Skip to main content
adrianaharper
adrianaharper
Known Participant
December 17, 2008
Question

Hypertext - how to?

  • December 17, 2008
  • 13 replies
  • 1566 views
I want to do two things:

1-link words in my FM document to my TOC in the same FM document

2-link external files to my FM document (i.e. have a word that says Conversion Table and when you click on it, it opens an excel spreadsheet or PDF of conversion table)

I am trying to insert hypertext markers to accomplish this. However, I am getting the error: specify named destination when I try to link to an external PDF (I am entering Open Document as my hypertext command, and openlink Import demographic Codes.pdf as the text in the syntax box) it also tells me that the document is not a FM document which I am well aware of. Even if I change the filename to a FM document, it then tells me the document does not exist (which it does).

I do not know how to begin accomplishing my #1 goal (of linking within my document to the TOC, for example).
    This topic has been closed for replies.

    13 replies

    adrianaharper
    adrianaharperAuthor
    Known Participant
    December 19, 2008
    I'm sorry- I'm extremely new to FM and I don't know how to do what you are asking. I printed the FM doc as PDF, then tried to open the post script file (that is what it created on my desktop) with Adobe Acrobat Distiller... under tools, I didn't have any choices of LINK. Can you give me info on how to get at the link tool? Or a site where I can see how to do that?
    Arnis Gubins
    Arnis Gubins
    Inspiring
    December 19, 2008
    Adriana,

    The Link tool is in the Adobe Acrobat Professional 3D (or Acrobat 9
    depending upon the release of your TCS) product that is installed with
    the TechComm Suite. In Acrobat, Look under the Tools > Advanced
    Editing > Link Tool. When you activate the tool, you will see all of
    the link locations on your PDF pages. Right click on a link to get at
    the Properties and see where the link is pointing too.

    It's quite possible that your link area in FM is quite small and hence
    hard to hit in the PDF. FM uses any change in character/paragraph
    attributes as the boundaries for creating the link area.

    You can also test links at the FM end by holding down the ctrl+alt
    keyboard buttons and mousing over the hypertext areas in your FM
    document. The mouse pointer will change to a hand with a pointing
    finger over any link and perform the required action when clicked.
    Check out the links in FM first to see if they're going to where you
    expect them to. If these don't go where you want, it's unlikely the
    PDF links will.
    A
    Anonymous
    December 19, 2008
    Can you look at the not-working link in Acrobat with the Link tool and see what (if any) part of the hyperlink is getting created? This would be in the full Acrobat program, I don't believe this can be done from Reader.

    That might tell us whether it's a path problem, or whether the link is getting truncated somehow.
    A
    Anonymous
    December 19, 2008
    Good, that at least rules out known problems that have a fix in one of the updates.
    adrianaharper
    adrianaharperAuthor
    Known Participant
    December 19, 2008
    Thanks. I'm using 8.0p277
    A
    Anonymous
    December 19, 2008
    Unless there's something completely different about the TCS, the FM version numbers are shown when you click the Help menu item (furthest right menu item) and then scroll to "About".
    adrianaharper
    adrianaharperAuthor
    Known Participant
    December 19, 2008
    Thanks Van. I tried your suggestions- my PDF hyperlinks continue not to work. Cross-references work just fine...(in case that provides any additional light on the subject for anyone). I am using FM8, out of the Adobe TechComm Suite. I don't know the pxxx numbers - if you tell me where to find those, I will update my post again.
    A
    Anonymous
    December 19, 2008
    Adriana, it helps us provide better suggestions if you include your specific FM version (from Help > About, including the "pxxx" numbers) each time you post in the forum.
    _
    _Van_Kurtz_
    Known Participant
    December 18, 2008
    I hear it is not a good idea to Save as PDF to create a PDF.

    Instead, PRINT the document or book and select Adobe PDF as the printer. BE SURE to select Generate Acrobat Data (without this, you will not get ANY links to work in the PDF). AND, in the PDF Setup dialog box, select the Links tab and SELECT Create Named Destinations...

    Hope this works,
    Van
    adrianaharper
    adrianaharperAuthor
    Known Participant
    December 18, 2008
    Update: it is working now in FM (after inserting " message openfile Import demographic Codes.pdf" and saving the new hypertext marker, I can click CTRL+ALT+the text and the pdf document I have linked opens. But when I save the FM document as PDF (file, save as PDF) and then open that PDF and click, nothing happens. I am sooo close!!! Any help is greatly appreciated.
    adrianaharper
    adrianaharperAuthor
    Known Participant
    December 18, 2008
    I thought that as well, but when I removed the spaces, it continues not to work.
    Show more replies
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices