Print friendly manuals, please.

[Kongamato]

I like those luxury manuals of DCS and 3er. parties with a lot of colorful images. They are great if you read them in a tablet or the computer. But printer ink is expensive. If you want to print those manuals, it cost more than the plane itself.

 

It would be great if, in addition to those full color manuals, there were a print-friendly version in black and white, without the non-essential images and without watermarks, big logos, etc. It would be specilly important with the checklist, emergence procedures, performance tables, etc. I think it would not be a big amount of work. Actually, I´m pretty sure that the first version of those manuals is like that, and all the non-essential images, logos, frames, etc. is added subsequently.

Edited March 21, 2019 by Kongamato

[Jarlerus]

I like those luxury manuals of DCS and 3er. parties with a lot of colorful images. They are great if you read them in a tablet or the computer. But printer ink is expensive. If you want to print those manuals, it cost more than the plane itself.

 

It would be great if, in addition to those full color manuals, there were a print-friendly version in black and white, the essential images and without watermarks, big logos, etc. It would be specilly important with the checklist, emergence procedures, performance tables, etc. I think it would not be a big amount of work. Actually, I´m pretty sure that the first version of those manuals is like that, and all the non-essential images, logos, frames, etc. is maqueted subsequently.

 

May I suggest you print it in black and white?

That way you get some of the issues you list solved.

Reworking the manuals for such a niche situation might not warrant the work needed.

[Mars Exulte]

I am 100% certain you can print black and white with a simple check box at the print screen, and 99% certain you can exclude images from said print altogether with a little poking around.

[Kongamato]

I am 100% certain you can print black and white with a simple check box at the print screen, and 99% certain you can exclude images from said print altogether with a little poking around.

 

Of course I can print the manuals B&W. And with all big all those big images full of black, the big logos, watermarks, etc, I can expend a full cartridge of black ink, that's 20 Euros. There are modules cheaper than that in DCS. And of course I can spend hours pasing from PDF to Doc the document, removing images and re-making the layout. But if the devs were so kind to release a friendly-printer version of the manuals, we all would not have to do that. It's called "costumer service". If you are not interested in printing your manuals or you have open bar in printer ink, good for you. But I don't enter in other threads that ask for things that I´m not interested to say: "devs, don't do what that guy is asking for".

[Mars Exulte]

You miss my point. It shouldn't take you hours. I suggested specifically searching for a utility or option to bypass the images, if the core print/pdf reader function doesn't have it. You aren't the first guy in the history of the internet to say 'Gee, I wish I could skip images and print text only'

 

I didn't argue against your request... but much trendier to be faux-indignant and not try to do anything for yourself, I know @@ Sidenote : public forums aren't echo chambers, and people are justified in arguing both for/against anything they want. Welcome to the Internet.

 

 

1st 30 seconds of searching

https://simplypdf.com

 

Multi step conversion, you can remove headers and should be able to remove images in step 2.

 

Give me another minute I'll look some more. In a few minutes I'll have a dozen options

 

Looks like Adobe Acrobat should have some options to show/hide specific layers like ''watermarks''/backgrounds, etc also (almost like this would be something that comes up frequently in document printing)

 

Should be able to save it directly as text, too

 

 

 

Point is, it's 2019. How somebody structures a document is irrelevant as a couple boxes unticked can do whatever is desired. ''Print text only'' has been a need since the 1980s. It ''taking hours'' should be a red flag you're doing it wrong, a task that simple should only take a few seconds.

 

Now, if you're really picky about formatting, wanting the headers or variable text etc, now you're getting too choosy. You'll have to do THAT yourself on case by case basis, at least to an extent. But just stripping all of it out? Not difficult.

Edited March 21, 2019 by zhukov032186

[Kongamato]

You miss my point. It shouldn't take you hours. I suggested specifically searching for a utility or option to bypass the images, if the core print/pdf reader function doesn't have it. You aren't the first guy in the history of the internet to say 'Gee, I wish I could skip images and print text only'

 

I didn't argue against your request... but much trendier to be faux-indignant and not try to do anything for yourself, I know @@ Sidenote : public forums aren't echo chambers, and people are justified in arguing both for/against anything they want. Welcome to the Internet.

 

 

1st 30 seconds of searching

https://simplypdf.com

 

Multi step conversion, you can remove headers and should be able to remove images in step 2.

 

Give me another minute I'll look some more. In a few minutes I'll have a dozen options

 

Looks like Adobe Acrobat should have some options to show/hide specific layers like ''watermarks''/backgrounds, etc also (almost like this would be something that comes up frequently in document printing)

 

Should be able to save it directly as text, too

 

 

 

Point is, it's 2019. How somebody structures a document is irrelevant as a couple boxes unticked can do whatever is desired. ''Print text only'' has been a need since the 1980s. It ''taking hours'' should be a red flag you're doing it wrong, a task that simple should only take a few seconds.

 

Now, if you're really picky about formatting, wanting the headers or variable text etc, now you're getting too choosy. You'll have to do THAT yourself on case by case basis, at least to an extent. But just stripping all of it out? Not difficult.

 

It is called CUSTOMER SERVICE, dude. And stop f**** patronizing me, dude. Do you think you are doing some kind of favor to ED or the 3er. parties coming here to to talk to other people in a condescendent tone? HELL NO, DUDE.

Edited March 22, 2019 by Kongamato

[Eule]

There are printing modes where it just printes Images without printing dark Areas fully black. So .. its the way you want it.

 

 

It is not customer Service of a DCS Module seller to tell you how your Printer works. And if your printes or Driver does not have said Features ... bad luck. But I dont see "make 2 Versions of every Manual so I can print it without doing anything" as "customer Service".

 

 

Dont be unfriendly just because someone tries to (and does) help you!

[Kongamato]

It is as simple as, when possible, making a version of the manuals with images like that one

 

 

Specially since devs no longer provide printed manuals, as they used to do during the 90`s, for example with the SSI FLANKER 2.0

[Kongamato]

There are printing modes where it just printes Images without printing dark Areas fully black. So .. its the way you want it.

 

 

It is not customer Service of a DCS Module seller to tell you how your Printer works. And if your printes or Driver does not have said Features ... bad luck. But I dont see "make 2 Versions of every Manual so I can print it without doing anything" as "customer Service".

 

 

Dont be unfriendly just because someone tries to (and does) help you!

 

He´s not trying to "help me". I already know everything he says with that condescendent tone of "1st 30 seconds of searching". He's being arrogant and condescending.

 

And indeed it's costumer service to make customer's life easy and not force them to spend too much money in printing a manual, or too much time in redone the manual in order of printing it.

 

I still have in my bookshelf the books of older simulators as FLANKER 2, F/A-18 KOREA, MIG ALLEY, etc together with the CD. During the 90´s the devs provided printed manuals with their products. Now, since no more they sell physical products, they don't do it. It´s OK, I don't complain. The business model changes. But since right now, the manuals are just downloable and the devs save the cost and trouble of making a physical book, it would be nice if they would provide a printer-friendly version. It´s not a crazy idea, I think. :huh:

Edited March 22, 2019 by Kongamato

[Eule]

Just a question: Why dont you just use (or buy a cheap one) your tablet or convertible and look into the Manual from there? I mean ... digital you have search Features, can take and erease notes, it weights less, you can have ANY Manual in small space, take it with you all the time (3 Manuals fully printed .... its a bit bigger and heavier)

 

 

:-?

[Kongamato]

Just a question: Why dont you just use (or buy a cheap one) your tablet or convertible and look into the Manual from there? I mean ... digital you have search Features, can take and erease notes, it weights less, you can have ANY Manual in small space, take it with you all the time (3 Manuals fully printed .... its a bit bigger and heavier)

 

 

:-?

 

I have a tablet, but I want to have some parts of the manuals, as the tables of performances and checklist and normal and emergency procedures in paper among other things, in order of using it in a kneeboard as real life pilots during the cold war and OVER ALL, because I wear glasses and is easier to me to read it in paper than in a small screen in a tablet.

[GazAce]

Tangible Manuals are like Small Talk today.. dead dead deadski

 

I like those luxury manuals of DCS and 3er. parties with a lot of colorful images. They are great if you read them in a tablet or the computer. But printer ink is expensive. If you want to print those manuals, it cost more than the plane itself.

 

It would be great if, in addition to those full color manuals, there were a print-friendly version in black and white, without the non-essential images and without watermarks, big logos, etc. It would be specilly important with the checklist, emergence procedures, performance tables, etc. I think it would not be a big amount of work. Actually, I´m pretty sure that the first version of those manuals is like that, and all the non-essential images, logos, frames, etc. is added subsequently.

 

 

Hey there Kongamato

You know I remember wayyyyyy back when I bought this Combat flight sim called Falcon 4.0. Oh man it was a beauty but the only problem was, there wasn't a computer around powerful enough to properly run the thing I think lol Anyway, my point is the manual that it came with was absolutely beautiful! I remember it had these thick ring binders and it was like a freakin telephone book, in a glossy blue cover, oh it was awesome to behold! So, I wish DCS had something like this available for each AC and yea yea I know it ain't gonna happen but I sure would prefer a nice full colour glossy manual any day rather than screen viewing all the time.

Atm I transfer all my stuff to my work issue iPad and read it in iBooks.

I understand your comments and I agree.

Regards G

[Kongamato]

Hey there Kongamato

You know I remember wayyyyyy back when I bought this Combat flight sim called Falcon 4.0. Oh man it was a beauty but the only problem was, there wasn't a computer around powerful enough to properly run the thing I think lol Anyway, my point is the manual that it came with was absolutely beautiful! I remember it had these thick ring binders and it was like a freakin telephone book, in a glossy blue cover, oh it was awesome to behold! So, I wish DCS had something like this available for each AC and yea yea I know it ain't gonna happen but I sure would prefer a nice full colour glossy manual any day rather than screen viewing all the time.

Atm I transfer all my stuff to my work issue iPad and read it in iBooks.

I understand your comments and I agree.

Regards G

 

Thanks a lot :thumbup:

[SharpeXB]

Printing out a manual would just scare you with how big it is :cry:

 

I read the manual for the A-10C on my iPhone. :book:

 

Now I have an iPad.

[Mars Exulte]

Just don't use a Kindle. They suuuuuuuck

[Kongamato]

Printing out a manual would just scare you with how big it is :cry:

 

I read the manual for the A-10C on my iPhone. :book:

 

Now I have an iPad.

 

It would be easier if there were a pinter friendly version. Also, you don't have to print everything. For example, you don't need to print the history of the plane. Just the parts that you use more, like the checklist, emergency procedures, tables, etc.

[SharpeXB]

It would be easier if there were a pinter friendly version. Also, you don't have to print everything. For example, you don't need to print the history of the plane. Just the parts that you use more, like the checklist, emergency procedures, tables, etc.

Well if you just want the checklists & tables those are rather printer friendly to begin with.

Maple Flag Missions does have a whole set of amplified checklists for the A-10C which are in that simple format.

 

For the more complex aircraft I actually made my own checklists. One reason being to graphicallly simplify them or abbreviate the description, remove pictures etc so I could run through and memorize them faster. Another reason is to tailor them for the game where certain items in the real aircraft aren’t needed or are part of preflight which we don’t need or do necessarily. Or you just want things in a different flow. Plus the work of making the checklist is a good memory tool in itself.

 

So actually I had the same goal as you do, I just ended up making or formatting my own lists.

Edited March 23, 2019 by SharpeXB

[Kongamato]

Well if you just want the checklists & tables those are rather printer friendly to begin with.

 

No,they are not. At least, the modules I have. There are checklist for some planes made by users of the modules that can be downloaded in the section "User Files", but most of the oficial manuals are not "printer friendly".

[SharpeXB]

No,they are not. At least, the modules I have. There are checklist for some planes made by users of the modules that can be downloaded in the section "User Files", but most of the oficial manuals are not "printer friendly".

Ah I justed edit my post above. What I’ve done for some modules is make my own checklists on Excel. For the same reason as what you want.