1.Select the Edit tool in the top right corner of the image and adjust the crop window. You can also drag the image inside the crop window to position it without moving the crop window. Then click on the check icon to apply. You can also select Crop in the Picture Tools/Image menu.

2.Adjust and drag the crop frame. Hold down SHIFT and drag the corners to maintain the aspect ratio (relation of width to height).

3.Click on the check tool in the top right corner to apply. You can also drag the image inside the crop frame to change its position without moving the frame.

4.Cropping is non-destructive. The full image always remains available and you can adjust the crop later.

5.Click on the screenshot again, open the Size menu in the Home tab and select Fit Slide to Objects to adjust the slide container to the cropped screenshot. (Also available in the right-click context menu.)

Adjusting the slide is necessary because all content in HelpXplain has a slide as a container. When you save an image it actually saves everything visible inside the slide, so you want the slide borders and the image borders to be the same.

In addition to all the standard editing options, HelpXplain also has a set of additional powerful image editing tools that become available as soon as you select a picture in the editor. Then the Picture Tools tab is shown in the ribbon toolbar.

General brightness, contrast and saturation

The Brightness, Contrast and Saturation tools are standard image controls that are applied to the entire selected image.

Effect Lenses

Effect lenses are like shapes, but they apply a filter effect to the part of the image below the lens. They can be applied to a part of the image or to the whole image. Select the Effect tool on the left to use them.

Multiple effect lenses: You can stack multiple effect lenses on top of each other. For example, you could create a cartoon effect with one lens and then add a blur lens on top of that to blur the cartoon effect.

1.Select Effect on the left, click on the Effect Lenses tool to open its menu, then select the lens shape or the Entire Picture option.

If you select a shape you can move it around and resize it like any other shape, but only inside the current image. You can't move effect lenses outside their image.

2.Choose the effect type and adjust its settings with the controls on the right end of the toolbar.

3.To edit an effect lens later, first choose Effect mode on the left, then select the lens.

Lens Types

Crop:

When you choose Crop in the Picture Tools it initially activates HelpXplain's normal crop mode for the image. See Cropping Screenshots above. However, when you select the Crop mode you will also see a menu of shapes in the Image Tools toolbar that are used for HelpXplain's powerful Crop-to-Shape feature.

Crop-to-Shape:

Select the image you want to edit, select Crop mode and then select one of the shapes in the menu in the Image Tools toolbar. The image will be cropped to the shape you choose. This is also non-destructive. The original image is always there in the background.

Difference to image with picture fill:
The Crop-to-Shape effect initially looks the same as loading an image into a shape with the Picture Fill option. However, when you use Crop-to-Shape the picture remains fully editable and the full image is still there in the background. Crop-to-Shape can also be combined with other Picture Tools effects, such as 3D view and Effect Lenses, which are not available for shapes.

3D View

This mode allows you to "bend" the image to give it a 3D perspective look. You can choose from a number of predefined 3D effects or perform a free transform. If you have applied any effect lenses they will be included in the transformation.

1.Select the image and select 3D View on the left.

2.Choose one of the predefined transforms in the toolbar or just drag the corners of the image.

3D View forces PNG export:

Note that images transformed with the 3D effect must be exported as PNGs with alpha transparency. All other formats will be converted to PNG to make this possible.

After saving as a HelpXplain .xplain project (see above) you can crop and edit the screenshot and add features.

Adding a border and changing the screenshot shape

Please also see the section on Picture Tools above for more image editing tools!

1.Select the screenshot slide in the Slides list on the left, then click on the screenshot in the editor window to select it.

2.In the Properties pane on the right open the Outline section.

3.Choose an outline or select Change Shape to apply a shape to the image. The image will fill the shape. Press CTRL+Z a couple of times or the Undo tool in the HelpXplain title bar (upper left) if you decide to remove the shape.

If you apply a shape you may also want to apply a background color behind the image. To do this select Slides Overview in the Slides list on the left, then choose a background color in the Properties pane on the right. You can also use the Opacity and Shadow settings to apply a drop shadow, which works particularly well in combination with a shape. The example below shows a torn paper edge shape combined with a drop shadow, an outline and a background color:

Adding a text callout bubble

1.In the Slides list on the left, select the slide where you want to add the callout.

2.Click inside the slide in the editor window.

3.Select the Shapes tool, choose a callout shape and click in the slide to insert the callout (accuracy is not important).

•Position and resize the callout with the mouse

•Change the length and direction of its pointer by dragging the yellow handle on the tip of the pointer.

•Hold CTRL or SHIFT to drag the pointer in fixed increments or to snap it to the grid, if snap to grid is activated in the View menu.

•Drag the blue (+) handle to create additional pointers.

Adding lines, shapes, images and other screenshots

Use the tools in the Home tab to add other shapes and lines, images and other screenshots to your image. This is the same as inserting text callout bubbles. The Screen Capture tool will also insert the capture in the current slide. Initially it will have the same size as the slide. You just need to resize, position and crop it as you like.

Moving, resizing and rotating:

The example below shows a callout bubble but all shapes are edited in the same way.

•Select and drag to move.

•Drag the corner handles to resize.

•Drag the green rotation handle to rotate.

•Select Reset to original size in the Size menu in the Home tab to reset. (Also available in the right-click context menu.)

Applying outlines, shape changes, transparency and drop shadows

Select the element in the current slide first.

Picture Tools: See the Picture Tools section further above for the wide range of additional options available for editing images.

Outlines: Modify in the Outline section of the Properties pane on the right. Changing the outline of shapes changes their appearance.

Shape changes: Select Change Shape in the Outline section of the Properties pane on the right. Applying a shape to a picture converts the picture into a shape with picture fill. See the Picture Tools section further above for the alternative Crop-to-Shape function available there. Applying a new shape to a shape replaces it with a different shape. Press CTRL+Z or the Undo icon in the HelpXplain title bar (top left) a couple of times to revert to the original.

Transparency and drop shadows: Select Opacity & Shadow in the Properties pane on the right.  

The format painter in the tools group at the left of the ribbon menu quickly copies the style of one element to another:

Procedure

1.Select an element, then click on the Format Painter tool to copy the element style. The mouse cursor switches to the painter tool.

2.Click on another element with the painter tool mouse cursor to apply the style.

•Single click on the Format Painter to apply the style to a single element. The mouse painter tool then switches off.

•Double-click on the Format Painter to apply the style to multiple elements. The mouse painter tool remains on until you click on the tool in the toolbar again.

If you have added any elements to a screenshot (callouts, shapes etc.) you should always save a HelpXplain .xplain version as well so that you can edit all the individual elements later.

Save a HelpXplain .xplain version

Select Save As in the File menu and choose HelpXplain as the file type to save. This saves everything in a single file with the extension .xplain.

Save a static image for use elsewhere

Select Save As in the File menu and choose Static Picture as the file type to save. You can then save as PNG, JPG, BMP or TIFF.

Alternatively you can also right-click on the slide in the Slides list and select Export in the context menu.