviation for Scalable Vector Graphics. It uses XML technology to store statical as well as dynamical vector images. SVG is an open standard of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). W3C is responsable for the standards, used on the World Wide Web, like HTML, XHTML, XML and CSS.
About SVG
- SVG is being recommended by the W3C as from 2001; it can be compared to Flash, but it is an open structure, using XML format.
- SVG describes illustrations, consisting of text, vectors and bitmap images.
SVG offers the following possibilities:
- interact with scripting languages
- declarative animations
- easily change texts in illustrations
- hyperlinks
- filtereffects
- CSS
Manage and configure illustrations
Normally, a technical illustrator creates many different illustrations, based upon one single source illustration.
By using SVG, it is possible to use a scripting language to switch layers on and off. By placing changes to the basic illustration on another layer, it is possible to use only one drawing, containing all variants to the original, without the need to copy the rest of the illustration numerous times.
Illustrations can be changed and configured by a technical author to show exactly what is needed in the current context.
Provided that the differences between versions are not too complex, it is even possible to automate the creation of new versions partly or completely.
Text in SVG files is not embedded in the graphic itself, but in a separate XML file. This makes editing and translating texts a process outside of the HyperSTI illustrations.
Because the text in the illustrations can be edited without complex tools, it can be changed in a cost effective way, thus saving on the costs for translating and revising the text, embedded in graphics. If displays are used in products to communicate with the user, this text must be translated in the documentation also.
Contact
For more information or to request a demonstration of HyperSTI and how it can help your organization save considerable cost and time, please contact us.