Meanders'
Annotator for Microsoft Office
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- What
is the Annotator?
- What
is the requirement to use the Annotator?
- How
can I get most out of the Annotator?
- Does
the Annotator work on the Tablet PC?
- Does
the Annotator work with Microsoft Office 2003?
- Does
the Annotator work with Microsoft Outlook (2000, XP, or 2003)?
It seems that I do not see the Annotator toolbar?
- Does the Annotator work with Microsoft Office 2007? I do not see the toolbar in Office 2007!
- Does
the Annotator work with Microsoft Outlook 2007?
- What
is the difference between the Annotator and Microsoft Office XP Pack
for Tablet PC (Tablet Pack)?
- I
do not see the toolbar in Microsoft Office after installing the
Annotator.
- What
is "Selection Erasing"?
- What
is the difference between "Undo Ink" and "Selection Erasing"?
- I
cannot switch to another Excel document when inking is on.
- What
is the use of profiles?
A: The Annotator is a small but powerful utility that works with Microsoft Office to give you ink and handwriting annotation support. A good example can be seen here. You can handwrite in Word document, Excel worksheet, PowerPoint slide and Outlook e-mail with ease and flexibility. A list of possible application scenarios is given here. It can also be used in vertical markets such as these. After annotation, documents are saved in their native formats, which means they are standard Word, Excel or PowerPoint files and no special viewer is required for another party to open and read.
>>> What is the requirement to use the Annotator?
A: You must have one or more Microsoft Office 97/2000/XP/2003/2007 application installed on your Windows machine. The Annotator is accessible from a toolbar inside your Word, Excel or PowerPoint application after successful installation. A tablet with pen and eraser function is not a requirement but strongly recommended. Tablet PC is also a great platform to work on. You can still use a standard mouse to perform simple drawing or writing when needed though most people would feel a bit awkward.
>>> How can I get most out of the Annotator?
A: The first thing is to get a tablet or Tablet PC in order to write in the most intuitive manner. Tablet PC offers greater eye-hand coordination but at a high cost. The second thing is to read through the manual which outlines all the functionalities and tips you could find very useful.
>>> Does the Annotator work on the Tablet PC?
A: Yes. The Annotator works great on a Tablet PC.
>>>
Does the Annotator work with Microsoft Office 2003?
A: Yes. The Annotator supports all the versions since Microsoft Office
97, to Office 2003 and latest Office 2007.
>>>
Does the Annotator work with Microsoft Outlook (2000, XP, or 2003)?
It
seems that I do not see the Annotator toolbar?
A: Yes. The support for Outlook 2000/XP/2003 is available directly. If
you do
not see the Annotator toolbar, please go to "Tools\Options...", click
on "Mail Format", ensure "Use Microsoft Office Word to edit e-mail
messages" is checked. Please refer to the below screenshot.
>>>
Does the Annotator work with Microsoft Office 2007?
I do not see the toolbar in Office 2007!
A: Yes. From version 1.60 onwards, Annotator supports Microsoft Office 2007. The Annotator toolbar could be found under menu item called "Add-ins". Please refer to the following screenshots:
>>>
Does the Annotator work with Microsoft Outlook 2007?
A: Yes. The support for Outlook 2007 is released as a seperate upgrade (subject to the beta phase) and it is available here. In addition to inking in e-mail messages, you can also handwrite
in Appointment, Task, Post, Contact, Task/Meeting Request, Journal and
other Outlook items!
>>> What is the difference between the Annotator and Microsoft Office XP Pack for Tablet PC (Tablet Pack)?
A: Microsoft Office XP Pack for Tablet PC uses ink drawing box control to contain handwriting, which is isolated and not so convenient in general. The Annotator makes use of ink overlay method therefore is suitable for the annotation context. In addition, Tablet Pack only works with Office XP and only on the Tablet PC hardware, while the Annotator not only work with any version of Office but also on standard desktop or notebook running Windows 98/Me/2000/NT/XP etc. The annotator has very good support for external graphic tablets.
>>> I do not see the toolbar in Microsoft Office after installing the Annotator.
A: If you do not see the toolbar, please go to "Tools\Customize..." inside that particular Office application and make sure the entry with the name of "Meanders Annotator" is present and checked. If you do not find this entry, please try to run "Install Office Toolbar for Current User" from "Start\Programs\Meanders Annotator\Annotator for Microsoft Office\Advanced\". Remember to close all Office applications (including Microsoft Outlook) before doing so.
>>>
What is "Selection Erasing"?
A: Selection Erasing is achieved by selecting an area with a tracking rectangle which covers those unwanted ink. Every ink stroke that overlaps with the final rectangle will be removed. An example is given here. For precise erasing of a single stroke or in an area where there might be some other strokes being nearby, draw a small or tiny rectangle to cover any part of the unwanted stroke. This gives you the flexibility to perform arbitrary ink removal.
>>> What is the difference between "Undo Ink" and "Selection Erasing"?
A: Undo Ink successively highlights the last ink session which is created and can be removed and ask if you would really like to delete it. Undo Ink (Fast) does not have such a confirmation prompting for the sake of convenience and speed. Unlike them, Selection Erasing removes those ink touches the deletion rectangle windows therefore enables to remove any ink (single stroke or in bulk) in the document. These two methods complement each other very well after some practice.
>>> I cannot switch to another Excel document when inking is on.
A: Yes. You would not be able to switch to another Excel document while the inking is on and the floating toolbar is open. Dismiss the toolbar by turning off the ink first.
>>> What is the use of profiles?
A: The profile stores the dropdown menu settings such as preset pens, highlighters, available one-click selection of width or colors etc. You can create a profile either for a user as his/her own preference or for an application if you find some dropdown menu settings are very specifically required under certain circumstances.
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