Images

Images added to content can enhance user experience by providing visual feedback or examples. Heretto CCMS enables you to use common image formats, store them in the Content Library, and reuse them across your content set. The CCMS also enables you to add callouts (or annotations) to your images directly in the CCMS.

When working with images, you often need to highlight a specific image area. Instead of uploading images edited in advance in a third-party tool, you can upload unedited images to Heretto CCMS and annotate them directly in the CCMS. We recommend annotating images in the CCMS as it:

Simplifies the process of annotating images
Ensures consistent look and feel
Enhances image reusability
Ensures text added to images (not recommended) is easily editable and translatable. Instead of adding text to images, we recommend using numbered callouts.

Annotations

Note:

This functionality may not be available by default in Heretto CCMS. For more information, contact your Customer Success Manager.

The annotation types that we recommend are highlight box and numbered callouts. The highlight box enables you to add colored frames to areas you want to highlight. Numbered callouts enable you to highlight image areas with callouts and provide extra information in elements associated with the callouts. Those elements can be ordered list (ol) or steps (steps).

Figure 1. Highlight box added to an image wrapped in an SVG container

annotated image example — Figure 2. Numbered callouts added to an image wrapped in an SVG container

When you annotate an image, the image element is wrapped in an svg-container element, which enables you to add annotations over the image without modifying the image itself.

The Annotations interface enables you to:

Drag and drop ordered list items and steps from the Topic Preview pane on the right into the Image Preview pane on the left.
Note:
The callouts that you annotate images with update automatically as you add, move, or remove the ordered list item elements or step elements.
Move and rotate callouts in the Image Preview pane on the left.
Edit content in the Topic Preview pane on the right.
Figure 3. You can edit content directly in the annotations editor
Replace images by using the image context menu in the Topic Preview pane.
Figure 4. You can replace images directly in the annotations editor (blue highlight box in the pane on the right)

Important Considerations

By default, you can upload these image file types to the CCMS: .gif, .jpeg, .png, and .svg. It is possible to enable the import of additional valid file types. Contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) for details.
Files with the .svg extension are XML files that can contain links to external resources like websites, or resources present in Heretto CCMS. If an .svg file contains a link that can't be resolved (because it points to a resource that doesn't exist in the CCMS), the file is highlighted as a file with broken links in the Content Library. That is expected behavior. Fixing or removing broken links in an .svg file removes the broken link indicator .
When using .svg files, be sure to set a width (and sometimes height) to control how they are presented in your outputs. You can set a width either directly in the .svg file or in the CCMS. Without set dimensions, SVGs may expand unpredictably, affecting layout and causing extra browser calculations. A defined width helps maintain aspect ratio with the viewBox attribute and ensures consistent scaling across devices. For responsiveness, you can use a fluid width like 100% with CSS, but an initial width adds predictability across different screens.
You can view and edit the XML code of .svg files in the CCMS by opening them in the Source Editor.
You can add annotations to any image that is supported by Heretto CCMS.
When you add annotations to an image in the CCMS, for example a .png file, the image element with the .png file is wrapped in an svg-container element. It doesn't convert the .png file into an .svg file.
Annotated images publish with annotations in PDFs generated with Heretto PDF Generator. They do not publish in outputs generated by DITA Open Toolkit (DITA-OT).
With an optional CCMS configuration, it is possible to define a custom color for annotation elements: highlight box and numbered callouts. This configuration ensures consistent annotation styling that follows your company branding and saves you time. Contact your CSM for details.
When you re-upload an image with an identical file name and extension to the same location in the CCMS, you can chose to overwrite it (default) or add as a separate copy. If you overwrite it, the new version of the image is automatically visible in every file the image is added to. To see the new image in your outputs, republish your content.

Insert an Image

Add images to illustrate concepts and ideas. You can also set image attributes and properties, such as width.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Place your cursor where you want to insert an image.
In the toolbar, click the Image icon.

In the Select File window, do one of the following:

Option	Description
To insert an existing image,	navigate to the image, select the image, and click Select.
To upload and insert a new image,	Click the Upload button. In the Select files to upload window click the Upload button again. Select the files that you want to upload. Click Upload Files. Select the image and click Select.
To upload an image using drag and drop,	Click the Upload button. Drag and drop files into the designated area. Click Upload Files. Select the image and click Select.

Optional: Set attributes for the image.
- To align the image, change the image width, or add alternate text, select the image and use the context menu.
- To annotate the image, see Annotate an Image with Numbered Callouts and Annotate an Image with a Highlight Box.

Change an Image

You can replace an image added to a topic with a different image by using the image context menu.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Select an image and in the context menu, click Change.
In the Select Media window, navigate to and select a new image.
Click Select.

Remove an Image

You can remove an image added to a topic by using the image context menu.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Select an image and in the context menu, click Remove.

Annotate an Image with a Highlight Box

You can annotate an image with a highlight box (or a frame) without modifying the image itself.

An image element is present in a topic. See Insert an Image.

Note:

This functionality may not be available by default in Heretto CCMS. For more information, contact your Customer Success Manager.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Click the image that you want to annotate and from the image context menu, select Annotate Image.

Figure 5. Image Context Menu
In the annotation editor, select the Highlight Box option and highlight a desired area in the image. Click Close to save the changes.

Figure 6. A blue highlight box added to a user interface element

Your image now contains a highlight box that is saved in an additional layer added on top of your image. This means that the image itself has not changed and you can reuse it in other places.

You can edit annotated images at any point by clicking an image and selecting Edit Annotation from the context menu.

Annotate an Image with Numbered Callouts

You can add numbered callouts to images without modifying the images themselves. It is useful if you want to reuse the same image in different topics, or if you localize your content.

An image element is present in a topic. See Insert an Image.
An ordered list element or step elements are in a topic. See Insert an Element in a Topic.
Note:
This functionality may not be available by default in Heretto CCMS. For more information, contact your Customer Success Manager.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Click the image that you want to annotate and from the image context menu, select Annotate Image.

Figure 7. Image Context Menu
From the Topic Preview pane on the right, drag and drop ordered list item elements or step elements into the Image Preview pane on the left.

Note:
The callouts that you annotate images with update automatically as you add, move, or remove the ordered list item elements or step elements.

Optional: Edit an annotation by doing any of the following:

Option	Description
To rotate the annotation,	do the following: Select the annotation. Click and hold . Move your mouse.
To combine multiple graphical elements,	do the following: Press and hold Shift. Click the elements that you want to combine. Right-click any selected element. Select Group.
To move a graphical element,	do the following: Click and hold the graphical element. Move your mouse.

Optional: In the Image Preview pane on the left, remove an annotation by right-clicking the annotation and selecting Delete from the context menu.
Once satisfied, click Close to save the changes.

Your image now contains callouts that are saved in an additional layer added on top of your image. This means that the image itself has not changed and you can reuse it in other places.

You can edit annotated images at any point by clicking an image and selecting Edit Annotation from the context menu.

Resize Canvas for an Annotated Image

You can change the canvas size of the annotated image in the Annotations interface.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Select an annotated image and in the context menu, click Edit Annotation.
The Annotations interface opens.
Click SVG-Edit, and from the drop-down menu, select Document Properties.
Figure 8. Drop-down menu
In the Image Properties window, you can either:
- Manually enter the desired width and height (in pixels)
- Select a predefined size
Figure 9. Image Properties
Note:
Selecting an image size that is smaller than the actual graphic file may result in the image not appearing properly.
Click OK, click Close to save the changes.

Insert an Image Map

You can define linkable areas over an image by using image map elements.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Insert an image map element.
In the Select File window, choose an image and click Select.
The image map element is inserted. When you click the image, the Image Map context menu appears.
In the Topic toolbar, click Edit Source .

Inside the <imagemap> element, specify the linkable areas shape, coordinates, and target links.

<imagemap id="imagemap_sjn_dql_1qb">
	<image href="Lightning_Toaster.jpg" id="image_tjn_dql_1qb"/>
        <area>
		<shape>circle</shape>
		<coords>290, 340, 40</coords>
		<xref format="dita" href="knob_reference.dita"/>
	</area>
</imagemap>

Click Save & Close.

You can click the image to see the defined linkable areas.

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