Category: Adobe’s Technical Communication Suite

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Adobe FrameMaker 8: Reference Pages Part 2

 
Last week you learned a bit about the most basic reference page, called Reference.
 
In a new default document, when you chose View > Reference Pages, you land on a page that looks like the one below, and you learned about the purpose of the top two frames. So what about the second two frames? And the entire rest of the page, which is currently empty?

Reference page

 
The second two frames are used to place a repeating graphic element (in this case a single or double ruling line) either above a paragraph, below a paragraph, or both.
 
Before we try, you need to remember one thing from last week: The labels above each frame are strictly there for your convenience, they don't do anything except call out the names of the frames. What matters is the name of the frame underneath the label. To see a frame's name, click on the edge to select it and look at the middle of the status bar at the bottom of the page.
 
So, open a document with a subheading format and let's give this a try. Place your cursor in your top level subheading and open the Paragraph Designer (Ctrl+M). Navigate to the Advanced tab. At the bottom of the dialog box, click the Frame Above Pgf or Below Pgf drop-down menus and you will see that there's a list of frames from the first reference page. Select one and then click Update All to place a ruling above or below all your subheads.
 
But what if you'd rather use a different graphic above or below your subheads? A nice Hawaiian flower perhaps? Here's how:
  1. Choose View > Reference Pages
  2. Choose Graphics > Tools to show the Graphics toolbar
  3. Use the Place a Graphic Frame tool to draw a frame on the page, under the other ones. Name it Flower.
  4. Use the Text Line tool to add the optional label above the frame. Again, name it Flower.

    Flower frame on the Reference page

  5. Use the Select Object tool to select the frame and place an image of a flower in the frame
  6. Choose View > Body Pages
  7. You should still be within your subheading and the Paragraph Designer should still be on your screen… click the Frame Above Pgf drop-down menu, choose Flower and then click Update All.

    Now there should be a flower over each of your subheads.

    Updated format using the "Flower" reference

Now, what about the rest of that page? You could use it to add additional graphics you'd like to reference on the Body Pages or you could draw a text frame and leave notes for your co-workers about the job.
 
Notes on a Reference page
 
 
Want to learn more about Adobe FrameMaker? Come to our upcoming Introduction to FrameMaker 8 class. All you need is a computer with fast Internet access, a headset and the current version of FrameMaker (the 30-day trial version of the software works fine). You can ask all the questions you like because all virtual classes are led by a live instructor–this is not pre-recorded content.

 

About the author: Barbara Binder is the president and founder of Rocky Mountain Training. Barbara has been a trainer for nearly two decades and was recently recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide for 2007. 

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Announcing Our Newest Book…

Integrating Adobe's Technical Communication Suite
 
The Adobe Technical Communication Suite (TCS) is a complete solution for authoring, managing and publishing technical information and training content in multiple formats and languages. The suite combines four powerful programs:
  • Acrobat 3D
  • Adobe FrameMaker 8
  • Adobe RoboHelp 7
  • Adobe Captivate 3
Our new book, Integrating Adobe's Technical Communication Suite will introduce you to Adobe FrameMaker, RoboHelp and Captivate and then get you up and running with the integration process. To learn more about this book, click here.
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Adobe FrameMaker 8: Reference Pages Part 1… What Are They?

 
FrameMaker 8 offers three types of pages: Body, Master and Reference.
 
Body pages are where you will do most of your work. This is where you flow your text and place pictures.
 
Master pages are for the repeating elements: the headers, footers, logos–items you want to appear on every page and in the same position.
 
So what's the role of those pesky Reference pages? Lots of good stuff, which I will help you explore over the next few weeks.
 
Let's start with the basics. In a new default document, when you chose View > Reference Pages, you land on a page that looks like this:
 
Four frames, three of which contain ruling lines, and four text labels.
 
You see four frames, three of which contain ruling lines, and four text labels. The labels are for your convenience, they don't do anything except call out the names of the frames.
 
Try this: click on the edge of one of the four frames and look at the middle of the status bar at the bottom of the page–that's where the all-important frame name appears. OK, so what do we do with them?
 
The first two are used automatically when you insert a footnote or a table footnote into your document. FrameMaker calls in the appropriate frame and places it above the first footnote on the page. Regular footnotes get a rule, with space below, and table footnotes just get a bit of space (that's why there isn't anything in the TableFootnote frame).
 
If you don't like the way the footnotes look in your document, change its appearance on the Reference Page. You can make the footnote frames taller or shorter to control the vertical spacing above the first footnote, or modify how the line looks (make it longer or shorter, move it up or down within the frame, or change its color, width or style).
 
Try changing the Footnote rule on the Reference Page so that it looks like this:
 
Changing the Footnote rule
 
And you will change all the footnotes on the Body pages so that they'll look like this:
 
Result of changes made on the Reference page
 
And you thought you were stuck with the default footnote rules! Tune in next week for more on Reference page rules.
 
Want to learn more about Adobe FrameMaker? Come to our upcoming Introduction to FrameMaker 8 class. All you need is a computer with fast Internet access, a headset and the current version of FrameMaker (the 30-day trial version of the software works fine). You can ask all the questions you like because all virtual classes are led by a live instructor–this is not pre-recorded content.

 

About the author: Barbara Binder is the president and founder of Rocky Mountain Training. Barbara has been a trainer for nearly two decades and was recently recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide for 2007. 

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Adobe Technical Communication Suite: Recovering When RoboHelp Crashes

I've taught my Integrating Adobe's Technical Communication Suite class several times now. It's a tough class to teach because we bounce from Captivate to FrameMaker to RoboHelp and back again as we test the integration features. Most of my students would agree that taking FrameMaker book files into a RoboHelp project works very well, and is very cool.

However, I'd be less than honest if I said the integration process always goes smoothly. In fact, as I've taught the integration process to more and more clients, I've come across some RoboHelp crashes. Here is one in particular that I can help you resolve.

Just after importing a FrameMaker book file into RoboHelp by Reference, or just after updating the imported book file's settings, RoboHelp crashes.

Upon restarting RoboHelp and attempting to reopen the project, RoboHelp crashes again, and again, and again. (Or maybe the project will open but you are presented with a message about a corrupt CPD file.)

If this happens to you, follow these steps to resolve the issue (it has worked for me nearly every time):

  1. Prior to opening the RoboHelp project, navigate to the project folder and delete the CPD file (the file will likely have the same name as your project file)

    Note: Prior to deleting it, you might want to make a backup copy of the CPD file and keep it in safe place. By deleting the CPD file, much of your project structure will be lost when you reopen the project.

  2. Start RoboHelp and open the project (this time you should not see the message about the CPD file since you deleted it… when you open the project, a new CPD file will be created)

  3. On the Project Manager pod, delete the reference to the FrameMaker book file

  4. Reimport the FrameMaker book file by reference and you should be set

    You will need to redo your import settings and maps for the FrameMaker file, but I've found that the process takes just a few minutes and is more annoying than it is lethal.

Want to learn more about integrating Adobe's Technical Communication suite? Click here.

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Adobe FrameMaker 8: Text Insets

 
Text Insets are great when you need to publish the same copy in several locations. Perhaps it is your mission statement, or a description of your company. Rather than rely on a Copy & Paste technique, which necessitates editing multiple documents when the need arises to revise the copy, you can work with just one file as a Text Inset.
 
Here's how it works:
  1. In FrameMaker, create a document that contains the copy you wish to include in several publications. This file will be referred to as the source file.
  2. Save and close the source file
  3. Open up the first FrameMaker document that you would like to insert the copy into and use File > Import > File to import it. Be sure to select Import by Reference at the bottom of the Import File dialog box.

    The Import Text by Reference dialog appears. There are three parts:

    Flow to Import: choose Body Page Flow to place your copy onto the Body page.

    Formatting of Imported Flow:  Pick the first option to have the text formatting match the current catalogs, and the last option to retain the formatting from the source document.

    Updating of Imported Flow: if you select automatic, the changes will automatically be reflected in the current document when you update the source document. Otherwise, you have to request the update.

  4. Click Import

    The text appears on the page. You import the same source files into multiple documents.

Now, here's the cool part. When you get an edit to the source file, you just open it up directly, make the change and save your work. The next time you open up the files with the Automatic Update turned on, the changes will be reflected. If you opted for a manual update, just double click the Text Inset in the document and choose the Update Now button.  

If you wish to change the update status, click the Settings button. Sure makes editing and reusing text easy!

Want to learn more about Adobe FrameMaker? Come to our upcoming Introduction to FrameMaker 8 classes on October 7-8 or November 3-4. Both classes will be held in a virtual classroom–so you can attend this live, interactive class from anywhere in the country. All you need is a computer with fast Internet access, a headset and the current version of the FrameMaker (the 30-day trial version of the software works fine). You can ask all the questions you like because all virtual classes are led by a live instructor–this is not pre-recorded content. 

 

About the author: Barbara Binder is the president and founder of Rocky Mountain Training. Barbara has been a trainer for nearly two decades and was recently recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide for 2007. 

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Adobe FrameMaker 8: Should You Import Text Files “by Copy” or “by Reference?” Decisions, Decisions…

 
I import files into FrameMaker all the time, so much so that I rely exclusively on the keyboard shortcut Esc fif. (For those of you not so familiar with the Frame escape key sequences, try pressing, and releasing, the following keys in sequence: Esc f i f all the while saying to yourself, "Escape file import file." Love those shortcuts!)
Have you ever noticed that some of your text files import into FrameMaker just fine (you can make edits to the text all day long), and sometimes the text files come in and you can't edit them at all? (I'm talking about when you click on the text, the frame gets selected and it doesn't appear that you can make any changes to the content.) What's up with that?
 
FrameMaker's Import Files dialog box has two radio buttons at the bottom:  Import by Reference and Copy into Document. Generally speaking, I suggest import your graphic files by reference (which links them) and copy your text files so that they are not linked back to the original document. Seems easy, but when you are under deadline, and you import a text file after having just imported a graphic, it's easy to forget to change the radio button back to Copy into Document. So what's a FrameMaker user to do? Read on…
If you accidentally import the text via Copy instead of by Reference, simply double-click the text frame in FrameMaker and choose Convert to Text. Gee, that was easy.
 
Next week, we'll look at Text Insets and figure out why you'd ever want to import a text file by reference.

Want to learn more about Adobe FrameMaker? Come to our upcoming Introduction to FrameMaker 8 classes on October 7-8 or November 3-4. Both classes will be held in a virtual classroom–so you can attend this live, interactive class from anywhere in the country. All you need is a computer with fast Internet access, a headset and the current version of the FrameMaker (the 30-day trial version of the software works fine). You can ask all the questions you like because all virtual classes are led by a live instructor–this is not pre-recorded content. 

 

About the author: Barbara Binder is the president and founder of Rocky Mountain Training. Barbara has been a trainer for nearly two decades and was recently recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide for 2007. 

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Accessing Diacritics in Adobe FrameMaker 8

 
According to Wikipedia, a diacritic (also called a diacritical mark, point, or sign), is a small sign added to a letter to alter pronunciation or distinguish between similar words.
 
To put it simply, I'm talking about inserting the accents over the letters found in so many foreign languages. (i.e., café or crêpe ).
 
For those of us working primarily in English, we don't have to worry too much about accents. But if you publish documents with French or Spanish words and phrases, you better know how to add the accent marks.
 
There are two ways to add accent marks to your FrameMaker documents: Windows ANSI Codes or Escape Key Sequence.
 
Windows ANSI Codes
 
The Windows operating system comes with numeric ANSI codes that you enter into any Windows program by holding down the ALT key while typing in a four digit code on the numeric keypad. For example:
  • ALT 0233 results in é
  • ALT 0232 results in è
When you release the ALT key after typing in the four digits, the requested character appears. What I like about the ANSI codes is that I can memorize the ones I use the most, and then can enter them into any Windows program: FrameMaker, Photoshop, InDesign, MS Word, etc.

Escape Key Sequence
 
The Escape Key sequence produces the exact same results, but while I find them easier to work with, unfortunately, they only work in FrameMaker. They work by tapping and releasing a series of keys, in sequence (NOT all at the same time).
 
For example, to get the same accented é, tap and release ESC, apostrophe, e:
  • ESC ' e results in é
  • ESC ` e results in è
  • ESC : e results in ë 
  • ESC ^ e results in ê
This technique puts these four accents over all five vowels. But Spanish uses the ñ: Can you figure it out on your own?
  • ESC ~ n results in ñ 

And how about the French cedilla?

  • ESC , c results in ç 
Pretty cool, don't you think? I love this trick because I can look at the keyboard and figure out what I need in just a few seconds. Sure beats memorizing all the ANSI codes!
 

Want to learn more about Adobe FrameMaker? Come to our upcoming Introduction to FrameMaker 8 classes on October 7-8 or November 3-4. Both classes will be held in a virtual classroom–so you can attend this live, interactive class from anywhere in the country. All you need is a computer with fast Internet access, a headset and the current version of the FrameMaker (the 30-day trial version of the software works fine). You can ask all the questions you like because all virtual classes are led by a live instructor–this is not pre-recorded content. 

 

About the author: Barbara Binder is the president and founder of Rocky Mountain Training. Barbara has been a trainer for nearly two decades and was recently recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide for 2007. 

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Integrating Adobe’s Technical Communication Suite: Style Settings

Style Settings: Mapping Content and Controlling Pagination

by Kevin A. Siegel

Two weeks ago, I introduced you to the Adobe Technical Communication Suite and the integration process. Last week, we talked about Content Settings. This week, Style Settings.
 
The Style Settings allow you to control two very important aspects of FrameMaker integration: how FrameMaker formats map to RoboHelp styles; and how FrameMaker content is split into RoboHelp topics.
 
Style Mapping
  1. On RoboHelp's Project Manager, right-click the reference to the FrameMaker book, and choose Properties

    The FrameMaker Document Settings dialog box opens.

  2. Select the Style Settings tab
  3. Click the Edit button to the right of Style Mappings

    The RoboHelp Style Mappings dialog box opens. You will use this dialog box to control which styles the FrameMaker content uses when it appears in your RoboHelp project.

  4. Select a format from the FrameMaker column at the left and then select a RoboHelp style from the Available Styles at the right
  5. Click the Map button

    In the image below, RoboHelp has been told to apply the Normal style to any FrameMaker content that was using the Body format; Heading1 was mapped to Heading1, Heading2 to Heading2 and Bulleted to Normal.

    Styles mapped in the TechCom suite

    You can exclude content from being imported by selecting the format from the FrameMaker column
    clicking the No Output button (in the image above, notice that the SideHead format has not been assigned a RoboHelp format and will not be imported into RoboHelp).

  6. Click OK to return to the FrameMaker Document Settings dialog box

Pagination Settings

The Pagination Settings allow you to control how FrameMaker content is split into new topics in RoboHelp.
  • On the Style Settings tab, select the formats you would like to split into new topics (in the image below, Heading1 and Heading2 were selected)

    Splitting FrameMaker content into RoboHelp topics

  • Click OK
  • On the Project Manager, right-click FrameMaker book reference and choose Update

    The FrameMaker content is reimported into RoboHelp. 

 

Want to learn more about integrating the Technical Communication Suite? Click here.

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eLearning Voice-Overs Microphone Guideline

by Jack Landau, Product Information and Training Manager, Anritsu Company

I recently asked people in the industry for advice about a microphone to use with my laptop PC for making good quality audio narrations for Adobe Captivate training sessions. I received a few short replies, but I quickly realized this subject was so complex that no one was going to take the time to explain it to me. So, I did all the research myself and I am happy to share a short summary of the results.

Note: US prices mentioned here include tax and shipping.
 
The PC Connection  Although your PC has a "mic" input, you shouldn't use it because the PC's sound card is usually poor. Wireless connections are expensive, so you need to use the PC's USB port. And that means the mic's analog signal must be converted to the USB's digital signal with an A-to-D converter plus a USB interface. Vendors such as BlueMic and Samson sell reasonable USB microphones that incorporate everything in one unit for around $100. After much studying, I decided against these solutions because most reviews said their audio quality was not great. Also, they can never be used with other audio equipment because they don't have standard mic connectors.
 
Microphone  It quickly becomes apparent that the choice is between dynamic and condenser mics. The dynamic type is generally less expensive and more rugged, and the prices of well regarded ones such as the Shure SM57 start at around $100. I finally decided to use a condenser mic, however, since the industry seems to agree that they provide the best audio quality. Condenser mics require +48 Volt DC power, known as "phantom power," sent through the mic cable and typically provided by the mixer/preamp. Condenser mic prices usually start around $150 and go way up, but I selected Behringer, a well-regarded audio supplier whose $50-60 C-1 and C-3 condenser mics had very good reviews. In any case, for narration you'll want a cardioid mic. It's so named because its directionality pattern is heart-shaped and emphasizes sound arriving from directly in front of it, rejecting echoes and other room noises from the sides.
 
Mixer/Preamp  These units mix and amplify signals from several mics or other audio sources, and may perform various kinds of useful filtering. Also, they supply the DC phantom power condenser mics need. You'll need at least a small one even if your plan is to use only a single mic. For connecting to a PC it's convenient to use a unit that provides the USB connection. M-Audio's MobilePre USB mixer and preamp for around $130 seemed like a reasonable choice. It derives all its power from the PC's USB connection, using a PC USB cable that is included.
 
Mic Cable  Mics don't generally come with cables because there are so many different kinds and lengths. The mic has a male XLR connector, and the mixer/preamp has a female XLR connector. So, you'll need a low-impedance (Lo-Z) XLR(F)-XLR(M) cable. Just search on Google for "XLR cable." Better ones have superior noise shielding and are more rugged and flexible. Expect to spend at least $15.
 
Mic Stand  Mics don't usually come with stands because users' needs are so different. For training narration, an adjustable desk stand is appropriate. Just search on Google for "mic desk stand." Expect to spend around $25.
 
Pop Filter  A pop filter is used in professional recording to reduce the popping noises from "p" and "b" sounds that can overload the mic, and to protect the mic from the corrosive salts in saliva. It's usually a woven nylon material mounted on a circular frame in front of the mic and attached to the mic stand via a gooseneck and clamp. Middle Atlantic's Split Screen Pop Filter seems to be quite nice, or search on Google for "pop filter." Expect to spend around $30.
 
Acoustic Isolation  I stopped at this point because of the expense, but I'll include this subject here for completeness. To minimize unwanted room noise, you can place winged foam acoustic isolation panels around the mic. For example, search on Google for "mic thing," a popular industry name evidently ascribed by SM Pro Audio. In addition, you can consider a mic shock mount that helps isolate the mic from vibrations transferred via the mic stand – search on Google for "mic shock mount."

 
***

Note: We first ran this article in mid-2008. We've received so many emails about microphones recently, I thought it would be a good idea to post it again now. One final comment to add to Jack's information above. I have long recommended the Sennheiser PC 166 USB Stereo Multimedia Gaming Headset. Given the fact that it has a built-in sound chip, we've had great luck here at IconLogic with the 166.


Do you have a Captivate production problem that's making you pull your hair out? Email your problem and let others learn solutions from your experience.

 
 
Want to learn more about Captivate? Click here.
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Integrating Adobe’s Technical Communication Suite: Content Settings

Content Settings: Adding FrameMaker's Table of Contents and Index to a RoboHelp Project

by Kevin A. Siegel

 
Last week, I introduced you to Adobe's Technical Communication Suite (TCS) and explained how, for the first time, technical communicators can author content in Adobe FrameMaker (instead of Microsoft Word) and link the FrameMaker content into a RoboHelp project.
 

The first thing you will see when you import FrameMaker content into RoboHelp by Reference is the Content Settings dialog box (shown below). Many first-timers have no idea what to do on this box and click the Next button.

The Content Settings dialog box

And then you run face-first into the equally mysterious Style Settings dialog box.

Style Settings

At this point, you'd likely click the Finish button and end up with a RoboHelp project with just a few topics that are likely too long. The topics probably look okay thanks to the fmstyles.css that you edited (I discussed this CSS last week)–but they'll go on and on since RoboHelp did not know how to split your FrameMaker content into RoboHelp topics.

This week I'll discuss how to complete the Content Settings dialog box, that will allow you to use FrameMaker's Table of Contents, Index and Glossary in RoboHelp. Next week we'll deal with the Style Settings dialog box, that will control how your FrameMaker content is split into topics.

Anyway, back to the Content Settings. If you clicked the finish button, open the Project Manager pod in RoboHelp, right-click the FrameMaker book file and choose Properties to display the Content Settings dialog box.

Select Convert FrameMaker Table of Content and then select Create new associated TOC (in the example below, the new TOC was named TechComTOC).

Similarly, select Convert Index and then select Create new associate Index (in the example below, the new Index was named TechComIndex).

Content Settings dialog box set to reuse FrameMaker's TOC and Inde

Click OK and you're just about done. All you need to do now is attach the new TOC and Index to your Single Source Layout.

Close all of the open RoboHelp topics (Window > Close All) and,
on the Project Manager, right-click FrameMaker book file and choose Update.

Finally, on your Single Source Layouts pod, show the properties of your layout and, from the Content area, select your FrameMaker TOC and Index from the drop-down menus.

FrameMakers TOC and Index attached to a RoboHelp layout

Next week: Style Settings

 

 

Want to learn more about integrating the Technical Communication Suite? Click here.