FrameMaker - Creating and Publishing Content (2015 Edition): Updated for 2015 Release

Front Matter

Acknowledgments

This much-asked-for update to the Publishing Fundamentals: FrameMaker 11 work would not be possible without the contributions of the original Scriptorium team, in particular, Sarah O’Keefe and Alan Pringle.

A huge thanks goes out to Rick Quatro for contributing the excellent chapter on ExtendScript.

In addition, I’d like to thank the Adobe FrameMaker product team, especially engineering. Access to Adobe’s teams has without question made this a better book.

Thanks also to the FrameMaker prerelease team; participation in the prerelease program gave us insights to the feature sets that make up this most current release of FrameMaker.

Matt Sullivan

September, 2015

Preface

Much has changed in FrameMaker since the FrameMaker 11 version of this book, yet much remains the same. My hope is that this book will give you insight into the workflow that has made FrameMaker the standard in technical book publishing for the last 20 years.

The original text, with content authored and directed by Sarah O’Keefe, has been completely revamped to address the features, user interface, and workflows available in FrameMaker up to and through FrameMaker 2015.

This version continues to move more to my perspective as a user of FrameMaker since version 1 on the Mac.

While I have always updated to the latest version of FrameMaker, there are many who do not. For this reason, I’ve left in many references to earlier versions of FrameMaker. Most significantly, there was

a change to book functionality with version 5.5

a blending of the structured and unstructured version in version 7

an interface overhaul in version 9,

significant changes to electronic publishing in versions 12 onward.

If what you see in the FrameMaker 2015 release does not match what you see in the book, consider updating to the latest patches for your release (very important!) or downloading a trial version of FrameMaker to compare functionality between the versions. Make sure you update to the latest patch for the trial of FrameMaker as well.

Specifically, this print version references the FrameMaker 13.0.1 release, though a few screen captures may be from the 13.0.0 release.

Of course, if you do download the trial, use test copy, or copies of your content, not the originals!

I have been a FrameMaker implementation specialist and trainer since FrameMaker 5, and have seen fantastic changes in the product, especially as it continues to expand support for video and interactive media. The latest version of FrameMaker also greatly enhances support for mobile content delivery, improving the Responsive HTML5 controls and experience, and providing support for mobile app creation.

This book is intended as user reference, not as a training guide. If you are quite new to FrameMaker, I suggest you visit training.techcommtools.com for free and paid FrameMaker courseware, as well as look at my schedule of FrameMaker training classes available online or in southern California.

The book is available in both print (amazon.com) and EPUB (techcommtools.com) formats.

Introduction

Welcome to FrameMaker - Creating and Publishing Content. Adobe’s FrameMaker software is the industry leader in technical publishing, and the release of FrameMaker 2015 continues that tradition. FrameMaker specializes in long-document formatting and automates mundane but essential tasks, such as maintaining running headers and footers, and updating tables of contents. It offers an easy path to producing multiple output formats, including print, PDF, and mobile formats.

Just as a truck with a lift gate is better than an SUV for moving furniture, FrameMaker is better than other options for moving heavy, messy content. Its referencing, and digital publishing features are simply unmatched. Use this book to look up specific features, manage content via templates, and produce beautiful HTML5 and mobile apps.

This book shows new users how to use unstructured FrameMaker, the most popular of the FrameMaker user interface options, to streamline their publishing workflows for greater efficiency and productivity.

I’ve provided new screenshots throughout, as well as coverage of the new features in FrameMaker 12 and FrameMaker 2015. There’s even something for the most knowledgeable Frame folks. There’s a separate list of the features added by version, and lots of best-practice details transposed from my own shop-worn copy.

One of the most significant changes since the FrameMaker 11 version of this book is the emergence of the mobile web. FrameMaker has kept pace with new technologies like HTML5, EPUB, and Kindle. This book gives you the detail you need for many of the available FrameMaker options for multichannel output.

In addition to writing about FrameMaker, I practice what we preach. I’ve trained, consulted and written about FrameMaker since the early versions. In fact, the book you are holding was itself produced in FrameMaker 2015.

If you would like to express interest in additional FrameMaker or Technical Communication Suite subjects, please visit www.framemaker11book.com.

New features by version

New since FrameMaker 8

FrameMaker 9 New Features

New user interface (UI)

Added groups and folders to books

PDF comment workflow

Content management improvements

RoboScreenCapture included

Character Palette including Unicode characters

History pod

FrameMaker 10 New Features

Drag-and-drop editing

Filter by attribute (structured feature)

Auto spell check

Find/Change overrides

Table catalog

Repeat last operation

ExtendScript

Improved placement of multimedia

Set poster for multimedia

Set background color

Suppress alerts

Improved linking with RoboHelp (Technical Communication Suite version)

FrameMaker 11 New Features

Interactive multimedia links for 3D objects

Object styles

Identify and refer to content using line numbers

Hotspots

Smart Insert

3D object part links

Preferences dialog enhancements

New publishing formats in FrameMaker Publishing Server (requires separate purchase of FrameMaker Publishing Server)

More markers

APIs to automate the CMS connectors’ functionality

FrameMaker 12 New Features

Background color behind paragraphs

Direct digital publishing (HTML5, WebHelp, EPUB, Kindle, MS HTML Help)

QR code generation

Table usability improvements

Ability to resize pods

Package utility

Smart filters in pods

Restore Session capability

Currently Opened Files pod

Regular Expression support

Integration with Adobe Experience Manager

Mobile PDF review

Simultaneous review and authoring workflow

Dropbox (and cloud based filesharing) integration

FrameMaker 2015 New Features

Right to left language support for editing and publishing

Conditional text extended to book components

Use custom fonts in EPUB

Publish mobile apps (iOS and Android)

Customize WebHelp skins

Dynamic content filtering in HTML5 and mobile apps

Improvements to direct digital publishing

Auto-insert table continuation variables

Conditional table columns

Mini TOC

Improvements to visual conditional indicators

Improvements in table fill display

Totally new MS Word import wizard

In-app messaging

Who should read this book

The information in this book will be useful for both new and long-time FrameMaker users. The book explains unstructured FrameMaker from top to bottom. It details basics, such as creating a document, importing formats from one file to another, and applying paragraph tags. In more advanced sections, this reference describes how to create templates, build books, use modular text, and insert hypertext commands.

In short, there’s something here for every user. Beginners will find a wealth of information, organized in order of increasing complexity. Advanced users may want to skip the first few parts and focus on the second half of the book.

What’s in this book

This rather large book is divided into several parts to help you find your way around. You’ll notice that each part has a handy thumb tab to help find the part you need.

Part I, Getting started with Framemaker

Part I is intended mainly for new users. It provides an overview of FrameMaker’s features and interface. All users should consider reading Establishing a workflow in FrameMaker, which describes several different workflows that include FrameMaker.

Part I includes the following chapters:

FrameMaker strengths offers an overview of FrameMaker’s features. It describes some of the features that make FrameMaker unique and explains how you can use them to automate common publishing tasks. This chapter is intended for users who are new to FrameMaker and need an explanation of why FrameMaker makes sense for technical publishing projects.

Creating your first document explains how to create a new document and open existing documents. It also describes the document window, toolbars, and status bar. Finally, it explains how to configure preferences to suit your workflow. Read this chapter if you are not familiar with the FrameMaker interface.

Word-Processing Features describes how to type text into FrameMaker. It also explains how to import text from other applications. Generally, FrameMaker users write directly in FrameMaker. This chapter will be helpful to new users who are not yet familiar with basic text manipulation in FrameMaker. For more advanced users, the importing section provides detailed information about how to import content from Microsoft Word files successfully.

Establishing a workflow in FrameMaker describes the typical publishing workflow and examines how FrameMaker fits into that workflow. It also includes an overview of how to set up a single-sourcing workflow that lets you publish to multiple output formats. If you are starting with a clean slate and can configure your workflow however you want, read this chapter to get an idea of the possibilities.

Templates pulls together information about many different features. It describes interactions among different components and provides some tips for designing useful templates.

Part II, Creating and Manipulating Text

Part II explains the word-processing features of FrameMaker and how to add and manipulate text, tables, and other items in your documents. This part includes basic information, such as how to apply a paragraph tag, but it also covers more advanced topics, such as how to create a paragraph tag and set up autonumbering. New users will want to read at least the first half of each chapter to learn about each feature; more advanced users will probably focus on the latter half of each chapter.

Part II includes the following chapters:

Formatting text with paragraph tags begins with an explanation of paragraph-level style sheets and how to apply them. It also provides a detailed explanation of how to create and modify paragraph tags.

Formatting text with character tags shows you how to apply and create character-level style sheets. In FrameMaker, character-level and paragraph-level style sheets are stored in separate locations. Characters tags are used in several other features, such as cross-references and variables, to provide formatting; this chapter also explains those relationships.

Understanding table design explains how to create tables and modify their formatting. Like paragraphs, tables have style sheets, and this chapter describes how to set up table styles.

Cross-references describes how to create pointers from one section of a document to another. FrameMaker automatically maintains and updates these references as pagination in the document changes.

Storing content in variables details how to use variables to store and format bits of reused text, such as the title of a book or a product name. It also describes how to use system variables to automate running headers and footers, page numbers, and continued labels in tables.

Part III, Controlling Page Layout

The chapters in Part III describe managing blocks of text and positioning them on your pages. This part also includes discussions about importing graphics created in other applications and creating graphics in FrameMaker.

Part III includes the following chapters:

Understanding master pages explains how to set up master pages to determine the page layout in a file, and it shows how to apply and import page layout definitions.

Text flows describes how to create and connect blocks of text, or text flows. This information is especially helpful for template designers, who need to understand how to position text blocks on a page and how text blocks are connected and disconnected.

Importing graphic content explains anchored frames, which serve as containers for most graphics. It also describes how to import graphics and rich media files from other applications.

Object styles introduces object-level style sheets and how to apply them. It also provides a detailed explanation of how to create and modify object styles.

Placing rich media describes the types of multimedia that may be placed within a FrameMaker file. It also explains the controls available for each media type.

FrameMaker’s graphics tools describes how to use FrameMaker’s built-in graphics tools to create art.

Part IV, Building Books

You can create a book file to hold a collection of files that make up a larger document. Among these files, you can include automated tables of contents and index files, which are explained in this part.

Part IV includes the following chapters:

Setting up book files describes how to set up and modify book files. It explains how to control chapter, page, and other numbering from the book and how to perform global (bookwide) updates on your content.

Creating tables of contents explains how to choose items for inclusion in a table of contents and how to format those items.

Creating indexes explains how to create the markers that become index entries and how to format the generated index.

Creating Other Generated Files describes some of the less well-known generated files. You can, for example, create a list of fonts used in a document, or a list of imported graphics. Several variations on the standard index are also available.

Part V, Creating Output

In Part V, you learn how to create print, PDF, and online formats, and you learn about managing color.

Part V includes the following chapters:

Print, PDF output, and package provides detailed information about printing FrameMaker files and creating PDF files. It explains how to configure your system for successful PostScript printing and provides information about PDF conversion settings.

Digital Publishing describes how to use the Publish pod to create content for mobile and online formats like HTML5 and EPUB. The Publish pod is available in FrameMaker 12 or later.

Color output explains how FrameMaker handles color output and describes how to set up colors in your document.

Part VI, Advanced Techniques

Part VI covers a variety of advanced topics, including template design, conditional text, hypertext, and WebDAV use with FrameMaker.

Part VI includes the following chapters:

Setting up conditional text explains how to create two (or more) versions of a document in a single file. The conditional text feature is an important part of most single-sourcing environments.

Automation with ExtendScript provides an overview of FrameMaker automation using Adobe’s ExtendScript technology. Scripting tasks can save countless hours of repetitive manual formatting or processing.

Creating Interactive Content with Hypertext describes how to link documents, create popups, and insert hotspots into graphics with hypertext commands. Many hypertext commands are translated when you convert to HTML or PDF output.

Writing equations tells you how to create and format equations in your documents.

Content reuse with text insets provides information about FrameMaker’s text importing feature. You can create small text fragments and import them into larger documents to create modular documentation.

Using a Content Management System (CMS) describes FrameMaker’s support for version control and content management through WebDAV. WebDAV software (www.webdav.org) runs on any web server and is accessed via http protocol, so you can store files anywhere and access them over the Internet. This allows you to set up a version control system for authors in many different locations. The DAV in WebDAV actually stands for Distributed Authoring and Versioning.

Part VII, Appendixes

The following appendixes are included:

Resources offers a list of FrameMaker-related resources, including a list of utilities.

Building blocks provides a comprehensive list of the building blocks you use to create tags and formats in FrameMaker.

Customizing maker.ini describes the file where FrameMaker settings are stored and some settings you may want to modify.

Preference settings provides a reference for preference options. Newly expanded options for content management system integration and spelling checker are now found here.

Maker Interchange Format explains Maker Interchange Format (MIF), which is a text-based markup language that describes FrameMaker files. MIF files can be useful for global changes that aren’t easily implemented through the FrameMaker interface. It’s also widely used as an intermediate format when converting to and from FrameMaker format. FrameMaker files saved ins MIF format can be opened in earlier versions of FrameMaker.

Conventions used in this book

Some of the text in this book uses special formatting to help indicate emphasis or keystrokes. The text conventions are as follows:

Mistakes were made

I’ve tried to make this book as accurate as possible. However, there’s the possibility that I was, well, wrong about something. Some features in FrameMaker also may have changed (or bugs may have been fixed) since this book was published.

For changes and errata, visit:

http://www.techcommtools.com/fmbook

Part I

Getting started with Framemaker

Chapter 1: FrameMaker strengths

Adobe FrameMaker is the workhorse that technical communicators depend on year after year. FrameMaker easily creates complex documents, full of technical information, references and numbering. Examples of this are:

Technical documentation—user guides, installation guides, system administration guides, reference guides, and training materials

Interactive electronic documents, accessed across all your electronic devices

Nonfiction books, especially third-party documentation (including this book!)

Legal and financial documents, such as prospectuses

Database publishing of directories and catalogs

Long documents and documents with a long life cycle

Here’s a look at what’s in this chapter:

FrameMaker strengths    4

Uses for FrameMaker    8

The Technical Communication Suite versions of FrameMaker also enable placement of video, interactive, and rich media into your documents. While this content (other than QR codes) obviously does not translate to print output, the content will work in other electronic output such as PDF, eBook, responsive HTML5, and mobile app output. Of course, the media you place is subject to platform limitations. This means that, for example, Flash Video accessed on an iOS device will not work.

Software requirements for creating technical documentation are different than the requirements for creating short, independent documents such as brochures, newsletters, or annual reports. For technical publishing, stability and reliability are critical, especially as documents get longer. FrameMaker easily handles books of 200 or 2,000 pages. FrameMaker provides a stable, reliable environment in which to create and manage these types of documents.

Most likely, though, you’re hoping for something more than an application that doesn’t crash often. FrameMaker includes many features that are important for anyone working with long documents in a graphical what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) environment, shown in the following figure.

Figure 1-1.      A typical page in FrameMaker

FrameMaker strengths

Highlights of FrameMaker’s strengths include the following:

Consistent, repeatable, and maintainable formatting. By using templates (See Using a file as a template on page 13.) you can manage many documents with the same look and feel. Templates ensure that formatting is consistent from one document to another, and you can quickly copy updated formatting from file to file. Instead of manual reformatting, you apply the template across affected documents, and FrameMaker changes formatting and repaginates accordingly.

Complex document management. Equations, text variables, conditional text, a staggering array of graphic formats, and many other features help you create and maintain complex documents.

Placement of rich media. You can place video, interactive software simulations, and working 3D models in your docs. You can also provide alternate representations to ensure proper print and electronic output.

Stability. FrameMaker is a stable, reliable application. It maintains your content, references, and numbering so that you can focus on content.

inset_100004.jpg Long-document management. FrameMaker provides strong support for managing pagination, tables of contents, and indexes in books. This lets you process multi-volume books, dozens of chapters, and thousands of pages without having to worry about the accuracy of numbering and references. To rearrange the order of chapters in a book, you just drag and drop the files to their new locations and then update the book. FrameMaker automatically changes the pagination to reflect the new order, changes the chapter numbers as necessary, and updates the table of contents and index.

wf_output_from_fm_pdf_print00008.jpg Cross-media publishing. FrameMaker can serve as the engine or as a component of a very sophisticated publishing system, in which you create print, Portable Document Format (PDF), Responsive HTML5, Kindle, and EPUB from a single set of documents. This single-source publishing makes it possible to write content once and then publish one or more versions of the content across different media.

Change management. FrameMaker natively supports popular content management systems, and also supports WebDAV, which lets you set up your own version control system on a web server. If you work with large books or collaborate with multiple authors, change management can be a critical issue. inset_400011.jpg

You’ll find many functional similarities between FrameMaker and other desktop publishing applications. Only FrameMaker, however, is designed for long-document publishing; its document-management features are robust and reliable. Highlights of FrameMaker’s document-management features include the following:

Style sheets. Word processors and desktop publishing packages provide style sheets for paragraph formatting, but FrameMaker takes this concept much farther. A FrameMaker file includes style sheets for paragraphs, characters, tables, cross-references, variables, master pages, object styles and several other items. These style sheets (often referred to as tags), are stored in catalogs, which can be imported from one file to another. inset_300012.jpg

Books. A book is a collection of files (often chapters) in a particular sequence. FrameMaker manages the pagination and chapter numbering as information is added to and deleted from the book. A book can also contain grouped chapters, subdirectories of chapters, and other books.

Cross-references. Using cross-references, you create a pointer from one part of the book to another (for example, see Widgets on page 913). FrameMaker automatically updates the page numbers and displayed text (in our example, Widgets) when content changes. In electronic output, cross-references can contain usable hyperlinks.

Tables of contents. You can automatically generate a list of specific content in the document. After making changes to a document, updating the book automatically updates topic lists and page references.

Indexes. You identify which terms to index by inserting markers in the documents. After that, the index is generated, sorted, and grouped automatically.

Tables. Table support is very strong and includes the ability to save named table formats with settings for lines and shading. why_table_ex200013.jpg  Starting in FrameMaker 2015, you can more easily set the color of borders in your table.

Graphics. You can import external graphics and embed or link them into the document. Linked graphics are automatically updated in the FrameMaker file when the graphic changes. FrameMaker 11 introduced object styles, which allow rapid formatting and management of graphic objects, including lines, shapes and frames. FrameMaker also includes a set of drawing tools for creating and managing graphics.

Conditional text. You can use conditional text to identify information that belongs to a specific version of a document (for example, instructor-only material in a training guide). You can then create document versions that show or hide the tagged material. Conditional text is an important component of any single-sourcing strategy because it lets you identify information that should be excluded from some output (such as

print-only and online-only content).

Variables. These are useful for long text strings, for things that can change frequently, or for phrases that must be formatted a specific way. For example, you can create a variable called ProductName and use it throughout the document wherever the product name is needed. If the product name or formatting changes, you change the value of the variable, changing every occurrence of the variable throughout the document.

Modular text. You can create small files that contain chunks of content and then reuse the chunks (text insets) into larger documents. Modular text lets you reuse chunks in multiple documents and maintain the information from a single file.

Equations. FrameMaker includes an equation editor, which lets you create complex mathematical expressions.

Templates. FrameMaker lets you import named styles from any other FrameMaker document. In most desktop publishing applications, templates are limited to paragraph style sheets and master pages, but in FrameMaker, template items include paragraph tags, character tags (for text range formatting inside paragraphs, such as italics), tables, master pages (page layouts), cross-reference formats, variable names and definitions, conditional text tag names, oject styles, and more. inset_000016.jpg

Uses for FrameMaker

It’s possible to use FrameMaker to create highly designed documents, such as annual reports and newsletters (where layouts change on almost every page), and glossy full-color publications. However, FrameMaker’s document-management features are much more useful in enforcing consistency across hundreds (or thousands) of pages.

At first glance, the logic behind FrameMaker’s features may seem a bit odd. Keep with it though, because the logic is there. FrameMaker was designed as a tool for long documents, so its strength is in the ability to enforce consistency across your chapter, your book, and all content controlled by a given template (a template is basically a set of naming conventions and formats). In short, if you act in ways that FrameMaker expects, FrameMaker will do all the heavy lifting for you, freeing you up to create or manage content instead of formatting it.

FrameMaker won’t solve all of your problems, but if you’re looking for a reliable, industrial-strength publishing tool that produces consistent output, it is the software for you.

Chapter 2: Creating your first document

After starting FrameMaker you can either create a new document or open an existing document. After that, you can start learning how to get around in the FrameMaker interface. This chapter explains how to start FrameMaker, create documents, and open them.

Starting FrameMaker    10

Setting up a new document    11

Exploring the standard templates    12

Using a file as a template    13

Creating a blank document    13

Using an existing file    15

Opening, saving, closing, and printing documents    15

Understanding the document window    16

Changing the zoom settings    16

Displaying nonprinting items in the document window    17

Changing view options    19

FrameMaker interface options    19

Workspaces    19

Toolbars    20

Icons    20

Document tabs    21

Pods    21

Managing open files    22

Restore last session    23

Understanding file configuration and preferences    23

Storing format definitions    23

Importing and embedding graphics    23

Document control    23

Using the Fonts pod    25

Handling missing fonts    25

Organizing directories and files    26

Saving file information with XMP    27

Setting automatic backup and save features    28

Switching between structured and unstructured interfaces    29

File naming conventions    29

Starting FrameMaker

You should have a shortcut for FrameMaker installed in the Start menu after installation. Double-click on the desktop shortcut, or select Start > All Programs to start the FrameMaker application.

The first time you start FrameMaker, you are prompted to activate the product, as well as sign in with your Adobe ID. Creating an Adobe ID or signing in is recommended, as it will give you options to collaborate with others via Acrobat.com among other things.

Next, you are prompted to select an interface.

Select one of the following options (you can change this selection later):

FrameMaker (unstructured): Starts the vanilla, unstructured version of FrameMaker. Lets you work on unstructured documents without the structure features getting in the way. This book explains the unstructured interface.

Structured FrameMaker: Starts the structured version of FrameMaker. Lets you create structured documents, work with enforceable content models like DITA and XML, and see the underlying code.

FrameMaker XML Author: Starting with FrameMaker 12, this option starts FrameMaker in a structured mode intended only for authoring content. This mode removes the controls needed to modify structure models, thus simplifying the content editing process for some users. XML Author is also available as a standalone application.

When you start FrameMaker, you are presented with a welcome screen.

You can choose to create new books or documents from this screen or from the File menu.

Setting up a new document

When you create a new document, FrameMaker names the file Untitled1.fm (additional documents are named Untitled2.fm, Untitled3.fm, and so on). You can save the document with a more informative name.

There are several ways to create a new document:

Exploring the standard templates, then choosing one of those templates

Creating a new document based on a template

Creating a blank document

Saving an existing file under a new name

Exploring the standard templates

For each of the default templates, FrameMaker includes a preview and a feature summary. This information helps you determine whether a particular template will meet your needs.

To examine the unstructured templates, follow these steps:

1.Select File > New>Document, press ctrl+n , or click the Document button ( new_document_icon00020.jpg ) on the Quick Access Bar to display the New dialog.

2.Click the Explore Standard Templates button. A list of templates is displayed with previews.

3.Click an item in the template list on the left to display a feature summary and preview for that template on the right. To see a sample document with placeholder text, click the Show Sample button.

4.To use a particular template, click the Create button. FrameMaker creates a new, untitled document by making a copy of the template file.

You can now save the document with an appropriate name and begin working.

Using a file as a template

In addition to the standard templates, you can use any FrameMaker file as a template.

To use a file as a template, follow these steps:

1.Select File > New > Document, press ctrl+n , or click the New File button ( new_document_icon00026.jpg ) on the Quick Access Bar. The New dialog box is displayedSelect File > New>Document, press ctrl+n , or click the Document button () on the Quick Access Bar to display the New dialog..

Select the template by doing one of the following:

To find a standard FrameMaker template, double-click a folder in the Look In window and then double-click the template. You can display a preview of FrameMaker’s standard templates by clicking the Explore Standard Templates button.

To use another file as a template, navigate to the directory that contains the file and double-click the file.

2.The new document is displayed.

When you create a new document from a template, FrameMaker makes a complete copy of the file. Any content stored in the original file is included in the new, untitled document (good for contracts or other boilerplate text). inset_100030.png

Creating a template file with standard information, perhaps with variables can speed up editing of standard documents.

For more information about variables, see Storing content in variables

Creating a blank document

When you create a blank document, you can use default sizes, choosing portrait or landscape orientation, or you can create a custom page size. Even blank documents contain styles and other information from a default FrameMaker document.

To create a blank portrait or landscape document, follow these steps:

1.Select File > New > Document or press ctrl+n. The New dialog box is displayedSelect File > New>Document, press ctrl+n , or click the Document button () on the Quick Access Bar to display the New dialog..

2.In the Use Blank Paper section, click the Portrait or Landscape button to display the new document.

To create a document that uses a custom paper size, follow these steps:

1.Select File > New > Document or press ctrl+n to display the New dialog.

2.In the Use Blank Paper section, click the Custom button to display the Custom Blank Paper dialog.

3.Click a paper size in the Page Size drop-down list: inset_1500035.jpg

Custom: You specify the page width and height

US Letter: 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches tall

US Legal: 8.5 inches wide by 14 inches tall

Tabloid: 11 inches wide by 17 inches tall

A3 Tabloid: 29.7 cm wide by 42 cm tall

A4 Letter: 21 cm wide by 29.7 cm tall

A5 Letter: 14.8 cm wide by 21 cm tall

B5 Letter: 17.6 cm wide by 25 cm tall

4.Modify the margins as appropriate. Page margins are measured from the edge of the page to the edge of the text area, and can be modified later by changing the Master Pages.

5.To create a document with equal-sized columns, specify the number of columns you want in the Columns area. The default is 1. The Gap measurement determines the amount of space between the columns. After you specify the columns and gap value, FrameMaker automatically creates even columns.

6.Set the pagination. Most books use double-sided pagination and start with a right first page. If you specify single-sided pagination, only one master page is created (called Right); if you specify double-sided pagination, two master pages are created (Left and Right). For details, see Switching from single- to double-sided pages.

7.Click the Create button to display your new document.

Using an existing file

Instead of using a document as a template and creating a new file, you can save the template file with a new name to make a copy. To use an existing file, follow these steps:

1.Open a file that has the correct formats.

2.(optional) To delete the content in the file, highlight all the information in the file by selecting Edit > Select All in Flow, or ctrl+A then press the delete key.

3.Select File > Save As and save the file with a new name.

You now have a new file and can begin editing it. However, using this method is more prone to operator error than creating a new document from the same file using the File > New command.

Opening, saving, closing, and printing documents

FrameMaker includes standard open, save, close, and printing commands:

To open a file, select File>Open, then locate the file you want. Alternately, you can drag files from a Windows Explorer pane onto many parts of your FrameMaker application window to open the file.

To close a file, select File>Close.

To save a file, select File>Save, or select File>Save As to save the file with a different name.

To print a file, select File>Print.

Files created in earlier versions of FrameMaker open in newer versions. For example, a file created in FrameMaker 10 opens in FrameMaker 11. However, you cannot open more recent FrameMaker files in earlier versions of FrameMaker. To move a file back to an earlier version of FrameMaker, save the file as Maker Interchange Format (or MIF), then open the MIF file in the older version. You will lose features that are not supported in the older versions, but the files usually open cleanly. If you have authored in multiple languages or in languages FrameMaker supports with Unicode, you will need to check your file carefully for changes.

Understanding the document window

You view and edit your document in the document window. A dotted line indicates the area in which you can insert content. (If you do not see the dotted line, select View > Borders to display it.)

At the bottom of the document window, a status bar displays information about the current document. By looking at the status bar, you can find out the following information:

Flow tag, paragraph tag, character tag, and conditional text tag for the currently selected item. (In structured documents, the element name is listed instead of the paragraph and character tags.)

Current page number and total page count.

Whether the file has been modified since you last saved it.

The current percentage zoom at which the file is being displayed.

Changing the zoom settings

To change the size at which a document is displayed, you can zoom in or zoom out. The + and - on the status bar let you zoom in or out one step at a time.

Here is the resulting view:

FrameMaker provides ten zoom settings. You cannot add more settings, but you can change the current view to values anywhere between 25% and 1600% by typing a number into the zoom menu. To do this:

1.Click on the zoom percentage to highlight the number.

2.Type in the zoom setting you want and press Enter or Tab. The document is immediately changed to that zoom level.

You can also use the Set... option to change the ten preset values to your liking.

Displaying nonprinting items in the document window

You can turn on and off the display of several items in the document window. Listed in the order they appear in the View menu, they are as follows:

Borders. With borders on, the edge of text frames, table cells, and the like are indicated with dotted lines.

Text Symbols. With text symbols on, tabs, end-of-paragraph symbols, markers, and other nonprinting characters are displayed on screen. These are extremely useful when editing or searching for specific items.

Rulers. With rulers on, measurements are shown on the top and right of the document window.

Grid Lines. With grid lines on, a grid pattern is shown to help you align objects on the page.

Line Numbers. These are helpful for reviewers. They help when following irregular spacing and text frames. Line numbers are required for legal pleadings in some jurisdictions

Hotspot Indicators. With hotspot indicators on, you’ll get a visual indicator of the graphical objects you’ve set to act as click-able areas.

FrameMaker also uses many different nonprinting symbols. Though nonprinting, these symbols may cause the document to reflow slightly when displayed in the document. This can slightly affect your pagination, so I recommend turning them off and updating your book prior to output. The following table lists nonprinting text symbols.

Changing view options

The view options let you set measurement units, page options, and more. To change your view options, follow these steps:

1.Select the View > Options… command to display the View Options dialog. 103_new_doc00085.jpg

2.Set the page scrolling you want. Your choices are as follows:

Vertical: In the document window, pages scroll vertically. (This is standard behavior in most word-processing and publishing applications.)

Horizontal: Pages scroll horizontally.

Facing Pages: Pages are displayed in spreads, with the left and right pages displayed in the document window together.

Variable: Pages are displayed depending on how the document is zoomed. If facing pages fit in the window, they are displayed; if not, pages scroll vertically.

3.Set the display units with the Display Units and Font Units drop-down lists. The font units are used for font size, leading, and space above and below paragraph. Display units are used for all dialogs and pods.

4.In the Snap section, you can set the spacing for the snap grid, as well as the increment (in degrees) used for snapping a rotated object.

5.In the Display section, Rulers lets you turn display of rulers on and off, as well as set the units and increments displayed.

6.In the Display section, check the items you want to display. Unchecking the Graphics checkbox speeds up scrolling by temporarily displaying your graphics as gray boxes.

7.Click the Set button to save and apply your changes.

FrameMaker interface options

Workspaces

Beginning with FrameMaker 9, FrameMaker now looks much more like Photoshop, Illustrator, and the majority of other Adobe applications. inset_900086.jpg

As with these other applications, the visibility and position of toolbars and pods within your workspace is stored, and can be recorded within the Workspaces option in the upper right corner of the application. Use Workspaces to optimize your available pods while performing specic tasks. Workspace files can be shared, and are stored in

C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\AdobeFrameMaker11\fminit\WorkSpaces\UnStructured)

Toolbars

FrameMaker provides eight toolbars at the top of the main window, and some have quite a few options. If you like using buttons instead of keyboard shortcuts, check out View > Toolbars to show or hide as needed. The buttons each have tooltips to help you navigate the options available.

Toolbars can be docked in one or more rows under the menu bar, or can be dragged into the main document area to create independent floating toolbars.

Figure 2-1.      Floating toolbars

Figure 2-2.

Docked toolbars

To re-dock toolbars, reset your workspace or drag the handle of the toolbar into the toolbar region below the menu bar until you see a blue bar. The blue bar indicates a legal position for the toolbar.

Developers also provide FrameMaker enhancements for specific workflows and functions. For more information see Third-Party Tools and Plug-Ins

Icons

Beginning with FrameMaker 12, you can set your preferences to use larger and/or colored icons. I have tried to make all screen captures in the book using Windows 8.1 and the colored and large options. Of course, the print version won’t show the colored icons, but EPUB and other digital publishing output will show color where appropriate.

If you are using a version of FrameMaker before the 2015 release, you may find more inset_1600092.jpg  variance in the icons within different pods and toolbars. If so, try downloading a trial of the current release to compare functionality with your FrameMaker version.

To access larger or colored icons, follow these steps:

1.Select Edit > Preferences > Global > Interface to display the icon controls within the Preferences dialog

2.Choose GreyScale (sic) or Colored, as well as Regular or Large as needed.

Document tabs

FrameMaker can display open documents as a series of stacked windows, or as a series of tabs across the top of the document view. When viewing tabs, you can click on a tab to move that file to the front of the working files. When many files are open, you may see a double chevron icon ( inset_3300093.jpg ) appear to the right of the tabs. Clicking on the chevrons displays a list of open documents, allowing you to quickly navigate to documents whose tabs are currently hidden. To quickly configure display of open documents, select the Arrange Documents ( inset_1000094.jpg ) button.

Pods

Most configuring of text and FrameMaker objects occurs within pods. Similar to toolbars, pods can either float or dock to the edges of the application frame. Both floating and docked pods can expand to display contents, or collapse to icons, allowing toggling of pod display, as shown in the following figure. To expand or collapse pods to icons, click the double arrow in the upper right corner of the pod.

Figure 2-3.      Floating toolbar, collapsed and expanded

Figure 2-4.      Docked toolbar, collapsed and expanded

Managing open files

Beginning with FrameMaker 12, the Currently Opened Files pod allows you to manage, save, and close all of your currently opened files. This pod also shows the complete file path. This is quite useful when working with multiple chapter books.

Bonus tip: Double-clicking on a file in the pod displays the document, similar to working with a book file. Select File > Currently Opened Files to display the pod.

Starting with FrameMaker 12, you’ll also see a similar dialog when exiting FrameMaker if you haven’t saved all of your files.

 Earlier versions of FrameMaker will prompt you to save each individually.

Restore last session

Starting with FrameMaker 12 you can use the restore session feature to reopen FrameMaker to exactly how it was when you closed the program. To do this, select File > Restore Last Session. You can also choose to open all recently opened files, even if they were not part of your last FrameMaker session.

This feature is also useful if your machine crashes while using FrameMaker. Upon startup, FrameMaker will prompt you to open the previously opened files.

Understanding file configuration and preferences

FrameMaker files normally use the .fm extension. FrameMaker book files (more on those in Setting up book files) normally use .book.

Storing format definitions

A FrameMaker document file is self-contained; it includes all of the formatting or structure information needed to display and print the content. Unlike some other applications, FrameMaker files do not refer to a separate template file; the template information is embedded in each individual document file.Templates

Importing and embedding graphics

When you add graphics to a document, you can either link or embed the graphic. When you link a graphic (referred to as Import by Reference), you insert a pointer from the FrameMaker file to the graphic. This pointer is basically just a file name and path with a small graphic for screen representation, so it’s very compact. If you embed a graphic (referred to as Copy into Document), you insert the entire graphic into the FrameMaker file, so the FrameMaker file grows accordingly. It is common for savvy FrameMaker users to link to all graphics within a project, rather than embedding them. However, screenshots, whose FrameMaker representation can be the size of the referenced file itself are a possible exception. As screenshots are likely recaptured and not edited, some authors prefer to copy screenshots directly into their documents.

Document control

To prevent two people from working on the same file simultaneously, FrameMaker provides a feature called network file locking. If network file locking is active, opening a file creates a .lck file (lock file, not ick file). If a second person attempts to open the locked file, FrameMaker displays a Document in Use error message.

You have three choices:

Open for Viewing Only: Opens a read-only version of the file. You cannot make any changes to this file. inset_400102.jpg

Open Copy for Editing: Creates an untitled copy of the file. You can make changes in this file.

Reset Lock and Open: Removes the lock and lets you edit the file. Use this option only when you are certain that nobody else is using the file (for example, if your computer crashed and left incorrect locking information on the server).

To activate or deactivate network file locking, follow these steps:

1.Select Edit > Preferences… > Global > General to display the Preferences dialog.

2.Check the Lock File on Network checkbox.

3.Click the OK button to save your change.

In a larger group (or if you have people working on the files who are not on the same network), the basic file security provided by file locking may not suffice. If this is the case, you can use a content management system (CMS). FrameMaker also supports file check-in and check-out on a WebDAV server. See Using a Content Management System (CMS) for details.

Using the Fonts