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Q: I worry about the availability of a computer to use
when I need one (frequently the ones in Newman are
full).
A: The graduate school is placing 150 copies of Adobe
PDFWriter printer driver and Adobe Exchange PDFeditor in the
various labs across campus. After New Media Center and
Architecture Annex, we will target Hillcrest and Ambler
Johnson. Additionally, many departments have this software in
their own labs. Please have your department contact us for more
information.
Q: My committee wants printed copies for review in the
draft process and will not review in electronic format. How can
I prevent last minute problems when they see the ETD
format?
and Q: I am sure that I will have to do this twice... once
on paper and once electronically. Two of my committee members
don't even read their email.
A: You can print PDF files from Adobe Reader or Adobe
Exchange to regular paper. The printouts will include all but
the external multimedia objects, and should be sufficient for
your faculty to review. Additionally, have your faculty contact
us at etd@vt.edu.
Q: [My biggest concern is] probably figuring how to
submit extra graphics (I'll learn when I get there).
A: To see how it is done and to make yourself more familiar,
try including graphics in a small sample file and converting
the graphics file to PDF. The time you take now (when you are
relatively unstressed) could save you later (when you are
completely stressed). For most applications, you may cut and
paste small graphics directlyinto your word processor. Use the
link feature of Adobe Exchange to link your large graphics as
external multimedia objects. Then use the submission form to
submit etd.pdf and any external objects you have connected.
Q: I am moving away after this semester and was planning
on coming back to defend that is all. I cannot afford to come
back again to make corrections and then put it on PDF. I cannot
afford the $100 to pay for the program and won't be here to be
in the lab. Any suggestions?
A: Your new workplace may have the software and Web
connection you will need to make the final PDF file. Also,
walk-up copy shops, libraries, etc., often have computers and
software available for public use. Please contact the graduate
school and explain your extenuating situation.
Q: I would like to spend minimum time on ETD stuff. Can I
just type my thesis as in old fashion and create .etd files
quickly? I will have power point pictures and several scanned
pictures. So, I do not want to create any links. What exactly
do I need to do?
A: For the quickest submission, paste in all graphics as
internal multimedia objects and print to a single etd.pdf file.
Use the submission form to submit the single file. Regarding
Power Point pictures, you may print them to PDF and connect
them with Adobe Exchange.
Q: My biggest concern is submitting my dissertation for
format check since I must go from MSWord thru Adobe to the
PDF.
A: Just as you would do with a paper document,
please allocate time to review your PDF file before
submitting it to the graduate school. (Get a friend to help!)
Look for pages that didn't format correctly and font conversion
problems. Make sure you have all the document parts, especially
your References and Vita. Finally, if you check your PDF
carefully and don't find mistakes, then submit it.
Q: Biggest hurdle: Converting (and coordinating this
conversion) the final copy to an acceptable (by both my
department and the Grad School) format.
A: Your department is aware that theses and dissertations
are changing for the ETD project. Please have them contact us
for more information [also see answer above] at etd@vt.edu.
Q: My biggest hurdle [is] potentially: creating
links
A: Use Adobe Exchange to open the etd.pdf file.
- For external multimedia objects: click on the link icon
(looks like a three-piece chain) and drag across the region
you want to link from. Then choose "link to file" and "thick"
and "blue." Use the browse panel to find the external file
and click OK. You'll see the new blue link and can use the
`fist' mouse cursor to follow it.
- For links from the TOC to your chapters the process is
similar.
Please practice these steps with a sample file so that you
will feel comfortable working in Adobe Exchange.
Q: My biggest hurdle [is] potentially: ... if my thesis
doesn't fit on 1 file, how do I create file breaks?
A: Using your word processor, we suggest that you put all
the front matter into one document (from the title page to the
table of contents) then put each chapter into a single file.
Then you generate several separate PDF files and you can link
them together in the table of contents with Adobe Exchange.
Q: I already have my thesis written in the old accepted
format and am concerned about reformatting.
A: The major differences are removing the signature lines
from the title page, moving the left margin, and making the
document single-spaced. Save a backup copy of your thesis
before you make the global changes.
Q: Can Claris Works 4.0 be used as a word processing
program?
A: Yes. However, finding a campus machine with both Claris
Works and Adobe PDFWriter could prove to be difficult. If you
cannot, you may use Claris Works to output your PDF to
PostScript files, then use Adobe Distiller (on campus machines)
to convert the PostScript to PDF.
Q: Does the submission form have a help icon for specific
questions you may encounter in this process?
A: The submission form has minimal help information and a
link to send mail to us at etd@vt.edu. Our Web site has more
information, including a frequently asked questions page.
Q: I worry about getting stuck on something simple (like
I can't find or open the right software) and there is no one
immediately available to ask what to do.
A: We suggest that you get the training and practice you
need on the software you will be using so that you become
comfortable using it before you get close to your defense.
Please see the New Media Center and your department for
training information.
Q: Does Adobe [Exchange] have a help icon for specific
questions you may encounter in this process?
A: Adobe Exchange comes with an online help hypertext.
Q: [For LaTeX submission, I need to know how to use] tar
and gzip to create etd.tgz.
A: On UNIX, if you are using GNU tar it only takes one
step:
tar -cvzf etd.tgz
*.dvi *.eps
Otherwise, create the tar file like this:
tar -cvf etd.tar
*.dvi *.eps
Create the gzip file like this:
gzip etd.tar
mv etd.tar.gz etd.tgz
For Windows 95 and NT, use the WinZip application to create
tgz files.
Q: How do you include multimedia in your thesis (voice
--- sounds)?
A: For all external multimedia, in your word processor file,
include a blank figure reference with the caption, file name
and approximate file size. The figure reference should be
centered and on a line by itself.
Figure 1.1 Air escaping through steam portal
[steam.wav, 10K]
Using the link feature of Adobe Exchange, make a link to the
file "steam.wav" and be sure to include "steam.wav" on the
submission form.
Q: Video --- what kinds of formats are
acceptable?
A: We recommend MPEG or QuickTime video formats.
Q: What kinds of sampling for sounds?
A: We recommend WAV format (*** there may be others,
too).
Q: Can I include an executable file or a Matlab
simulation?
A: Yes. Please include directions on how to use the file.
Also remember that we plan for your ETD to live forever--- long
after Windows 95. You may wish to include source code.
Q: How do we use a ZIP drive?
A: [The ZIP drive is most like a removable hard drive. It
holds 100meg of data.] Simply purchase a ZIP disk and use it
like a floppy (it may even come formatted). There will be
instructions in the labs that have zip drives on how to use
them (Architecture Annex, New Media Center).
Q: Does the Adobe PDFWriter function for [Microsoft]
Office95 software yet (Word 7.0, Excel 7.0)? I.e., will OLE 2.0
objects embedded be successfully converted?
A: My people assure me that the latest Adobe stuff works
with the latest Office-95 stuff. However, if you are
experiencing conversion difficulties: (1) let us know, (2) work
around by linking to external multimedia objects (explained
above) as external files.
Q: I am making several large maps ... (500mb+). Is there
a way to put a map viewer, along with my raw data with the
thesis text (possibly for download)?
A: We suggest that you provide the maps in a standard format
(JPEG, GIF) for all to download. If this format is unwieldy or
inappropriate, you may include the viewer for the graphic
format as an external multimedia object itself, and label it
appropriately. Be sure that you have copyright permission to
redistribute the viewer; i.e., that the viewer is freeware.
Q: File upload only works with Netscape and Explorer.
Also most servers only accept 10K files. Also most proxy
servers won't allow file uploads. Is there an alternative way
to upload files?
A: Should the file upload not work or truncates your files,
you may make special arrangements with etd@vt.edu to use an FTP
site for file upload.
Q: Why not make a template for the title page? Then we
could just fill it out, and it would automatically be formatted
correctly.
A: We plan to have Word and Word Perfect ETD templates on
our Web site by the end of the semester.
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