Options Dialog—General Tab

Option	Description
Auto-Reload Documents	Select this check box if you want Flare to reload documents automatically. In other words, if you have topics or editor pages open and then close the project, this option ensures that those same documents are reopened the next time you open the project.
Auto-Save Documents	Select this check box if you want Flare to periodically auto-save any open files. You can specify the number of minutes that should elapse between each auto-save.
Close others when opening new document	You can have multiple files of all types (e.g., topics, stylesheets, targets) open in the interface at the same. By default, when you open a new file, other documents that are already open remain open. However, you can change this behavior so that files already open in the interface are automatically closed when you open a new document. You can use any of the following options: Close others This option automatically closes all other open documents. Close others with no changes This option automatically closes all other open documents that do not have unsaved changes. If you have files open where changes have been made but not saved, those files will remain open until you save and close them. Close others with same extension This option automatically closes all other open documents that share the same file extension. For example, let's say you have a topic, a stylesheet, and a target open. If you open another topic, the topic file that is currently open will be closed, but the stylesheet and target will remain open. Close others with same extension and no changes This option is the same as the previous option, except that files with unsaved changes will not automatically be closed. Those files remain open until you save and close them.
Show Select UI Language Dialog on Startup	Select this box to show the Select UI Language dialog the next time you launch Flare. You have the option of viewing the interface in English, French, German, Japanese, or Chinese. All of these languages are available from the same version of Flare (you do not need to purchase different versions for different languages). When you initially launch Flare, you are asked to select your language preference. Based on your selection, the user interface is displayed in the selected language, with the option to switch your preferences at any time from the Select UI Language dialog. If a particular element is not available in the selected language, that element displays in English.
Import/Export Word Files Without MS Office	Flare supports the import and export of Microsoft Word documents without the need to have Word installed locally. For example, a user of Microsoft Office 365 (a subscription-based software solution) would not have Microsoft Word installed locally (via Microsoft Office). However, Flare lets Office 365 users build Word output, or import Word files in the DOCX, DOC, or RTF format, even if they do not have Microsoft Word installed on the same machine. It is still recommended that you work with Word installed locally, which is a more robust process. However, if you are an Office 365 user without a local installation of Word, you can select this check box to enable this feature. (This option is disabled by default.) Note This feature does not support WMF or EMF files in Word documents. If you have those types of image files, you should disable this option and use a local installation of Word.
Import Excel Files Without MS Office	Flare supports the import and export of Microsoft Excel files without the need to have Excel installed locally. It is still recommended that you work with Excel installed locally, which is a more robust process. However, if you do not have recent version installed (Excel 2010 or newer), you should select this check box to enable this feature. (This option is disabled by default.)
Automatically resize low DPI images	Starting with Flare 10, images with a very low DPI are rendered more accurately in the XML Editor (WYSIWYG) and PDF output, usually resulting in slightly larger and more blurry images (as is consistent with their lower DPI). Therefore, if you upgrade from an older version to Flare 10 or higher, you might notice images that looked a certain size before now look larger and more blurry (because their true DPI is being rendered more precisely). The best solution, and a long-term one, is to replace your lower-DPI images with higher-DPI images to be used in print output. But you also have the option to revert back to previous version behavior. If you select this option, the newer, more precise resizing from newer versions of the software is used. If you do not select this option, the behavior of older versions is used.
Prefer Local Help	By default, Flare's online and dynamic Help system points to files hosted externally. This allows for live updates to the Help. Because the Help system is hosted online, you may not be able to access it if you are behind a firewall or if you have a slow connection. In that case, you can use a local version of the Help. Flare will even switch to the local Help automatically if it detects that you cannot connect to the external Help system. Select this option if you want to use the local Help manually. Note To choose the local Help system using this field, the local Help must have been included when you first installed Flare. If you did not initially include the local online Help during installation, you can modify the installation from Add/Remove Programs in your Control Panel (Uninstall/Change). Note The local Help system is only updated when the application is updated. If you want to be sure that you have the most current version of the Help, disable the local Help.

Auto-Reload Documents

Select this check box if you want Flare to reload documents automatically. In other words, if you have topics or editor pages open and then close the project, this option ensures that those same documents are reopened the next time you open the project.

Auto-Save Documents

Select this check box if you want Flare to periodically auto-save any open files. You can specify the number of minutes that should elapse between each auto-save.

Close others when opening new document

You can have multiple files of all types (e.g., topics, stylesheets, targets) open in the interface at the same. By default, when you open a new file, other documents that are already open remain open. However, you can change this behavior so that files already open in the interface are automatically closed when you open a new document.

You can use any of the following options:

Close others This option automatically closes all other open documents.
Close others with no changes This option automatically closes all other open documents that do not have unsaved changes. If you have files open where changes have been made but not saved, those files will remain open until you save and close them.
Close others with same extension This option automatically closes all other open documents that share the same file extension. For example, let's say you have a topic, a stylesheet, and a target open. If you open another topic, the topic file that is currently open will be closed, but the stylesheet and target will remain open.
Close others with same extension and no changes This option is the same as the previous option, except that files with unsaved changes will not automatically be closed. Those files remain open until you save and close them.

Show Select UI Language Dialog on Startup

Select this box to show the Select UI Language dialog the next time you launch Flare.

You have the option of viewing the interface in English, French, German, Japanese, or Chinese. All of these languages are available from the same version of Flare (you do not need to purchase different versions for different languages). When you initially launch Flare, you are asked to select your language preference. Based on your selection, the user interface is displayed in the selected language, with the option to switch your preferences at any time from the Select UI Language dialog. If a particular element is not available in the selected language, that element displays in English.

Import/Export Word Files Without MS Office

Flare supports the import and export of Microsoft Word documents without the need to have Word installed locally. For example, a user of Microsoft Office 365 (a subscription-based software solution) would not have Microsoft Word installed locally (via Microsoft Office). However, Flare lets Office 365 users build Word output, or import Word files in the DOCX, DOC, or RTF format, even if they do not have Microsoft Word installed on the same machine.

It is still recommended that you work with Word installed locally, which is a more robust process. However, if you are an Office 365 user without a local installation of Word, you can select this check box to enable this feature. (This option is disabled by default.)

Note This feature does not support WMF or EMF files in Word documents. If you have those types of image files, you should disable this option and use a local installation of Word.

Import Excel Files Without MS Office

Flare supports the import and export of Microsoft Excel files without the need to have Excel installed locally.

It is still recommended that you work with Excel installed locally, which is a more robust process. However, if you do not have recent version installed (Excel 2010 or newer), you should select this check box to enable this feature. (This option is disabled by default.)

Automatically resize low DPI images

Starting with Flare 10, images with a very low DPI are rendered more accurately in the XML Editor (WYSIWYG) and PDF output, usually resulting in slightly larger and more blurry images (as is consistent with their lower DPI). Therefore, if you upgrade from an older version to Flare 10 or higher, you might notice images that looked a certain size before now look larger and more blurry (because their true DPI is being rendered more precisely). The best solution, and a long-term one, is to replace your lower-DPI images with higher-DPI images to be used in print output. But you also have the option to revert back to previous version behavior. If you select this option, the newer, more precise resizing from newer versions of the software is used. If you do not select this option, the behavior of older versions is used.

Prefer Local Help

By default, Flare's online and dynamic Help system points to files hosted externally. This allows for live updates to the Help.

Because the Help system is hosted online, you may not be able to access it if you are behind a firewall or if you have a slow connection. In that case, you can use a local version of the Help. Flare will even switch to the local Help automatically if it detects that you cannot connect to the external Help system.

Select this option if you want to use the local Help manually.

Note To choose the local Help system using this field, the local Help must have been included when you first installed Flare. If you did not initially include the local online Help during installation, you can modify the installation from Add/Remove Programs in your Control Panel (Uninstall/Change).

Note The local Help system is only updated when the application is updated. If you want to be sure that you have the most current version of the Help, disable the local Help.