FAQ
Uploading Images In your Forum post
By Rita Svoboda
Sep 3, 2003

To upload to SPLASH, look at the bottom of the window where you are typing when you post a message.  Under “Attachment” there is a line that says, “Click here to choose your file”.  Select the file type and browse to the file.  Once the path to your file is in the box, click on upload file.  Remember, there is a 50k size limit.

To create your image to post to the forum:

Download a screen capture utility such as Screenhunter at www.wisdom-soft.com.  This is a free program.   When you open Screenhunter, there are a few settings you must set for your preferences.  On the FROM screen, you need to create your hotkey.  A good choice is Print Scrn and it is easy to remember.  On the TO screen, you need to create a file in which to save your images to post.  How about My documents/SPLASH Images.  Once you’ve set these, click on standby.  To capture a portion of what’s on the screen, click on “rectangle area,” put your cursor at the corner of it, hit the hotkey, and the left mouse button and drag your mouse to encompass the image.  To capture a full rendering, click on “full screen” and hit the hotkey.   Screenhunter will save the image to whatever file you specified.     You can then open this file in another program to compress it to under 50K.  There are several programs that can be used including Paintshop Pro and Adobe Elements which are both inexpensive.  But, check the file size in Windows Explorer.  Sometimes it’s already under 50K and doesn’t need to be compressed.  To check the size, click on start>my computer and look for your file.  When you find it, left click on it and then click on properties.  It will give you the file size.

Another option in SoftPlan V12 is to “save as” a jpg.  If you use a low zoom like 40% in Softview, you might not have to resize it because it will already be under the 50K limit.  In Softview,  zoom percentage is on the right of the screen next to the type of drawing you selected.  NOTE:  50K is the same as 50,000 bytes.  Open the jpg rendering in your selected program.  In Elements, the image will show up on the bottom of the screen along with the file size.  In Photoshop or Elements, go to IMAGE > IMAGE SIZE.   NOTE:  Each image will have different proportions.  Usually make the image about 444 max in largest direction to keep the file size down.   Photoshop and Elements keep proportions the same when you change either the height or width if you have “constraint proportions checked.   

Once you have the image under 50K, resave the image and get ready to post.