I am going to try to make this as detailed as I can. Ok, so when I upload my report to the dashboard I am satisfied with the way it is formatted and looks everything is even and where it needs to be. However, when I go to save it as a PDF or open it in Acrobat the format gets out of whack. My biggest issue is that the report is substantially longer than it should be due to some pages having one or two sentences and the rest of the page blank, with the next page including pictures. I am not sure if it is the picture size (I use medium on all) or if it is the text. When I look at it via the dashboard my pictures are lined up next to each other horizontally, but in the pdf file they are one on top of the other. If anyone has any guidance it would be appreciated, I would call but they are not available. Thank you in advance, have a great weekend.
You are welcome to send me the report to look at. But to make a guess, I would say the html native report is awesome. No page breaks all looks great. PDF will look good too but you need to “itemize” or only have like 2 pictures per item for the format to work its best. The more pictures like 4 or so without itemizing causes extra space due to invisible margins. Normally it still looks good that’s why I asked if you can to send me a copy (Russell at HomeGauge.com). A page is 8.5 x 11. Depending upon how much text and how many pictures at some point the software will need to put the rest of the comment on the other page. Because of a default setting the software will always start the next section on a clean page. You can change the settings to have no page breaks, but I thin k the report looks better when the section name (Electrical or Plumbing for instance) starts at the beginning of the page. If your comments or pictures went past the 11 inch length of a page it will put all on a new page
There are certain ways to use the software to get a decent looking PDF. Two pictures medium sized (not 3 or 4) per item. If you have more pictures than two you should itemize with two. The report looks a lot better. Now having said that we are html which means no page breaks. PDF’s are for storing not presenting to your customer. PDF’s are boring. HTML enables the report to be interactive with expanding pictures, a floating content bar, video in the report.
Dom can you enlighten me on overhaul with phone support? We have 7 people dedicated to answering the phone when you call in. We can remote view your computer. We respond to your calls. Thing is you never call in so I am not sure why you want to bash us on phone support options? Or print report options. We have many print report options. We just think the customer should receive an html report not a boring pdf.
When you need to print a report, all that malarkey is meaningless. Open up a report and print it. No one, not even you, can predict what it will look like. It is bizarre.
Careful, just because I haven’t called in awhile doesn’t mean I didn’t need help. I work full time, and when the buggy software develops a problem, it is almost always after hours when I need the help. Your office is closed during the time of day when I need the help.
I have needed help with the user name functionality and have to wait till the next day to call in and speak to someone. That is not good customer service, IMHO.
You wouldn’t dog PDFs if you were able to get them right. Interesting that they’ve been broken in HomeGauge for over 10 years. PDFs can play videos sir. Your customers are simply asking you to intellectually make the PDFs page break in the right places. They know it’s possible because other software does it correctly.
Aaron you are a competitor and have nothing to do with Dom and I relationship. I dog PDFs because they suck as a report. HTML is the way to go. We built our software 16 years ago to output HTML. Now my "new competitors are coming out with HTML because they know I have been right all along. Video, Expanding pictures to hi res when clicked on, Floating content bar as opposes to the bulky pdf content bar.
Dom has always helped our users, has been with HG since the beginning and usually only complains when PDF’s are mentioned. Even though he and I do battle some, I respect him. You need to go back to your thread and talk to your customers.
If you feel that strongly about HTML, don’t offer a PDF option. If you can’t get it right, take it out. If you can’t do something right, don’t do it at all. I’ll bet you won’t because you know PDFs are important. Well, if it’s important, fix it…