Word uses Paragraph and Character Styles - Frame uses Paragraph and
Character Tags. You define Tags in the Paragraph or Character Designer
(Format > Paragraph/Character > Designer).
A Marker is a thick T that stores hidden information, such as an index
entry or hidden text. Frame automatically adds a Marker at the
destination of a cross-reference, when you create the cross-reference.
Frame is a good tool. It's not as easy to learn as Word, but it is more
powerful. I recommend sticking with unstructured for now. There is a lot
of single-sourcing you can do with unstructured, including the task you
were given to do.
To do the task below, create a new book (File > New > Book), then add
files to the book (Add > Files). You can create several books, sharing
some of the same files. In Frame, you usually work with several files in
a book. You can then add a TOC (Add > Table of Contents). Formatting the
TOC is one of the annoying things in Frame. Use on of your books for
that, or import the Reference Pages from another TOC (File > Import >
Formats).
Any other questions, just ask.
Regards,
Shmuel Wolfson
Technical Writer
052-763-7133
On 11-Jul-10 7:24 PM, N Collins wrote:
Hi!
I'm still using the trial version and need to make a recommendation to a
client on if FrameMaker is the right tool for their system instruction
manuals. Client has a job shop and sells many unique system configurations
made from standard components to private and government clients. The idea
is to quickly assemble a unique manual for each system order shipped. If I
recommend FM, then client will buy FM and pay for training for several
users. The client is biased against Word, and frankly for any
document larger than 50 pages, I agree. Word gets tangled on itself over
large files.
I've never used FM before and trying to learn 9.0. I'm an advanced user of
Word, in Windows 7 (technical writer using Word for over 15 years). I
bought and went through most of "Classroom in a Book" for FM9, but I'm
stumbling over the vocabulary (things like Headings versus Markers don't
seem to be 1:1 meanings, for example). Dummies books have always given me a
great head start, but the only one out there I can find is Framemaker 5.5
for Dummies. My thought is that Dummies/FM 5.5 could at least help me
understand how FM "works/thinks", achieve a rudimentary glossary, so then I
can use other FM training tools.
What I'm tasked to do is to create multiple individual files with unique
content, and create various manuals with different file combinations - each
manual with a table of contents and index and automatic page numbering. I
think I'm supposed to learn unstructured first in order to do this? Or do I
need to learn structured first and make some master templates? Any
suggestions or perhaps anyone care to send me an example to play with?
Maybe I should forget about FrameMaker and try something else? I'm open to
your suggestions.
Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Corrie in Tempe, AZ
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