| Title: | T&N Pubs Systems and Tools Notes Conference |
| Moderator: | ISOISA::HAKKARAINEN |
| Created: | Thu Jun 29 1989 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Dec 30 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 91 |
| Total number of notes: | 315 |
Illo Task Force Meeting Minutes
March 13, 1991
Attendees: Denny Dixon Steve Nazzaro
Joan Goldstein Lou Pascarella
Mario Lento Janice Sahagian
Dave McKiernan Jack Wickwire
Cindy Miller
Formulate a Goal Statement -- Lou Pascarella
-----------------------------------------------
Lou and Jack presented a possible goal statement. The group discussed and
edited the goal statement. The following paragraph contains the goal
statement that the group agreed upon:
The goal of this committee is to make our technical documentation
more aesthetically appealing and useful to our customers. To
achieve this goal we plan to research, discuss, and implement
new designs for our technical illustrations effectively using the
latest graphic techniques and tools.
Tools, Experience, and competitor's Illos. -- Jack Wickwire
--------------------------------------------------------------
Jack discussed tools and capabilities. Art is using GPXs to produce
Interleaf illustrations that are used for Interleaf, Document, and DECwrite
books. Interleaf allows artists to use tone to show surface
characteristics. Drawings using tone can easily be turned back into plain
line drawings if necessary. Art is also using the Macintosh to do some
technical illustrations. Art uses the Autocad only to maintain old Autocad
art. Although more flexible and easier to use than Interleaf, it takes
longer to produce tone from Autocad drawings.
Interleaf is the main drawing tool. Artists supplement with Macintosh art
and also use RAGS when necessary. By using Interleaf as the main drawing
tool, the department saves the cost of upgrades to the Autocad system,
which it previously incurred.
Phil and Jack are producing the advanced art. Newton is producing most of
the RAGS art. Terry is producing the art for the Buyer's Guide.
What is our competition doing? They are using lots of line art. The
qualities of the line are are listed below:
o Using perspective and isometric perspective
o Very innovative designs
o Tone added to emphasize or de-emphasize parts of a drawing
o Tone added in conceptual drawings for aesthetic reasons -- drawings
using tone more appealing to the eye
o Tone used in drop shadows
The competition is also producing flow charts, but they are basically the
same as they have always been. Not much change there.
The competition is also producing network illustrations using small 2D
objects. This makes the network drawings easier to comprehend. Although
it doesn't aide in conceptual thinking, it does aide in usefulness. The
one drawback to this is that it is difficult to reuse old drawings by
replacing old boxes with new boxes. It is possible to illustrate a new box
being connected to an old box that is incompatible with the new box.
However, by trying to make these boxes as generic as possible, it might
work.
In hardware books, the competition is using exploding as a method to
emphasize various parts of a drawing.
ACTION: Jack and Lou will bring lots of art examples that they are
experimenting with now, for example in the Buyer's Guide and in a book
Mario is writing.
Open Discussion: Ideas, opinions, suggestions, etc. -- Group
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lou brought up an idea of using an outside vendor to produce camera ready
copy on a 1200 DPI printer. Steve Nazzaro pointed out that SSB will
require electronic transmission of all books within six months. This
eliminates camera ready copy entirely.
Lou and Jack recommend that we set guidelines that can be followed for
producing art rather than create rules that must be adhered to.
Next Meetings
-------------
Monday, 3/18/91 3:00 - 4:00 Ralph Waldo Emerson
-------------------------------------------------
Lou Pascarella .... Present hard copy samples of new designs
Group ............. Open discussion and final selection of new designs
Monday, 3/25/91 3:00 - 4:00 Ralph Waldo Emerson
-------------------------------------------------
Group ............. Present final agreed on sample to Kathleen Warner and her
Management staff for approval.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60.1 | Minutes for 3/18/91 | WORDY::SAHAGIAN | Tue Mar 19 1991 13:39 | 105 | |
Illo Task Force Meeting Minutes
March 18, 1991
Attendees: Denny Dixon Steve Nazzaro
Phil Dussault Lou Pascarella
Joan Goldstein Janice Sahagian
Teresa Honkala Newton Taylor
Cindi Miller Jack Wickwire
Present hard copy samples of new designs -- Lou Pascarella
----------------------------------------------------------
Lou presented four (4) posters with various samples of new designs mounted
to them.
Some art samples used screens for a background. The illustrations were
filled with white. Using tone in hardware illustrations, for example
boards, gives the illustrations more definition. Using tone gives the
effect of adding a color.
Another sample demonstrated a simple block diagram and how the art
department changed it using tone. It made the illustration more aesthetic
and easier to understand. Text blocks were filled with white. Using tone,
you can call attention to what you are discussing in text. The art
department also demonstrated how they can use illustrations resembling
actual equipment instead of equipment boxes with text labeling those boxes.
Another illustration demonstrated the effects of blowouts for a small
section on a board. The overall illustration showed the exact placement of
the blowout. The blowout gave greater detail than is possible in the
overall illustration itself.
A third poster demonstrated the use of screens to create another color in
network diagrams.
Finally, a fourth poster demonstrated the use of the old versus the new
style. Jack restated that the use of tone can be switched back to a plain
line illustration. This poster gave examples of isometric and perspective
illustrations using tones.
Lou also passed around samples of tables using shading. However, these
tables were created using the graphic utility and not the table utility.
This is not ideal. Jack is experimenting with the table utility to see if
he can get the same effect.
Open discussion and final selection of new designs -- Group
-----------------------------------------------------------
Steve Nazzaro asked if the art department would ensure that illustrations
in different books in a document set would all have a similar presentation
method. It was agreed that all illustrations in the same book would have a
similar presentation method. They would try to maintain a similar
presentation with illustrations in different books of a documentation set,
but that would also necessitate more planning up front in the Art Planning
Meetings. It was recommended that the presentation style be written into
the style guide for that documentation set. When the book is submitted to
art for a quality check, the art department would also check for similar
presentation; however, art must be submitted for this quality check earlier
than the signoff. Ideally, it should be submitted at external field test
update. For those books that don't have an external field test update
planned, the writer must submit the art after field test and before
signoff.
Joan Goldstein asked about what style of text can be used in illustrations.
Lou said that they still wanted to use Helvetica regular. However, the
artist can use bold|italics for distinction, for words in a foreign
language, and for book titles.
Lou recommends not forming strict rules, but to use a combination of all
methods, depending on what is applicable for the illustration. He
recommended that if you use shading over 50%, use white text. If you use
shading under 50%, use black text.
Cindi asked if using tone will make the art process longer. Lou said it
will take slightly longer. However, most of the equipment drawings already
exist and are available in the communications cabinet. If a new component
needs to be drawn, the advantage is that all of its subcomponents can be
used in other drawings.
Steve Nazzaro asked if shading would be required in books. Lou replied
that shading would not be required to be used by the writer. However, when
the writer sends his book to the art department for a quality check, the
art department will decide where to use shading and will redo any art if
necessary. Again, it was mentioned that this be something that is planned
at the Art Planning Meeting. Also, ensure that the books are given to the
art department for a quality check before the signoff draft.
Decision -- Group
-----------------------------------------------------------
Use all techniques for illustrations. Stay consistent within a single
book. Try for consistency throughout an entire documentation set.
Next Meeting
------------
Lou said that another meeting is not necessary. He will present our
decision to Kathleen's staff. If Kathleen's staff approves of this
proposal, Lou will present the newly approved illustration format to each
of the writing groups.
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