[Closed] FrameMaker 7.x/8 Feature Requests

I guess mine would be "Conditional Building Blocks". It would be nice if FM could test for some condition and insert a relative value in, say, the running headers. I would love to implement the following syntax:

Syntax:
IIF(condition,true,false)

Example:
IIF(<$paratext[Header1]> = <$paratext[+,Header1]>, <$paratext[Header1]>,<$paratext[Header1]>/<$paratext[+,Header1]>)

Larry O.

I would like to be able to specify a subfolder for storage of automatic backup files (*.backup.fm), so that the backups don't clutter up my document folders, and novice users don't accidentally open the backups instead of the originals.

If the "backup" subfolder doesn't exist, prompt (or give an option to prompt) to create it.

Thanks for providing this wish list!

I would like to see the ability to set default values for all objects in FrameMaker. For example, the radius of rounded rectangles, and the arrowhead setting.

Single-sourcing, mainly. What some prefer to call "low-end" (though the ROI is greater than "high end" systems, but that's another argument *g*).

OK, use FM to manage tagged content. Want to go to print? Apply a template that formats your content ready for PS output. Want to go HTML? Apply a tempalte that formats your content with HTML tags and uses the Cataogs as a basis for CSS creation. Blah blah blah...

Sounds good in theory. :-P Was thinking of templates more as output filters than working environments. Would be cool. At least I think so.

"I wish FrameMaker would ditch its dependancy on print."

Yes, I too would like to understand the direction of that question. Single-sourcing? Content management? Or...?

>I wish FrameMaker would ditch its dependancy on print

Can you elaborate?

I wish FrameMaker would ditch its dependancy on print and supply a more general authoring environments, where templates could then be applied to immediately format content for whatever deliverable I need.

I also wish I'd win the lottery.

I hope FM could have the same shortcut as other Adobe DTP products. For instance, Shift->Drag&Move with mouse, Ctrl+Shift->ZoomIn&ZoomOut, Ctrl+F1-> apply paragraph style. etc.

Andrew

I'd like to be able to import a chapter's or book's File Info information into other book or chapter files. I'm imagining that this could be implemented by adding a new button on the Import Formats dialog box.

How I would use this: IF I have a FrameMaker chapter file from book "A," AND I want to copy that file into another directory for use in book "B," THEN I currently must manually edit the File Info from chapter file "A" to make it consistent with book B's File Info. I'd like instead to be able to quickly import the book B's File Info into the new chapter file re-used from book "A".

While today it is possible to select multiple book files and use the File Info dialog box to specify the pertinent information for all of those files in parallel, it is evidently not possible to import existing File Info from one book or document into another.

Cheers & thanks,
Riley

I'd like FM to notify me of cross-reference destinations that are to valid files in valid locations but that are not part of the current book.

That is, if I remove a file from a book but leave the file intact, I'd like notification if there are cross-references to that file from the book.

Cheers,

Sean