Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

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Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Gary Lewis
Administrator
I need some help, please.  With a lot of effort I have the 1985 EVTM almost done and need your input on the following.  (Note that you will not find this EVTM in the menu yet as there are several things I want to do to it before I pronounce it ready.  So use the link above.)

Index: Heretofore I've created sort of an index by listing the sections and their contents on the first page of the EVTM and then providing links to them.  However, there is another way, and that would be to create hyperlinks on the actual Index Page, either in lieu of or in addition to the normal page I create.  For an example of how that would look, go to the first page of the TSB Index and see the entry for Dash Panel.

But, creating the hyperlinks would be time-consuming for me.  So, I need to know which way(s) are best as I could use the time saved to add other documents.  Would it be better to have the page I've created, a hyperlinked Index Page, or both?

Previous/Next Section Buttons: I've added buttons to the top and bottom of the first several sections.  Please check them out and see what you think.  Steve83 - is this what you had in mind?

Bad Pages: I already know that I need to re-scan pages 127; 135; 139; & 143.  But please let me know if you find others.  But, just being a bit angled isn't really cause for re-scanning

Again, please help!
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

myrl883
The way that you have the others done is very easy to use. I like uniformity - why fix it if it ain't broke?
Ford Parts Monkey since 1985
1981 F100 Flareside - Black, 302-4V Roller/AOD
1986 F150 Flareside - Medium Fire Red 302/AOD
1989 F150 Standard Cab 4x4 - Dk Shadow Blue 302/AOD
1993 F350 4x4 Crew Cab - 7.3 IDI/ZF-5
I think it's a sickness...
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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

85lebaront2
Administrator
I agree with that. One of the issues, Ford changed the way the EVTMs are organized between 1980 and 1986, and again after that. That said, what works perfectly for a 1981 EVTM may not work as well for a 1986 EVTM, and using the 1986 as an example, the fuel pump circuits are spread out in several places depending on the engine and type pumps.

Links where the book refers you to a different section or maybe a note at the beginning of a section that section xx also contains information. I have actually put stick on tabs when working on something so I can go back and forth between different sections.
Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

grumpin
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
The way it is right now works fine.
Dane
1986 F250HD SC XLT Lariat 4x4 460 C6-Sold
1992 Bronco XLT 4x4 351W E4OD
1998 GMC Sierra SLE K1500 350 4L60E
Arizona
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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Gary Lewis
Administrator
In reply to this post by 85lebaront2
Ok, guys.  Thanks.  I will use the existing format and not worry about creating lots of hyperlinks.

Bill - I think you are suggesting that where it says "See Page 62", for instance, that I put a link there that takes you to Page 62.  That's not easily done, but I'll see what I can do.

Also, no one commented on the Previous/Next Section buttons.  You don't like them?  You didn't see them?
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Steve83
Banned User
I like the Prev/Next buttons.  They're not exactly what I imagined, but they're certainly functional & useful.
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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Thanks.  Not sure what you envisioned, but this was fairly easily done - although tedious.

Ok, I'll continue with this format for the "index" and for the prev/next buttons.  And I hope to get the '85 EVTM done tomorrow.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

85lebaront2
Administrator
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
I haven't seen the previous/next buttons, have you started a new section for EVTMs? The only ones I see are 1981 - 1986. If it will be too complicated to create the links I understand that.
Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Bill - Follow one of the links in my first post that go to the '85 EVTM.  There's no new section for EVTM's, but I haven't made the '85 show up in the menu because I'm still working on it.  However, you can get to it via the links and I have the Prev/Next Section buttons on the first 4 pages or so.

As for the links from one page to another, I'm thinking about that one.  I haven't come up with an easy way to do it, but will see if I can find one.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

85lebaront2
Administrator
Yes, great, saves going back to the index each time. Really makes it easier to go through.
Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Here's another thought on which I'd like your opinions.  I can make the EVTM a pdf document and the whole thing would come up like the 1986 Towing Guide, meaning in one window where you can scroll and search to your heart's content.  (Yes, you could search within the doc as I'd OCR it and all the words would be actual words, not pictures of words like they are presently.)

It would be easier for me to do that, which would give me time to make the index entries hyperlinks.  And, then I could make references to another page go directly to that page, or maybe even a closeup of the item in question.

With the current approach I can create links to a section, but not a page.  So on pages that are buried deep within a section if you follow a link you'll still have to do a lot of scrolling.  But, when it is all in one pdf doc it'll take you directly to the page, and if I have that page zoomed in when creating the link it'll take you there zoomed in.

Thoughts?  Want to see an example?
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

grumpin
That would be great, especially if it's easier for you.
Dane
1986 F250HD SC XLT Lariat 4x4 460 C6-Sold
1992 Bronco XLT 4x4 351W E4OD
1998 GMC Sierra SLE K1500 350 4L60E
Arizona
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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Dyn Blin
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
That would be great, and better if it's more efficient for you. 99% of the time a key word or color code is what I'm looking for and that would make it easy to do so.
Sonoma County,CA
1982 F150 Flareside XLS
NP435 4x4
351W Motorcraft 2150

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Ford F834
Administrator
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Looks like I’m a bit late to the party... but input is still needed so....

I have to say I somewhat prefer the whole PDF. It is more like the user experience of having the tree-ware version in your hands. One may have to do a bit more scrolling and fishing around, but requires less navigation through levels. Of course the way it is on the other EVTM’s is not at all bad, so if you want to maintain continuity then do it that way. I wouldn’t waste too much time creating hot linked menus. It might be convenient, but could become an endless rabbit hole of website building and future maintenance to keep everything the same. The really important thing is to make the information available.
SHORT BED 4-DOOR DIESEL: 1986 F350 4x4 under construction-- 7.3 IDIT ZF5+GVOD

STRAIGHT SIX 4X4: 1981 F150 2wd to 4x4-- 300 I6 close ratio diesel T19, hydroboost brakes, Saginaw steering

BIG F: 1995 F-Superduty under construction— converting to 6.9L IDI diesel ZF5+DNE2
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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Gary Lewis
Administrator
You aren't too late.  Your input is fitting with what several others said.  So, here's the deal:

I finished the 1985 EVTM the normal way, and it is in the normal place of Electrical/EVTM/1985 EVTM.  But I haven't gone over it with a fine-toothed comb, so please see what you think and let me know.

But I then OCR'd the first 6 pages of the pdf version of the '85 EVTM, through and including Page 5 Grounds.  And, I created a new page here: Electrical/EVTM/1985 EVTM (Test).

And, I did a little bit of the fancy link stuff I was talking about.  For instance, in the Index you can see a blue box around the "1" of How To Use This Manual.  And there are a few more of those tricks.  But, on a web page it doesn't work - at least not for me in Chrome.    Strange, because that's how I did the certification label thing, and it works - I think.

So, that tells me that it is a waste of my time to do the tricks - unless I find a way to make them work on a web page.  But, you can download the file and those tricks work with something like Acrobat.  For instance, download it and click on the "5" on Grounds at the bottom left of the Index page.  Then, when it takes you to Grounds on Page 5, click on the "87" in the upper left at the ashtray illumination.    But, I could make a career of hot-linking just one EVTM, and there are ways for you to use it w/o that.

In addition, you can search for text on those first few pages.  However, for some reason after the first search my browser quit highlighting the text, so it wasn't very helpful.

In any event, creating that was easier than the old way.  I still have to OCR the whole thing and do some page cropping and straightening, but I need to hear from you.  Do you like this better than the old way?  Why?  What works for you?  What doesn't work?  PLEASE let me know.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Ford F834
Administrator
In reply to this post by Ford F834
Gary, I’m stuck using my phone for the time being, so I guess I can’t see any of those features in the test version. Sorry. It looks and works just fine though.
SHORT BED 4-DOOR DIESEL: 1986 F350 4x4 under construction-- 7.3 IDIT ZF5+GVOD

STRAIGHT SIX 4X4: 1981 F150 2wd to 4x4-- 300 I6 close ratio diesel T19, hydroboost brakes, Saginaw steering

BIG F: 1995 F-Superduty under construction— converting to 6.9L IDI diesel ZF5+DNE2
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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Do you like it better than the old way?  W/o the features?  Search should work.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Ford F834
Administrator
The only thing different that I see compared to the old way are the buttons to skip sections. Am I missing something? The only search tool I see on the web page view is the search garagemahal function.
SHORT BED 4-DOOR DIESEL: 1986 F350 4x4 under construction-- 7.3 IDIT ZF5+GVOD

STRAIGHT SIX 4X4: 1981 F150 2wd to 4x4-- 300 I6 close ratio diesel T19, hydroboost brakes, Saginaw steering

BIG F: 1995 F-Superduty under construction— converting to 6.9L IDI diesel ZF5+DNE2
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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

Gary Lewis
Administrator
The only search functions are part of the web browser - and I don't see them on my phone, just my computer.  So the pdf approach isn't going to be very useful since about half of the usage is via a phone.

Oh well, it was an idea, but apparently not a good one.  I'll wait until a few more of you let me know what you think, but I'm thinking the other approach is better.  With this one, if you are using a computer you can type in the page number you want and it'll take you there.  But on a phone there doesn't seem to be a way to type in the page number, so you are left scrolling.  And on a 150+ page document that's a huge pain!

A half-way house would be to put the pages for each section in a pdf instead of as jpg's.  That way the search function at the top and bottom of each page should find things - but it doesn't.  I've not been successful finding things in the documents using either search function, even several days after the document has been put on the site.  And since they are supposed to scan daily they should find it.

So, I'm at a loss.  Perhaps the original way is the best?  
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Help Needed On EVTM Features/Format

ctubutis
Gary, can you put the Previous & Next buttons right next to each other at both the top & bottom of the pages?

It's ALL tedious and hurts my wrist after a while (why I don't do so much of that anymore).
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