A brief overview of features and benefits of Adobe Technical Communication Suite, including FrameMaker 12 and RoboHelp 11, presented by Maxwell Hoffmann at TC Camp 2015, Mission College, Santa Clara, CA

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Maxwell Hoffmann | Tech Comm Product Evangelist
Introduction to Adobe TCS and FrameMaker

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What is usually created using FrameMaker?
 User guides
 Maintenance handbooks
 Reference manuals
 Product manuals
 Training materials
 Policies and Procedures
 Catalogs
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There are 2 ways to use FRAMEMAKER
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Structured: DITA & XML “Unstructured” but with sturdy,
format-driven (implied) structure

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There are 2 ways to use FRAMEMAKER
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“Unstructured” but with
sturdy, format-driven
(implied) structure

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There are 2 ways to use FRAMEMAKER
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Structured: DITA & XML
author and edit in native XML format
DITA 1.2 compliant

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FrameMaker 12 has been transformed into a standalone multi
channel, multi device publishing solution
FRAMEMAKER 11
FRAMEMAKER 12
ONLY…
MULTIPLE OUTPUTS FOR MULTIPLE DEVICE

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What can you create in FrameMaker?
 PDF
 ePub
 Kindle books
 Responsive HTML5
 WebHelp
 Microsoft HTML Help
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Why FrameMaker vs. InDesign?
 InDesign
 Multi-flow documents such as magazines
 Marketing materials
 Flyers
 FrameMaker
 Long documents (can be 1,000’s of pages)
 Single flow
 Automatic generation of Table of Contents, Index, Glossary,
etc.
 XML content creation
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Why FrameMaker vs. Word?
 Stability when working with long documents
 Graphics can be referenced rather than
imported, which keeps the source document
smaller
 Document can be saved as separate files
(Table of Contents, Chapter files, Glossary,
Index)
 XML content creation that separates content
creation from formatting
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Cleaner and more consistent user interface
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Colored icons
Large icons
Large + Colored icons

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There is a brand new pod now to enable you to work
easily with multiple files
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Shows all open files in
one easy to use pod
(incl. full file path)
Save and Close
multiple files in one go
Navigate to any
file you want
Easily see which
are the unsaved
files
*

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Introducing regular expression based searching in FM12
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•Support 3 flavors –
PERL, EGREP and GREP
•WYSIWYG and Author
view
•Searches body text,
footnotes, markers,
variables, etc.
•Find and replace

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New authoring capabilities like generating QR codes
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Easily work with QR codes
• Seamlessly insert and manage QR
codes
• Create various types of QR code
(e.g. URL, SMS, call phone)
Background color enhancements
• Uniform height background color
• Option to specify paragraph box

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One click to restore your last session
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Opens all files
from last session
Workspace,
pods, panels and
palettes
Last document
and pages in
focus
Restore view and
structured
application read

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Introducing MathML support in FM12
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 Work with MathML equations
 Import, create, edit and publish MathML Equations
 Seamless integration with Design Science MathFlowTM Editor (Structure and
Style) *
 30-day trial license of MathFlow included with FM12**Requires separate purchase

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Now, you can easily resolve your topicrefs and preview your
DITAMAP content without leaving doc view or generating any files
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•Quickly preview your
DITAMAP content
•Resolve and collapse
one or all topicrefs in
one go
•Open, modify and
update topics easily
from this view

17. © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Introducing structured element toolbar to ease the authoring for
casual authors and SMEs
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Lists Table
Inline elements (bold/italic
Para
SectionImage
QUICK ELMENT INSERTION TOOLBAR
• DITA toolbar provided out-of-the-box
• BYOT (Build your own toolbar ) for your own custom
application
• Can assign different elements to the same icon e.g. different
handling for DITA topic and tasks

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Lastly, making FM a more powerful XML editor!
Enhanced XML support
 FM12 honors the xml:space setting when the user does
pretty printing
 E.g. FM12 won’t pretty print <codeblock> element xml:space to be
preserved, unlike FM11
 Enhanced XSLT support
 Upgrade processor of pre and post XSLT to XSL 2.0.
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Introducing FrameMaker XML Author
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FrameMaker
XML Author
FrameMaker XML Author is a fully standards-compliant XML
editor which lets you author XML content based on a standard
such as DITA or any custom structure with an easy-to-use and
a familiar interface

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FM XML Author will be targeted at the structured XML market only
and FM “Full” will continue to serve the needs of the other segments
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FM XML Author
FrameMaker
.XML
.FM
FrameMaker
Authoring
Unstructured
Structured
FM XML
Author is a
subset of
FrameMake
r

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New and improved PDF based review
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PDF Reader
PDF Based
commenting
and import into
the FM source
*Enhanced
• Change your FM source while the review is ongoing and still
import comments (removes an earlier constraint)
• Can change the relative position of the paragraph OR change
the text around the commented portion

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SMEs will be able to do reviews on the go
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REVIEW CONTENT ON-THE-GO!

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Resources
 Help = http://adobe.ly/1CNNJQB
 Productopedia = http://adobe.ly/1ciokQm
 Tech Comm Channel on Adobe TV =
http://adobe.ly/1CBDlOn
 On-demand eSeminars = http://adobe.ly/Pbdp0J
 Upcoming eSeminars = http://adobe.ly/Pbz6xI
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Contact Information
24
Information
Maxwell Hoffmann
Adobe Systems, Inc.
Product Evangelist
Blog blogs.adobe.com/techcomm
Twitter @maxwellhoffmann
@AdobeTCS
Email mhoffman@adobe.com
Web: www.adobe.com
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellhoffmann
Facebook As Maxwell Hoffmann
Facebook As Adobe Technical Communication Professionals
Group
Previously recorded eSeminars: http://adobe.ly/qo3pzc
Calendar of upcoming eSeminars: http://adobe.ly/xdzOYa