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byrdye
Known Participant
April 16, 2011
Question

Importing tables from Word

  • April 16, 2011
  • 3 replies
  • 6466 views

Using FrameMaker 8 (the client is on 7, so I don't dare install the latest version until after I finish this document update for them), Word 2003 (I know, I need to upgrade, just haven't gotten around to it, yet).

I have a matrix, originally created in Excel. It's HUGE (as in nearly 50 rows). I've had to break it down into six sections column wise to get it to fit onto the page. I tried screen captures, but while it looks fine in the FM doc, it's fuzzy in the pdf. I've imported it into Word and saved as rft, and it imports from Word to FM just fine...except.

I've manipulated the thing to fit onto one page. At least it does in Word. When I import it, FM insists on adding an additional paragraph marker. I'm including a screen capture to show what I'm talking about

. The non anchored paragraph marker canNOT be deleted. Nor can I edit the table. It apparently imports as an object. Thanks to this damn extra paragraph marker, the table won't fit on the page correctly. I NEED that extra space!!

Any suggestions? I'm very, very far from being a Frame guru (don't get the opportunity to use it often enough, wish I did).

Thanks!

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    3 replies

    Bob_Niland
    Community Expert
    Bob_NilandCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 17, 2011

    I have a matrix, originally created in Excel.

    See if it will open in LibreOffice or OpenOffice calc. If so, you may have more flexibility.

    I've had to break it down into six sections column wise to get it to fit onto the page.

    Calc can export selections very cleanly to PDF. Excel can save to PDF, but I don't know with what granularity.

    I tried screen captures, but while it looks fine in the FM doc, it's fuzzy in the pdf.

    Export or Save from the spreadsheet to PDF or PDFs. If the client on FM7 needs to be able to import them, also provide them as EPS, either opened and re-saved in Illustrator, or printed to file, as EPS using a PostScript driver (I can respond with details if you need to know how). Either PDF or EPS import will provide high res fully scalable PDF output from Frame. FM7 is unstable in PDF import. I presume FM8 fixed this.

    Nor can I edit the table.

    Correct. Frame is very weak on this. Format in your spreadsheet. Import by reference as graphical object.

    I NEED that extra space!!

    Set that paragraph to a very small point size (4 usually works), or set the anchoring to at-insertion-point, adjusting baseline as needed, or ....

    Give it a unqiue paragraph format name. Master Page map that Pgf Fmt to Left-Special and Right-Special page layouts with reduced top margin.

    Michael_Müller-Hillebrand
    Michael_Müller-Hillebrand
    Legend
    April 17, 2011

    byrdye,

    As the screenshot got lost somehow, we are in the dark...

    A guess: You are not »importing« the table but using copy & paste and therefore create an OLE object?

    Anyhow, I would not care about fine-tuning the table in another tool. Just break it into pieces as needed in Word or Excel, then import it into FrameMaker (By Copy, not By Reference!) and make all necessary modifications.

    - Michael

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    byrdyeAuthor
    Known Participant
    April 17, 2011

    Aha! I missed the import dialog box having import by reference selected by default. Because it was importing by reference, it was coming in as an object (I wasn't doing copy/paste, among other things, the table doesn't come in correctly!). When I changed to import by copying, it came in the way I want: NO extra paragraph mark at the top to take up space I need, AND, if necessary, I can make minor corrections in the Frame doc and not have to do it in Word and reimport.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have saved me from pulling out my hair and turning the air around me blue.

    A
    Anonymous
    April 18, 2011

    byrdye, just a word of warning that importing tables from Word can have some hidden-and-devilish problems because often FM's filter might not be able to correctly transfer formattting in Word into FM. Often. And this leftover formatting can sometimes not be removable in FM itself, too -- sometimes it has an effect on the FM cells, but it can't be removed except if you convert the table to text in FM, which of course blows away all the formatting. Very frustrating.

    So, if you come across this, there's a great 3rd party tool to know about called CleanTable Import, from http://frameexpert.com

    Sheila

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    byrdyeAuthor
    Known Participant
    April 16, 2011

    Um....apparently the screen capture doesn't show up when I post.

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