Skip to main content
techademus
techademus
Inspiring
August 14, 2018
Answered

Formatting a page with images and text using structured document

  • August 14, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 608 views

I've read the tutorials about creating newsletters in unstructured Framemaker, and I can do that.  My question is can I do something similar in a structured document.

Specifically, I want to create a master page for the 1st page in each chapter of my book that has 4 sections:

1) The top of the page has an image that is specific for that chapter

2) Underneath the image is a quote that summarizes the chapter contents

3) Below the quote is the beginning of the chapter text.

4) To the left of the body text are callouts that highlight specific passages in the body text, but I'm not trying to address that in this ticket.

My first thought was to create a master page that has 3 sections - the image, the quote and the body.   Each chapter has different content for each box (different image, different quote, different text).  The body text is easy - it just happens.  But I don't see a way to replace the image in the master page with that chapter's image.  Is it best for me to create this as a single text frame, or is there a way I can create separate frames on my master page, and then use tags or some other technique to place the proper content in each frame?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Ian Proudfoot

With a structured document you have to consider that everything really needs to be in a single flow. In an unstructured document you have more freedom to use multiple flows to get the layout design that you need.

That rule about using a single flow is due to the potential for saving your structured document as XML at some point in the future.

Let's consider the structure of your document. On the page we see:

  • Graphic
  • ChapterNumber
  • Quote
  • BodyText (Includes side head box)

As you can see the graphic is a part of the flow, not a part of the master page. It would be possible to build your structure exactly as you see it which could give this structure:

  • Chapter
    • Graphic
    • ChapterNumber
    • Quote
    • Para
    • Para
      • CalloutTable
    • Para

This structure is simple and keeps everything in order, but does it do everything that your document may need? Perhaps we should keep the various parts of the chapter separate? The choice is yours unless you have to follow an existing structure model such as DITA, or similar. In that case you will have to put more work into your template design to give the required results.

One way to do that is to effectively re-order the content by creating several linked frames on the master page, but link them together out-of-sequence. I've had to do that for some projects and it's a useful technique. You can force the text or graphic into the required frame using Start = Top of Column in the EDD or Paragraph Style.

When you have a specialised master page don't forget to set up the MasterPageMaps reference page so that the correct master page can be automatically applied. This will be linked to the occurrence of a specific element.

~Ian

1 reply

Ian Proudfoot
Ian ProudfootCorrect answer
Legend
August 30, 2018

With a structured document you have to consider that everything really needs to be in a single flow. In an unstructured document you have more freedom to use multiple flows to get the layout design that you need.

That rule about using a single flow is due to the potential for saving your structured document as XML at some point in the future.

Let's consider the structure of your document. On the page we see:

  • Graphic
  • ChapterNumber
  • Quote
  • BodyText (Includes side head box)

As you can see the graphic is a part of the flow, not a part of the master page. It would be possible to build your structure exactly as you see it which could give this structure:

  • Chapter
    • Graphic
    • ChapterNumber
    • Quote
    • Para
    • Para
      • CalloutTable
    • Para

This structure is simple and keeps everything in order, but does it do everything that your document may need? Perhaps we should keep the various parts of the chapter separate? The choice is yours unless you have to follow an existing structure model such as DITA, or similar. In that case you will have to put more work into your template design to give the required results.

One way to do that is to effectively re-order the content by creating several linked frames on the master page, but link them together out-of-sequence. I've had to do that for some projects and it's a useful technique. You can force the text or graphic into the required frame using Start = Top of Column in the EDD or Paragraph Style.

When you have a specialised master page don't forget to set up the MasterPageMaps reference page so that the correct master page can be automatically applied. This will be linked to the occurrence of a specific element.

~Ian

techademus
techademusAuthor
Inspiring
September 2, 2018

Thanks Ian, this was a very clear explanation.  Being relatively new to structured documents, I watch a lot of online tutorials and it is often difficult to tell if they are using structured or unstructured documents.  It is frustrating when I try to do what a tutorial says, and it just doesn't work (or worse, appears to work until I save and restore, and then find out I have lost everything I did).  I appreciate the help.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices