[Elecraft] K3 Pre-release Assembly Manual Posted

[Bill W5WVO]

Eric, Wayne, et al.,

As you know, I'm also a pro technical writer and graphic illustrator, and I 
must say this preliminary manual is truly an excellent piece of work. Just 
scanning through it quickly, I saw only one typo and a couple of pissant 
punctuation errors  :-) -- which, for a preliminary draft, is truly in a 
league of its own quality-wise. Wow! I would be very, very proud to have done 
this kind of work. You guys are to be sincerely congratulated.

There is a small problem on the block diagram on the last page that I thought 
I'd comment on. A number of specific type elements are oversize -- the 
upper-case "I", the lower-case "l", the hyphen, and the period: basically any 
character whose vector definition is a single vertical or horizontal straight 
line. The absolute difference in terms of measurement is probably miniscule, 
but the way Acrobat works, whenever it sees any difference in weight-producing 
dimensions, even a mil, between two otherwise similar objects, it tries to 
over-emphasize that difference visually at lower zoom levels, since it could 
be important. The source of the vectors for the PDF looks to me like a 
CAD/layout program, because the type objects aren't really type -- they're 
just arbitrary vector objects as far as a Postscript engine like Acrobat is 
concerned.

There are a number of post-process approaches you could make that would fix 
this, or redo the whole diagram in Adobe Illustrator or similar. But then you 
would have to re-do those tweaks every time you spun the manual. Not good. 
:-)  Probably not worth fixing if that's what you have to do.

Again, TERRIFIC job. As David said, it takes a pro in this field to know just 
how hard it is to do it this well.

Bill / W5WVO

PS -- You might be able to specify a different base typeface for the text in 
the drawing (if the concept of "typefqace" or "font" exists in this app), and 
this magnifying effect with Acrobat might not happen. I'd have to be familiar 
with the source app to know for sure.


David Wilburn wrote:
> VERY Impressive Document.  All I have done is a first scan.  I do
> technical documentation for a living.  The zoom spot images and text
> around the images, very well done.  The document has a very modern
> feel, and immediately gives me a feeling of what I am up against as a
> reader (do not yet have a K3 on order, but hope to).  The document
> significantly sets Elecraft apart from others.
>
> After building the K2, so many of the steps are similar to other
> activities in the past, and those very familiar.  Awesome photographs,
> and again, very impressive on how they are integrated into the
>  document. I know how hard that is to do well.  May I be so bold as
> to ask what software you use for documentation?
>
> I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around having a brand
> new K3 to play with, and having to take it apart and photograph the
> assembly.  OUCH!
>
> David Wilburn
> dave.wilburn at verizon.net
> K4DGW
> K2 #5982
> FP#-1751
>
>
> Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ Elecraft wrote:
>> We've just uploaded the K3 basic assembly manual (pre-release
>> version) to the K3 web page. You can directly access it at:
>> http://www.elecraft.com/K3/K3%20Assembly%20Manual%20Prelimnary_s.pdf
>> (It's 3 MB)
>>
>> If that link wraps in your email viewer, try:
>> http://snipurl.com/1qjwe
>>
>> 73, Eric   WA6HHQ
>>
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