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Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

  • 1.  Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 06-17-2019 06:39
    Hi,

    Our services need to have optimal quality when exporting PDF print templates. Currently the resolution is too poor (pixelated, blury images) so they are not useful for the services. Is there a way to improve the quality/resolution?

    Kind regards,

    ------------------------------
    Miquel Roy Sunyer
    Kirklees Council
    HUDDERSFIELD
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Moderator
    Posted 06-18-2019 00:04
    Hi Miquel,

    Thank you for seeking out suggestions for your query on the Knowledge Community.

    Unfortunately, Spectrum Spatial Analyst does not provide any settings to change the resolution of printed PDF as of now. Our Engineering Team has already logged a new improvement request to improve the print quality ( could be dpi or some other method ). It is going to be implemented in future releases of Spectrum Spatial Analyst.

    In future, if you wish to know the availability of this feature, you can ping us here. 

    I will also keep an eye on its status and will revert as soon as this Enhancement is implemented.

    ------------------------------
    Nalin Mathur
    Pitney Bowes Software India PVT. Ltd
    Noida
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 06-19-2019 02:42
    Hi Miquel

    I see Nalin has answered you on here. In response to the email you sent me directly, no we haven't found any work arounds either and are also waiting to see improvements in later releases :)

    Regards

    Bec

    ------------------------------
    Rebecca Marks
    GIS & Environment Officer
    Greater Hume Council
    NSW Australia
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 06-19-2019 03:34
    Hi Rebecca and Nalin,

    Thanks, we are really looking forward to improve the quality/resolution of the print templates.


    Kind regards,

    ------------------------------
    Miquel Roy Sunyer
    Kirklees Council
    HUDDERSFIELD
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Moderator
    Posted 06-19-2019 04:35
    Hi Rebecca,

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and confirming my understandings on this.

    ------------------------------
    Nalin Mathur
    Pitney Bowes Software India PVT. Ltd
    Noida
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 07-17-2019 21:59
    It appears that the current pdf output is around 200 dpi going by our previous outputs from another PB gis application, ideally we would like to see around 300 dpi for quality. We would also like to see the option of output to png file format as well, and would even be fantastic to see go to Word format... just like the predecessor system!

    Regards,
    Tony Jordan

    ------------------------------
    Tony Jordan
    GIS Coordinator
    District Council of Mount Barker
    Mount Barker
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 07-17-2019 22:04
    I've just assumed moving away from the Word format was to ensure users didn't need to purchase any products to view (i.e., PDF viewers are free) and perhaps PB would have to have additional licencing to create them?

    We'd certainly benefit from the Word versions. I have a staff member that comes in every now and then and asks things like "can we have a second row of text with the header?" "Can I change the size/colour/font of the header?" I've already created specific templates just for their work but the template designer does not have the flexibility of a word document.

    ------------------------------
    Rebecca Marks
    GIS & Environment Officer
    Greater Hume Council
    NSW Australia
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 07-22-2019 04:10
    Hi All,

    Printing is an area that we plan to improve next year. Printing has a number of challenges whether it is client or server side processing. Previous versions of printing used to be server side processing, however, the processing performance was significantly poor. While the decision to limit the client side was done to improve the performance. Technology has significantly changed over the last few years and we are always looking at ways in which we can change. This is a balance between performance vs quality.

    However, regarding Word integration like Exponare. This provides bigger challenges, as Spectrum Spatial and Exponare are totally different infrastructures. Exponare being a desktop application, enabled the solution to integrate with word directly and provide that mail merge function. Spectrum Spatial is not a desktop application and therefor to provide the integration would be significant work and open new challenge not only for the application but also you as customers. The work around would be to product and export a CSV file from Spectrum Spatial and then use that to populate a mail merge function if you only wanted the data and not the map. 

    Andy

    ------------------------------
    Andy Dandilly
    Pitney Bowes Software Ltd
    HENLEY-ON-THAMES
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 07-22-2019 05:00
    Hi Andy,

    As well as exporting a CSV with the data, would it be possible to create an image file and include the file's path in the CSV as well?  It seems that an URL to an image can be included in the Word mail merge.  See the "Merge with Pictures" heading within https://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/buyersguide/article.php/3682606/Word-Mail-Merge-Its-not-Just-for-Letters.htm (about half way down the page).

    If a separate image could be made for the legend also, I believe this would be very useful.  Although I look forward to the template designer improvements that are on the way, it would be great to be able to manipulate the layout within Word also.

    ------------------------------
    James Nolet
    Dooley Mitchell & Morrison Pty Ltd
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 07-23-2019 01:48
    Hi Rebecca and Tony

    I'm not sure if I'm on the right track here, but if the end users would like to have additional text, fonts etc could you use the work around of creating a text box in word then right mouse click on the map in SSA and choose "copy map" then using paste special --> Device Independent Bitmap into the text box, then adjust it accordingly?  The end user can then create the headings to how they would like it to appear.    The map doesn't copy over as the same size as you see in the PDF templates the Word template in Exponare but for a Report/Letter it could be ok.

    Or using a PNG file right mouse click on the map and choose "Save Image As" and save to your directory and insert it to a Word, PowerPoint, Paint etc document.

    ------------------------------
    Jenny Levy
    GIS Coordinator
    Benalla Rural City Council
    Victoria Australia
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 07-23-2019 01:55
    Edited by Rebecca Marks 07-23-2019 01:55
    Oh! That's a handy tip!

    Copy didn't work for me but save as did. Unfortunately I don't want to make more steps for my users. I might put out an email saying this is available but they will probably require me to set up a word template to go with it :D

    The image quality is still very low but does lend some flexibility to insert into documents.

    Thank you for sharing!

    ------------------------------
    Rebecca Marks
    GIS & Environment Officer
    Greater Hume Council
    NSW Australia
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Improve quality of Print output (print templates) in SSA

    Posted 07-24-2019 03:44
    Hello
    We have also modified the SSA Loading Logo.
    just a clarification: once the logo is replaced by your logo, it will have to be saved before each major update of SSA.     because the directory where the logo is located will be systematically replaced.
    it can help ;-)

    Best regards.
    ​

    ------------------------------
    David POUTIER
    COVEA GROUPE
    PARIS
    ------------------------------

    Original Message