Re: HELP-EXTRA!

["Walker, Arlen P" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>]

>One of my clients has a "simple" need; - to use a modern computer with
>scanner attached, and using Word 97 as the primary tool, to replace the
>traditional paper filing system for the information relating to her
"cause".
>The filing must use graphic images rather than OCR conversions - mainly
>copies of letters and newspaper articles.

This is *definitely* a case of "wrong tool." Word *isn't* a graphic tool,
and isn't designed to handle them either easily or efficiently. Forget
about doing this in Word; it ain't gonna happen in any useful manner.

From your description, the application sounds very similar to legal
offices, which need to keep a copy of the original document easily
available for retrieval.

Several options come to mind: PC-DOCS or MARS (or some other document
management system) can do this sort of thing easily, but may be beyond the
price limitations of the project.

Another solution might be to try some of the various graphic art management
packages. Pacific Coast Software has a couple of products, though PhotoMill
(the product I know about and was about to buy for an application here) has
been discontinued. Adobe's Fetch is another idea. These kind of packages
present a thumbnail of the graphic and some basic indexing information
you've given them, and will deliver the full verison upon request. Images
can be sorted and pulled by any of this indexing information.

Alternatives can be found but will probably be less optimal than either of
these.

Alternative solution #1: FileMaker Pro. It's an easy to set-up database
which can store an image in a field, with accompanying fields being used
for text. We use it in the research area here to store images from various
projects we've done.

Alternative solution #2: PowerPoint. If you've got Word 97 you may have PP
as well. If so, try bringing the image into a presentation slide in PP. You
can store some information about it in the outline mode which will not have
to show on the screen with the image, yet the image will be available to be
viewed.


Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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