[linux-audio-user] [OT] graphics for tutorials, was: [OT] any gimp maestros here ?

[pirrone]

Dave Phillips wrote:

> Greetings:
>
>  First of all, thank you to everyone who responded. I really only 
> expected a few replies, but it seems that many of you here are 
> multi-talented, and I thank you all for your messages and offers of 
> assistance. I received so many replies that I thought it might be 
> better to respond to the list (rather than individually), and I want 
> to expand the topic anyway.
>
>  After some consideration I've decided to bring the original topic to 
> the list. I'm preparing some documentation for a project, and I need 
> to make some "instructive" screenshots, what Steve D tells me are 
> called callouts. Brett McCoy suggested I use layers in the GIMP, which 
> seems pretty do-able to me, but someone else suggested that I might be 
> better off using something like xfig. I want to do a simple thing 
> (well, to me it's simple, but that's because I don't know how to do 
> it), I want to place a screenshot against a larger white background, 
> which would server as an area for descriptive text. Arrows would point 
> from the text to the item described, and ideally those arrows would be 
> placed at any needed angle. Considering how often I see this type of 
> picture I'd assumed it would be simple in the GIMP: would I in fact be 
> better accomodated by some other graphics app ?
>
>  The topic has got a bit bigger in my mind now, so I thought I'd ask 
> this question on the open list: Do users have a preference for 
> documentation format ? I admit that while I like HTML it does look 
> rather clunky next to a polished PDF file. Trouble is, I don't know 
> how to format for PDF. So, what format would you prefer ?
>
>  I've noted this thread as OT, hopefully no-one will be bored to tears 
> by it... :)
>
> Best regards,
>
> dp

Dave,

Sounds like Gimp with screen cap and cropping along with OpenOffice for 
text, arrows and formatting all exported as PDF would be an effective, 
efficient, and easy to master solution.   I've done this with a large 
amount of computer application instructional materials and though I have 
shed some tears they've not been due to boredom...

Frank