[Closed] FrameMaker 7.x/8 Feature Requests

Let's step back here a moment, shall we? If the standard for accepting new features in Frame is that they don't break Word, we may as well just pack up and go home. Jeez.

Tyrell:

This suggestion...

>>A suite of tracking and comment features (like those you find in word processors like Microsoft Word) you could use for writing and editing purposes. <<

...makes me shudder in fear. Occasionally I've been forced to work in scenarios where Word docs are routed to reviewers for online comments using revision tracking. The resulting files are such a mess that I often end up just printing them to a color printer and using the resulting hardcopy like a hand markup. Even that's inferior to an *actual* hand markup, because of the capricious way the revision tracking sometimes works. I'd run screaming from the room if FrameMaker ended up similar to Word in this regard.

JOOC, why don't you output to PDF and use its built-in redlining tools to collect comments?

-Bill

How about including a total page count variable that works in book files -- instead of having to fudge it!

[and there would be much rejoicing]

As an aside: I was running through a 600-page Word doc that had not been spell checked. It had a lot of product names and some script, and the like, all of which caused the spellcheck-as-you-go red squigglies to appear. When I got to about page 260, Word tossed up an error message that there were too many spelling errors and it could no longer display them on-the-fly. <Vbg> 512MB RAM 2GHz and 13GB free and few graphics in the doc (20MB-ish doc), in case you were wondering. </aside>

> 5. spell-as-you-go

I have to object to this request. This is one of the reaons Word chokes on long documents. I think FrameMaker's stability would take a severe hit if this feature was addedd.

Just my $0.02.

And you can type whatever percent you want into the boxes, so you can make the zoom levels 55, 73, 97 etc. or whatever you happen to want.

Horace, there is varible zoom. Click the percent at the bottom of the window and look at the bottom. Plus, Esc z p does a "fit to page".

Another one: either variable zoom or addition of one or two more fixed ones. 50% is too small, 80% doesn't let you see the whole page.

1. drag and drop
2. multiple undo
3. easier customization (customize toolbars and/or palettes with icons that are associated with the already-existing FCODES)
4. macros
5. spell-as-you-go
6. navigate through tables with cursor
7. the ability to specify a graphic as a bullet
8. reasonable html import: not perfect, but something better than plain text

FrameMaker is an important tool in the technical publishing industry. Many authors use FrameMaker to write manuscripts, and publishers use it for composition purposes as well. What would be a great addition:

A suite of tracking and comment features (like those you find in word processors like Microsoft Word) you could use for writing and editing purposes.

Conditional text, the compare feature, comment markers, and change bars (the tools we currently cobble together for editing purposes in Frame) are clunky and difficult to use--a couple of tools specifically designed for editorial purposes would be a huge help.

Tyrrell