FrameMaker

Dear friends, I have finished the first version of a script to handle markers: FMmarkers. You can do several things which have been requested by users on this forum. See my website. The interface looks like this (If you feel it to be too crowded, please give hints for improvement).

Not sure if this question has been asked before. Is there a way to align the text to the bottom of a text frame, instead of the top.We have a text frame with legal disclaimers: (text masked for confidentiality reasons)There are certain clauses in the text that are shown/hidden depending on the context in which the disclaimer is used. Is it possible to have the text always align (for want of a better word) to the bottom of the text frame, rather than the top?

My company has just updated to Framemaker 2017 in order to generate HTML5-based CSH. This is the first time we are trying to implement context-sensitive help for our software.Our developers have taken a look at the HTML files I generated ("published") with Framemaker and say they cannot create a link to the markers because they are just listed as "CSH <number>" in the code. This number changes depending on the actual number of CSH markers before in the document.The infamous map file contains the Map ID and the Map number. But neither of them appear in the generated HTML file. How are the developers supposed to link my markers to the application when the HTML file does not contain any unique information about them?Can you explain in more detail what the map number does? Are we missing anything? Why do I use a unique Map ID in my markers when it does not appear anywhere in the HTML file? Why are there a Map ID, Map number AND this CSH number in the code?Thank you for your help.Best

Hi there.DITA 1.3We noticed that in existing topics, where a keyref to an image is defined, FrameMaker unsollicited adds an empty href attribute (href=""). FrameMaker itself doesn't seem to bother about it, but we process the XML using other tools as well and the processing breaks because of the empty href attributes. 1. why is this added?2. anything we can do to avoid FM adding empty href attributes? Thanks,Wim. 

We're currently using FM2019 (Structured) and are investigating upgrading to FM2020. I have seen from other community posts that users have had some issues with FM2020. Our documentation contains a lot of graphics (imported by reference), text inserts, cross-references, Variables, Conditional Text, Hypertext. We make use of a range of Master Pages. Our FM books contain anything from 4 to 20 FM documents, each varying in size from 2 pages to 100+ pages. What is everyone's experience in using FM2020, working with large documents containing graphics, etc? Are there any 'breaking' issues, features that no longer work as intended? Are there any advantages to upgrading? Is it worth upgrading? Much appreciated.Quintin

Hey,I spent all day fiddling with the trial version and watching YouTube videos.I got a good hang of inserts, cross references, references & master pages.Still not sure if FM is good for my use case, so I need some help:I'm creating 3 manuals for 3 productsI have:Baseline text, which is the same across all manuals~20-30 unique text blocks for EACH product I want to insert text blocks for product 1 inside the baseline text at the respective spotThen I only want to change the text blocks for product 2 + 3 - so I don't have to touch the baseline text at all any more. Do I:Create a master sheet with 20-30 inserts, also meaning 20-30 reference files?Create 20-30 paragraph styles from frames on the reference page? This is probably not a super special use case, so any tips welcome! 

This seems so elementary I feel foolish, but how do you get the bottom rule of a table header to repeat to subsequent pages? The top rule, side and column rules, and row rules repeat just fine, but the bottom rule never does. This means I have to go in and manually specify the top rule on the first row of every subsequent page. And when changes make the table re-flow, I have to manually re-do all the first row lines.I've tried highlighting and sepecifying a bottom rule on the header row(s). I've tried specifying it in the Table Designer (bottom rules for header rows are not specifcially mentioned anywhere). Am I missing something really obvious?Note: Just having rules on all rows isn't an option in this case.Thanks for your help.Jerry

We are moving from Framemaker 2019 to 2020. However, the JPG images in FM2020 output appear in a much lower quality compared to the FM2019 output. Further, the Image Settings are missing or very limited in FM2020 compared to FM2019. See the two settings dialogs below.  This is FM2020: (ver 16.0.3.979) This is FM2019: Where are these settings in FM2020? I would like to change the JPG Quality value. If there isn't a setting somewhere in the GUI, I was hoping there might be some other configuration settings I can make. Thanks! 

So far I've been working with unstructured FM templates. I'm using FM11. I plan to move to structured authoring. I downloaded DEVELOPING STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS WITH ADOBE® FRAMEMAKER® 9 from Adobe website and working on creating a basic structured template. I had already worked on an xml based authoring tools (not FM) in my previous company and I know how my structured template is going to work. Now my question is about the DITA tab in FM application. It looks like there already are templates for topics and concepts and there is also a map using which I can create a PDF of my documents. How does it differ from the structured template I am going to create? Please also suggest me of any online tutorials or training materials available on FM DITA at a beginner's level.

I am pretty sure I asked this before but I can't find the thread. I am using XSLT to transform XML to a FrameMaker table on import. I want a literal tab character at the end of the cells in one of the columns. Here is a snippet of my XSLT: When the file opens in FrameMaker, I don't get the tab character: If I substitute any other character for testing, it comes over. Any help will be appreciated.

Via e-mail I got this information: Issue - https://tracker.adobe.com/#/view/FRMAKER-11063 status updated from 'Open' to 'In Development' I wanted to check what the report really requires and checked the link. It answers with "No issues found". Where are these issues located - or what kind of flag is applied to t hem so that we mortals do not see them?

Is it possible to automatically (or manually) update the contents of a table from a data source or by utilizing reference links to 3. party spreadsheet sources etc?

Hi,I just installed FrameMaker on a new Windows 11 Computer. When I launch the application, I see it open and a blank/empty dialogue box opens as well.I am unable to do anything within the application, while this box is present.If I close the box by clicking X in the top right (the only element present), the entire application closes.As the dialogue box has no title, I have no idea what the application wants from me. Please see the enclosed screenshot. Please advise. Best regards Colin

I have some korean FM documents which have been made using a corporate font. I have the proper font installed and can use it and FM recognizes it.But when I open the documents FM looks for the korean name of the font. In order to open the documents I have to substitute the korean font name with the english font name. It is the same font file - but the documents ask for the korean name. I substitute the font - but FM won't remember the substitution. I do have "Remember missing fonts" set to On in Preferences and I do save the documents. Only FM forgets between each opening that I have substituted fonts.These are structured FM 2020 files which have been saved as a FM book. Meaning there is no paragraph style info I can edit.If  I can figure out how to write the korean name of the font with korean characters - can I edit the maker.ini to recognize the korean font names? ...    

At the moment, in our Reference Pages, we have the following set up to apply the appropriate Master Pages to our Table of Content document:This works well in that the Master Pages are applied as expected. However, we would like to use a different Master Page for any subsequent right-hand pages (i.e. different first right-hand page).Is this possible without manually applying a different Master Page to the first righ-hand page, or using scripts/3rd party add-ons?

I am building a connector to a web-based application. I am not new to C++ but new to Visual Studio and the way it handles all kinds of data types and dependencies. I am using header files for the libcurl.dll, which is part of the standard FM package, but I cannot figure out how to tell the Visual Studio linker where the DLL is located. I tried to include the FM installation path (which is where the DLL is located) but I am getting linker errors.If any of you with experience in VS C++ development with FDK have any useful pointers that would be greatly appreciated. I do need to get a proof of concept done shortly. Jang

Not all problems with FM are the result of an error in FrameMaker as the following eposide tells: On Friday, November 19 I had this effect in a script function, which until then worked without problems (snippet around the problem): $.writeln (sNewMtype); // "comment" if (sNewMtype != undefined) { $.writeln (sNewMtype); // → sNewMtype is undefined }  Then, on Monday, November 22 I wanted to post this as an error in FM - verifying the situation again, all was OK! From Klaus Göbel I heard that he had a similar problem around the same time with a global variable, which suddenly wasn't global any more. He assumed a Windows update (in my case it was on Fri 2021-11-12). IMHO he was right with this assumption - and Windows was fixed after the 19th again with a hidden update - which is not recognisable.

FrameMaker 16.0.2DITA 1.3I have several ditamaps that share content. The content is tagged appropriately.When I use the method of Publish > Choose ditaval file > PDF, everything works like a charm. My team would like to include the link to the ditaval file using ditavalref.So far, my experience is that 1) the filtering doesn't happen and 2) FM inserts content that breaks the structure.If I remove the broken bits from the structure, the PDF generates but does not filter.Any suggestions?Thanks,Wanda

I have come across this once before and fixed it, but now I have forgotten the cause or how to fix it.  I have a double line in the footer of my Body Pages, but it doesn't show up in the Master Pages.  Image attached.

Hi,In FM2020 (16.0.3), it seems that \t is interpreted differently in HTML than in PDF.In PDF the formatting is as expected, in HTML the tab size seems to be larger. This has the effect of changing the alignment of the paragraph styles that follow the list-type (numbered and non-numbered) paragraph styles. It is especially noticeable when using list-type paragraph styles in tables.Removing \t from the format of the list-type paragraph styles and trying to use, for example, a couple of spaces, and then updating the following paragraph styles, means that the spacing becomes absolute rather than relative, and even more of a mess.This was not an issue in FM2019.Please see the attached images for an illustration of what's happening.

I am working on a new template, and want to use the Indigo skin for HTML5 with unstructured FrameMaker 2020. But I can't make the breadcrumb pick up the correct topics names. It stays put at Chapter 1 even if I assign each Chapter Name paragraph as a topic when publishing.Is there a way to fix it?

Hello everybody! When working with a large book, I periodically have to publish temporary changes (yellow pages).FrameMaker has an undocumented “Freeze Pagination” command for managing revision pages (Esc p z).But there are a few problems with this feature (autonumbers are reset on each page because of the disconnected text frames; tables that break across a page cause point pages to be added as soon as pagination is frozen and so on).Is there a way to "freeze" the numbering of individual (temporary) pages without violating the general numbering (headers, tables, and so on) in the main text Flow? Igor.

Hello FrameMaker users!I am working with a large book (consists of about 100 large files).After the next revision is released, it is necessary to remove all markers of the "comment" type.Is it possible to do this quickly without manually deleting each individual marker? With respect, novice user Igor.

Hi all, I just downloaded the trial version of FM2020, may be my company will buy it soon, so I just wanted to look around.At the start I have a white rectangle, a window, with just the usual closing X at the right top corner.I suppose it is the warning: "This is a trial version it will expire in 15 days" or something like that, but I can't read nothing of course as it is white.If I click on the cross at the right top corner FM closes.But I can work: always with this white rectangle around (I can move it as a usual window).Any idea how I can delete it?Thanks!

Hello FrameMaker friends:   I'm trying to find/change a series of spaces to tabs. The problem space always follows an R and four digits. For example, R0000 followed by a space needs to be R0000 followed by a tab   So, this locates the string but adds back in as R0000t and not R0000>.   Looking it up, \t is the REGEX character for a tab. What am I missing?   TIA, ~Barb