I do not have the book from Scriptorium for Frame 8 but based on the great reviews it always gets here in this list, I strongly recommend it.
Everyone goes through a fairly long learning curve with Frame - probably an indication of how powerful it is. It took me several weeks to get comfortable with it too (7.0) even with the help of a friend who had been using it for years. Though it is undoubtedly better to get the newest book on Frame 8, if you can find a cheap copy of FrameMaker 7 - The Complete Reference (also by Sarah O'keefe), it is my current reference and so far has covered any questions I have while trying to use Frame 9 (unstructured). Jim Jim Collins JC Write jim at jcwrite.com http://www.jcwrite.com 209-566-0935 -----Original Message----- From: N Collins [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2010 9:24 AM To: framers at lists.frameusers.com Subject: FM9 Newbie looking for best self training tools 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 jim at jcwrite.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/jim%40jcwrite.com Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.
