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 > _______________________________________________ > > > You are currently subscribed to framers as shmuelw1 at gmail.com. > > Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com > or visit > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/shmuelw1%40gmail.com > > Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info. > >
