Presentation of detailed images in a User's Guide?

["Cummings, Elizabeth" <Elizabeth -dot- Cummings -at- pearson -dot- com>]

Anyone out there who can point me in the direction of online or hard copy
user's guides whose authors did a nice job of presenting detailed images of
interfaces or reports?

I document a system that has at least 30 interfaces and that generates about
75 reports.  Both the interfaces and the reports have many, many fields
and/or objects that need defining, and I am looking for good examples that
can serve as models for the work I need to do.  Haven't found any, so far.

I'm also interested in hearing any advice on how to handle presenting such
detailed images in a meaningful but uncluttered manner.

Up until this point in time, I have simply posted an image and placed a
table of field/object names and corresponding definitions beneath, due to
lack of time.  

I've considered the following alternative approaches, but the disadvantages
seem to outweigh the advantages.  I am eager to hear of others that might
work better:

1. mapping each field/object of an image so a user could click a particular
field/object and instantly see the corresponding definition in the table I
created:

advantage: 
--user wouldn't need to scroll to the table

disadvantages: 
--because each image is very detailed, and because there are many images,
this is labor intensive.
--"it takes a very steady hand", as many fields/objects are a hair's breadth
apart from one another.  
--while the user's guide is primarily used as an online resource, if it is
printed, the mapping doesn't help the user.


2. drawing a line from each field/object on the image out to white space,
where the field/object can be defined

advantages:
--user sees image and definition in one glance/wouldn't need to scroll.
--benefits both online and printed copy users.

disadvantages:
--because each image is very detailed, and because there are many images,
this is labor intensive.
--because there are many fields/objects a hair's breadth apart from one
another, and most definitions are fairly long, white space quickly becomes
cluttered space.


3. creating "mouse overs" for each field/object on the image so a user could
hover over a particular field/object and instantly see the corresponding
definition in the table I created:

advantage: 
--user wouldn't need to scroll to the table

disadvantages: 
--because each image is very detailed, and because there are many images,
this is labor intensive.
--"it takes a very steady hand", as many fields/objects are a hair's breadth
apart from one another.  
--while the user's guide is primarily used as an online resource, if it is
printed, the mouse over doesn't help the user.
--most importantly, so many of the definitions are fairly lengthy, the
longevity of the "pop-up" window doesn't allow the user to really take in
the definition.


Thanks for any input you may have!
--E.



Elizabeth Cummings, Technical Writer
ePEN Program Team
Pearson Educational Measurement
2510 North Dodge Street
Iowa City, IA 52245
319/354-9200, ext. 4692

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