Comments for Leximation http://blog.leximation.com FrameMaker, DITA, AIR Help, and more Mon, 14 May 2012 09:38:24 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on PDFs from DITA with FMx-Auto, oXygen, and Ant by Yves Barbion http://blog.leximation.com/2012/05/pdfs-from-dita-with-fmx-auto-oxygen-and-ant/comment-page-1/#comment-796 Yves Barbion Mon, 14 May 2012 09:38:24 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=169#comment-796 I have just tested this and it works like a charm! This is really great because I can now generate professional-quality PDFs from oXygen XML Author/Editor. So, the question is no longer whether to use FrameMaker OR oXygen XML Author/Editor. Just use both with DITA-FMx-Auto. I an easily design and modify FrameMaker templates and can also use all the great DITA-FMx features for authoring and managing DITA content. I have just tested this and it works like a charm! This is really great because I can now generate professional-quality PDFs from oXygen XML Author/Editor. So, the question is no longer whether to use FrameMaker OR oXygen XML Author/Editor. Just use both with DITA-FMx-Auto. I an easily design and modify FrameMaker templates and can also use all the great DITA-FMx features for authoring and managing DITA content.

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by saprentice http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-606 saprentice Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:57:34 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-606 I updated the article on 29 Jan to strike out the issue regarding preservation of styles on import. Not sure what I was doing to miss this, but the styles are definitely maintained on import if you select the "Preserve styles" option. I updated the article on 29 Jan to strike out the issue regarding preservation of styles on import. Not sure what I was doing to miss this, but the styles are definitely maintained on import if you select the “Preserve styles” option.

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by saprentice http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-588 saprentice Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:41:13 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-588 Jan .. as far as I can tell, the only way to get content into IBA is to import a PAGES file. So, you'd need to import your content into Pages first, then you can import that into IBA. As far as I know, Pages does not support proper indexing (no Index object or marker that is aggregated into a generated list). However, just to see what happens, I tried opening a Word DOC with Index markers in Pages .. once in Pages, the Index marker appears to be gone. (Same as cross-references.) At this point I think the best you can do is to get the basic content imported, then you'll need to manually apply formatting, cross-refs, any index, and interactive widgets. Jan .. as far as I can tell, the only way to get content into IBA is to import a PAGES file. So, you’d need to import your content into Pages first, then you can import that into IBA. As far as I know, Pages does not support proper indexing (no Index object or marker that is aggregated into a generated list). However, just to see what happens, I tried opening a Word DOC with Index markers in Pages .. once in Pages, the Index marker appears to be gone. (Same as cross-references.) At this point I think the best you can do is to get the basic content imported, then you’ll need to manually apply formatting, cross-refs, any index, and interactive widgets.

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by Jan Wright http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-587 Jan Wright Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:07:07 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-587 Scott, did you happen to drag an indexed Frame or Word file in? If you did, tell me if the index codes disappear. We have been having our lion machine crashing, so i haven't gotten to that experiment yet. Have done a prototype book to test out the glossary/index features. We need to find an easy way to get a chapter-like index with links working. Hah. Scott, did you happen to drag an indexed Frame or Word file in? If you did, tell me if the index codes disappear. We have been having our lion machine crashing, so i haven’t gotten to that experiment yet. Have done a prototype book to test out the glossary/index features. We need to find an easy way to get a chapter-like index with links working. Hah.

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by Stefan Gentz http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-580 Stefan Gentz Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:53:29 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-580 Actually that's just one more reason to "author" in a professional software like InDesign or FrameMaker and publish to iBooks format directly (considering the existing ePub Support that will be a snap for Adobe). Interesting question: You author with InDesign / FrameMaker > PDF > Print > bookshelf. Then you use InDesign to additionally publish to iBooks format (direktly, not over iBook Author). Lawyers will have to discuss this. Actually that’s just one more reason to “author” in a professional software like InDesign or FrameMaker and publish to iBooks format directly (considering the existing ePub Support that will be a snap for Adobe).

Interesting question: You author with InDesign / FrameMaker > PDF > Print > bookshelf. Then you use InDesign to additionally publish to iBooks format (direktly, not over iBook Author). Lawyers will have to discuss this.

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by Error7103 http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-577 Error7103 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:10:26 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-577 The last attempt to sell FM against MSO drove Frame Technology Corp. to the edge of bankruptcy and resulted in Adobe buying them out. Anyway, MS Office isn't just Word, it's also Excel, PowerPoint, and a bunch of other stuff I never use because LibreOffice does all the "office" stuff I need. What Frame needs is to deliver the promise of write-once, re-flow to everything. When I get to the point where I really need that, I suppose I'll have to see if Madcap Flare does any better. The last attempt to sell FM against MSO drove Frame Technology Corp. to the edge of bankruptcy and resulted in Adobe buying them out.

Anyway, MS Office isn’t just Word, it’s also Excel, PowerPoint, and a bunch of other stuff I never use because LibreOffice does all the “office” stuff I need.

What Frame needs is to deliver the promise of write-once, re-flow to everything. When I get to the point where I really need that, I suppose I’ll have to see if Madcap Flare does any better.

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by D L Reynolds http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-576 D L Reynolds Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:44:27 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-576 Good info. Thanks. Good info. Thanks.

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by Robert C. Leif http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-574 Robert C. Leif Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:07:40 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-574 If the native mode for FrameMaker were html5 and preferably xhtml5, it would be much easier to use FrameMaker with EPUB. CSS could be used as the format. The contents of individual FrameMaker paragraph styles could each be described by a CSS statement. Since html5 is a public format, its use should significantly improve FrameMaker's marketability. The risk in using an internet file format for storing one's documents is minimal compared to using a proprietary format, which is supported by a relatively few users. In fact, if FrameMaker's tables were enhanced, it could be possible to create an effective competitor to Microsoft Office. If the native mode for FrameMaker were html5 and preferably xhtml5, it would be much easier to use FrameMaker with EPUB. CSS could be used as the format. The contents of individual FrameMaker paragraph styles could each be described by a CSS statement. Since html5 is a public format, its use should significantly improve FrameMaker’s marketability. The risk in using an internet file format for storing one’s documents is minimal compared to using a proprietary format, which is supported by a relatively few users.
In fact, if FrameMaker’s tables were enhanced, it could be possible to create an effective competitor to Microsoft Office.

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by saprentice http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-571 saprentice Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:25:39 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-571 Error .. I’m thinking of a workflow like that described by Michael. Use IBA to create a “template” .. then develop a programmatic means for pouring in content using that template for the container, but leaving out any IBA-identifying code. The resulting file would never have been edited in IBA. It’s really just an enhanced, fixed-layout EPUB3. The key would be to determine which bits are necessary and which aren’t. I guess also that using any of the special interactive “widgets”, might cause a problem. The main question I have is .. when does a “standard” fixed-layout EPUB start to infringe on the IBA-EPUB world, and who makes that call? Error .. I’m thinking of a workflow like that described by Michael. Use IBA to create a “template” .. then develop a programmatic means for pouring in content using that template for the container, but leaving out any IBA-identifying code. The resulting file would never have been edited in IBA. It’s really just an enhanced, fixed-layout EPUB3. The key would be to determine which bits are necessary and which aren’t. I guess also that using any of the special interactive “widgets”, might cause a problem.

The main question I have is .. when does a “standard” fixed-layout EPUB start to infringe on the IBA-EPUB world, and who makes that call?

]]> Comment on Apple iBooks Author and Adobe FrameMaker? by saprentice http://blog.leximation.com/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author-and-adobe-framemaker/comment-page-1/#comment-569 saprentice Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:59:59 +0000 http://blog.leximation.com/?p=143#comment-569 Nancy .. The big problem with any workflow that tries to import existing content into IBA is that it has to go through a DOC or PAGES file .. and it appears that much of the problems happen in the DOC to IBA import. InDesign source would need to be saved to DOC, which would end up in a similar boat to the FM source. In both cases, simple content will probably be OK, but anything complex will need a fair amount of re-tagging. Nancy .. The big problem with any workflow that tries to import existing content into IBA is that it has to go through a DOC or PAGES file .. and it appears that much of the problems happen in the DOC to IBA import. InDesign source would need to be saved to DOC, which would end up in a similar boat to the FM source. In both cases, simple content will probably be OK, but anything complex will need a fair amount of re-tagging.

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