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From: Sean MacRae <sean -at- rcp -dot- co -dot- uk>
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 13:00:27 +0100
> First off, Visio is a vector drawing package, and you'd be better off
saving
> in a format that preserves that (JPG is a bitmap format) -- something like
> Windows Metafile (.wmf), Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or Encapsulated
PostScript
> (.eps). Watch out for font problems, 'though.
>
> If you're looking for HTML output, this may not be appropriate.
<snip>
> So:
> - Vector format for line-art for print
> - GIF for line art if you need a bitmap for the Web
> - JPG for complex, photographic images or where size is important**
Note that output to HTML/Web does NOT mean that you have to give up on your
wonderful vector graphics and turn them into inflexible and troublesome
bitmap image formats like GIF or JPEG. There are several viable vector
formats/technologies around, developed to include Visio diagrams and other
vector graphics in your Web-based documentation and publishing projects:
CGM
---
Viewable with the freely downloadable ActiveCGM browser plug-in (IE/NN) from
Micrografx. CGM is the vector graphics standard for SGML documentation, and
mostly used in engineering industries such as aerospace/aviation, automotive
and oil&gas. The ActiveCGM technology is often used for IETMs.
SVG
---
Viewable with the freely downloadable SVG Viewer browser plug-in (IE/NN)
from Adobe. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is the new XML standard to store
and deliver 2D vector graphics to the Web. As an XML format, it can also be
read by XML-enabled browsers, content management systems, databases etc.
There are several other viewers/plugins available, and standard browser
support is widely anticipated. SVG is already used a lot in
mapping/cazrtography and charting applications, and it is also very well
suited for technical/engineering/scientific graphics publishing.
Graphics in both these file formats can be easily embedded into normal HTML
web pages, without the browser plug-ins taking over the viewer's screen.
If your design/engineering applications don't export to CGM or SVG (I don't
think Visio can), you're welcome to contact me off-list to try out our
commercial PS2vector software, which enables companies to generate these
vector formats (and others) in batch, from just about any application -
including Visio.
Have a good weekend,
Jeroen Dekker
--
Product manager, PS2vector
The Graphics Connection
* MIF for FrameMaker
* CGM for SGML and Web
* WMF/EMF for MS Office
* SVG for XML and Web
URL: http://www.square1.nl/index.htm
Tel. (+31) 71 364 8657
jeroen -at- square1 -dot- nl
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A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and
three and a half days of immersion in the state of the art:
IPCC 01, Oct. 24-27 in Santa Fe. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
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