# How to archive posts on CD/DVD?



## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

How do you save a post--say a how-to article, or an how I done it-- so that it can be archived on a CD/DVD? When I have tried to merely save something on my computer, clicking on the icon or whatever, took me back to the MLS site, where I re-read the post. But I want to be able to have it on a CD/DVD so I can view it at my leisure, exclusive of the MLS site. Yes, I know, Shad, your server has lotsa space, but I want my own storage medium so I can take my laptop with me when I retire into an undergroung bunker in the desert where I will be able to amuse myself while waiting for 2012.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

One of the best (though not necessarily the easiest) ways is to use the Printer-Friendly function, then print the thread to a PDF. This requires you have Adobe Acrobat (not just Acrobat Reader) or some other software that will allow printing to it,but instead of printing will generate the PDF file. The beauty of PDF'ing stuff is it preserves the photos as well as the text within the file. 

Another way is to again use the Printer-Friendly function, but then copying the thread and pasting it into MS Word or some other word processor.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

As Dwight has already suggested above, however, I use a two step process, maybe a bit more work but with all the larger pictures and the resulting larger file sizes it helps to keep the end product file size down...
[*] First I copy the MLS topic/thread into MS/Word, where I can then do whatever editing I wish (i.e. all those atta-boys got to go, then optimizing the pictures for both visual and compression with editing software).
[*] After I get things the way I want it and reduced in size, I then convert it to PDF format.
[/list]


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

You can download and install "CutePDF"... it is free. 

It "looks" like a printer... so you choose the "printer friendly" view, then "print" and select the "cute pdf" printer... It will make a pdf file for you and you can choose the file name and where it appears... (I use the desktop). 

Then, simply copy it to whatever storage medium you please. 

Regards, Greg


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Just to be explicitly complete... 

"Printer Friendly" is the middle of the three icons in the upper right corner, (just below the word "Members" in the light blue banner,) that looks like a "Printer". 

"PDF995" and "CutePDF" are both free printer "drivers" that pretend to Windows to be printers, but take the "Print" output of a program and redirect it to a file in "PDF" format for viewing later with a PDF viewer, like "Adobe Acrobat".


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## pryzby1963 (Feb 16, 2008)

Greg, 

Thanks for the tip on CutePdf. That is a great program without alot of hassles. 

GrossBahnBob


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## ShadsTrains (Dec 27, 2007)

I've been looking into a solution to have the server generate PDFs on the fly for 1st class members. Nothing solid yet, but it's definitely in the works.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg, 

I started using CutePDF about three years ago to send drawings I made in MasterCAM, for folks to see that DIDN'T have MasterCAM. It works great and very simple to use.


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks all. I'll give 'er a shot.


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Cute works just fine. Of course, ya still got the page breaks, but what the hey? BTW, to avoid all of the atta-boys, I cut & paste the part I want, send it to my mailbox, then Cute convert only that. Boy, this is fun!


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's an example of what I wind up with.

Doc's Private Car: The "Mary Alice"[/b]
PDF File - 25MB File Size[/b]


abd another...

Larry Mosher: Gilpin Gold Tram Car[/b]
PDF File Format - File Size 2MB[/b]


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 01 Apr 2010 07:42 PM 
As Dwight has already suggested above, however, I use a two step process, maybe a bit more work but with all the larger pictures and the resulting larger file sizes it helps to keep the end product file size down...
[*] First I copy the MLS topic/thread into MS/Word, where I can then do whatever editing I wish (i.e. all those atta-boys got to go, then optimizing the pictures for both visual and compression with editing software).
[*] After I get things the way I want it and reduced in size, I then convert it to PDF format.
[/list] 
I essentially do the same thing as Steve when creating a PDF for the Live Steam Informative Threads. I mentioned it as the second option, but it is considerably more work. It does end up producing a much cleaner and smaller archive file.


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, but you know what you're doing, Dwight (and all youse other computer geeks). I am computer illiterate.


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

i just hit the page icon on the toolbar at the top of my browser and do save as and it saves the page as a html with all of the photos and parts ......


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Scott

The problem with that method is, if or maybe more correctly when the individual does some housekeeping and moves or deletes the image files. You will wind up with a bunch of little red x's in place of the once existing images.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By joe rusz on 01 Apr 2010 10:52 PM 
Cute works just fine. Of course, ya still got the page breaks, but what the hey? BTW, to avoid all of the atta-boys, I cut & paste the part I want, send it to my mailbox, then Cute convert only that. Boy, this is fun! Posted By joe rusz on 01 Apr 2010 11:17 PM 
Yeah, but you know what you're doing, Dwight (and all youse other computer geeks). I am computer illiterate. Joe

It basically the same as what you are doing. Open a blank MS/Word document, select and copy what you want to save in the MLS topic, then switch to the Word document and paste it in.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

If you use firefox, there's a very easy way to archive posts, and its free: the Zotero plug-in. We developed this where I work, for people doing research online. It's got well over a million users:

http://www.zotero.org/ 


Basically you install Zotero and as you are browsing you can archive pages with one click, including the images. You can then if want have your zotero database archived automatically at The internet archive. Zotero can export the things you've saved in a a variety of formats as well, including cd/dvd


It's freeware developed using opensource--I've been using it for years and do most my professional research work using it. I also archive anything else interesting, for example, train stuff


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 01 Apr 2010 11:51 PM 
Scott

The problem with that method is, if or maybe more correctly when the individual does some housekeeping and moves or deletes the image files. You will wind up with a bunch of little red x's in place of the once existing images. 


no all the data is there becouse I have taken the files to work on a computer with no internet conection and you can see it just fine


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike, 

Thanks for the heads-up on the plug-in for Firefox. I'm going to try it.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Trains West on 02 Apr 2010 07:26 AM 
Posted By SteveC on 01 Apr 2010 11:51 PM 
Scott

The problem with that method is, if or maybe more correctly when the individual does some housekeeping and moves or deletes the image files. You will wind up with a bunch of little red x's in place of the once existing images. 


no all the data is there becouse I have taken the files to work on a computer with no internet conection and you can see it just fine 




1. When you save to an HTML file there are options on the file type. Select print "Webpage, Complette" and the save will take all the picture,tc. with it and save them. The drawback is this creates an HTML file and then stores all the . jpg,.gif,.etc. files in their own subdirectory of the save name as the ".htm file . It's a PITA IMHO If you ever move the .htm file or delete the .htm file performs the action on both file and subdirectory - the advantage of this is you never move the .thm file and forget the subdirectory.
2. Adobe provides a free download that installs a printer “.PDF” After selecting Print Preview, select the .PDF printer. It prompts for a file directory and filename. You get the standard PDF file. You will have to search the ADOBE website for the driver – it’s been a long time since I downloaded it. I have a vague memory that the printer driver is part of downloading the ADOBE free .PDF file viewer from the ADOBE website. Can’t hurt to download it and see what happens. You can always delete the driver.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Scott & Chris thank you, I've satisfied my desire to learn at least one new thing every day.


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

OK, here's where I'm really headed with all this archiving stuff. Wouldn't it be great if "somebody" could put all the various loco bashes, freight car bashes, building how-to stories and weathering tips (to name a few topics) in one central place so that the next time someone is looking for tips on the above subject, they could just go there instead of prowling through pages of posts, hoping to find it. See?


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, there used to be an articles section to allow people to do just that.


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