TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
What I used to do at a previous company: have the normal figure numbering
for each chapter and each figure, e.g. 1-1, 1-2, e-3, etc. (figures were not
repeated within a chapter, at least). However, at the top right of each
figure frame, in 7 pt Helvetica, the file name of the figure was included
without the extension. Figures were numbered in series according to the
illustrator's whimsy, though he was organized. So if a figure was a
modification of a previous release, the previous illustration stayed the
same with the same file name, and a new copy was made with the filename and
the new version number attached
e.g. 20355_192(3.0)
20355_192(5.0)
If you were to go through the pdfs with the catalog search tool, you'd find
six or so citations of a given figure number.
Everybody loved me when a few illustrations had to have their filenames
changed, and I could tell them on which pages these illustrations were
found.
Also kindof handy when you want to purge your directories of any unnecessary
graphics files.
