Author Topic: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?  (Read 3347 times)

gunwharfman

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I was online today and came across a travel report that opened up like a book with pages which 'turned' over on the screen. I've only ever sent a walk of mine out as a PDF file, do any Forum members use the 'book' method to display their reports?

I had a go at a 'free' site myself today and it worked but the print itself proved to be hard to read? The accompanying photos were fine.

pleb

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #1 on: 21:10:10, 29/07/20 »
I wouldnt know how, its all I can do to get pics on here  ;D
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richardh1905

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #2 on: 21:12:47, 29/07/20 »
Been messing with Wordpress these last few days, but I haven't come across what you describe, I'm afraid.
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fernman

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #3 on: 22:08:35, 29/07/20 »
Some apps have "pages that turn over" such as Adobe Digital Editions, or newsletter sites such as Issuu.
I don't know what PDF reader you use but mine, PDF-XChange Editor, has some viewing options in the status bar at the foot of the screen, one of which shows the document page by page continuously.

Returning to the title of your thread, I tried a few free publishing sites over tthe years, and a couple of low-priced paid ones. All had limitations and shortcomings, and they concentrated on trying to get you to pay up, or pay more.

Then I discovered the completely free Wordpress.com (Wordpress.org is paid). There is a bit of a learning curve but there is plenty of help to be found online, and I get on fine with now, it's like riding a bicycle. I have three websites on it - one is my 'signature' below, one is a transcribed journal of my adventure in Europe when I was 20, one is a brief history of my family name - and I'd like to think they'll be around at no cost for long after I'm not on this earth any more.

richardh1905

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #4 on: 22:48:19, 29/07/20 »
I've found that trying to transcribe one of my trip reports into a Word document is very frustrating, mainly due to image formatting. And I wasn't that impressed when I used a professional printing service - images that look great on a computer screen can look distinctly lacklustre once printed.


So basically I have given up on the idea, and tonight I have published my latest trip report from this forum on Wordpress. Take a look, and see what you think. https://wildaboutwalking.wordpress.com/lingcove-beck-wild-camp/
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richardh1905

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #5 on: 22:53:04, 29/07/20 »
It is also possible to save the Wordpress web page to your hard disk, or to a USB drive, if you want to archive a copy. My TR took up about 7MB of disk space, including approx 20 images.
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ninthace

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #6 on: 22:55:01, 29/07/20 »
I "publish" my walks by dropping completed routes, that I consider worth sharing, as a gpx trace on https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/.I also publish them on ViewRanger as Routes complete with a description.  When I have the time and inclination, I am working back through old routes that I have already completed and also putting them on to ViewRanger.  I have got back as far as mid 2014 and have to get back through 2013 as well before I run out of gps traces.
For my own amusement, I keep a record of every walk as a workbook in Xcel - one page per year.  Each walk is a one line entry recording area, walk name, distance + running total distance, height gain + running total height, duration +running total duration, gpx file name and a comment with weather conditions, companions, significant events and gear (e.g. shoes/boots).  The gpx trace for each walk is stored in the Cloud so I can recall it if I need it. I also have a List in BaseCamp for each year with the gpx traces for that year so I can see my completed walks on a map.
This sounds complicated but it isn't really.  I record a walk using the ViewRanger app on my mobile.  When I finish just have to save the track and when I get home the trace is already stored in my ViewRanger account.  I can then log in and view the track and its associated data to drop into my spreadsheet.  I couple of clicks exports the gpx file where my browser as been told to drop the file straight into Basecamp for me.
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richardh1905

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #7 on: 22:56:07, 29/07/20 »
The disadvantage of a wordpress free account is that you get ads appearing on your pages - can't have everything. But you do get 3GB of free storage space, which should be pretty secure. Enough for around 400 of my Trip Reports - that should keep me busy for a while!
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Bigfoot_Mike

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #8 on: 23:18:51, 29/07/20 »
I've found that trying to transcribe one of my trip reports into a Word document is very frustrating, mainly due to image formatting. And I wasn't that impressed when I used a professional printing service - images that look great on a computer screen can look distinctly lacklustre once printed.
If you want printed photos to look anything like those on the screen, you will need to calibrate your monitor. Most default monitor settings are way too bright, so something that looks great on the screen will look very dull on paper. Also, the colour settings are likely to be way off. Unless you have a (very expensive) specialist monitor, it won’t be able to display the same range of colours as the printer.

richardh1905

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #9 on: 07:26:31, 30/07/20 »
Thanks Mike, but I've come to the conclusion that it is more trouble than it is worth, what with formatting the size of the images to fit on E4 as well. Entirely digital is the way forward for me.
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WhitstableDave

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #10 on: 08:27:07, 30/07/20 »
I was online today and came across a travel report that opened up like a book with pages which 'turned' over on the screen. ...

I used to create animated online books such as you describe with the help of a program called MegaZine. Page turning is animated and accompanied by sound effects.

The problem is that Flash is needed and most browsers will not now display the books properly, if at all.  :(

However, should you happen to be using an old version of a popular browser, or a Flash-friendly browser such as Pale Moon, then here's an e-magazine I made that contains cruise ship cabin reviews: http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/cabins/  :)

(If the magazine does appear, move the cursor to the top-right corner of pages to turn them.)
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fernman

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #11 on: 09:37:30, 30/07/20 »
tonight I have published my latest trip report from this forum on Wordpress. Take a look, and see what you think. https://wildaboutwalking.wordpress.com/lingcove-beck-wild-camp/

That is terrific, Richard, very impressive.

It is also possible to save the Wordpress web page to your hard disk, or to a USB drive, if you want to archive a copy. My TR took up about 7MB of disk space, including approx 20 images.

That is something I did NOT know! I laboriously created backups of every single page from my three sites by copying/pasting them onto docs. How do you do it, please? (A bit late now I've done them all, but it would be good to know.)

The disadvantage of a wordpress free account is that you get ads appearing on your pages

But the ads are down at the foot of the web page, they're not at all obtrusive, and you don't see them if you use an adblocker or VPN.

SteamyTea

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #12 on: 10:25:57, 30/07/20 »
This visual page turning is often an option in desktop publishing software.
Personally I really hate it.
I find it best to start at the top, then work down.


Like many things in life, KISS.


Regarding images, resize them all before you insert them in a document. Makes life very easy.
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richardh1905

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #13 on: 10:38:04, 30/07/20 »
That is terrific, Richard, very impressive.

That is something I did NOT know! I laboriously created backups of every single page from my three sites by copying/pasting them onto docs. How do you do it, please? (A bit late now I've done them all, but it would be good to know.)

But the ads are down at the foot of the web page, they're not at all obtrusive, and you don't see them if you use an adblocker or VPN.


Thanks for the feedback, Fernman  :)


In Chrome, if you right click on a part of the web page that does not contain a link or an image, then you should get an option to "Save as" in the drop down menu. This allows you to save the entire web page, images and all. It will be saved as an html file, with a separate folder for all the images and other stuff that make it work as a web page. When you click on the html file stored locally, it should open in your default web browser as if it were on the original site, linking to the images etc stored in the folder of the same name.


This doesn't seem to work on Edge. Not sure about other browsers.

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gunwharfman

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Re: How do you 'publish' the hikes that you've done?
« Reply #14 on: 11:04:50, 30/07/20 »
Wow, I never expected such a response, thank you.

I started with WordPress but I just found it too difficult to grasp, e.g. all of the page numbers always displayed back to front.

I only asked because for the first time in my life I kept a record of my walk across the Pyrenees on the GR10 in 2015. I wrote it on WordPress, then got bored and frustrated by it and left it alone for about 4 years. When lock-down started I had another look at it. I then decided to transfer everything to Word and have now recently finished it. It just expanded and I've reawakened memories that have lain dormant for years. It now contains pages of my early years and how over my lifetime I gradually worked towards hiking the GR10. It's now 88 pages long and with photos as well.

I've even found out that my Dad was a regular soldier and served in India before WW2 and he was then evacuauted from Dunkirk, fought across North Africa, then on the Italian campaign before being wounded at the 1944 battle of Monte Cassino. As a child I rember him waking up in the night screaming and Mum making him feel safe so I believe that I now 'know' why he loved my Mum's way of life so much. I'm sure it was very theraputic for him and by 1955 (we started to live in a house) it really helped to make him mentally well again.

I decided to document it all that I could I've sent it to various relatives. It feels to me that I am leaving 'something behind,' a bit of me and the way that I lived, and who knows someone in my extended family in the future might choose to have a read of it someday?

At the moment I have it all converted to a PDF document which I have sent out by 'We Transfer.' Its had an interesting effect in that relatives who I haven't seen or spoken to for 50 years or more have started to contact me. Really really good!

The idea of reading it as an  onscreen 'book' appeals to me so at the moment I'm still looking for a platform that displays the words clearly, I've not found one yet.

 

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