Inspiring

Answered

Two Separate Autonumber Formats in One Document...One Referencing the Other Format?

Forum|Forum|14 years ago
April 5, 2012
4 replies
2369 views

Hello All,

I searched and could not find the answer. Since I'm fairly new at working with Framemaker, maybe I'm searching in the wrong area.

I'm writing a document that has multiple sections of instructional steps along with multiple images in each section.

Here's how I have the steps numbered in each section (module):

M:<n>.<n=1> OUTPUT EXAMPLE= 1.1

M:<n>.<n+> OUTPUT EXAMPLE= 1.2

M:<n>.<n+> OUTPUT EXAMPLE= 1.3

I want to autonumber the images in the sections by referncing the section number (module number) "1", but follow the number with a letter. i.e. 1.A, 1.B, 1.C.

I tired this:

M:<n>.<A=1>

M:<n>.<A+>

Unfortunately, once I add the number format to the image...the numbers of the steps in the section start counting up by the amount of images.

I want to reference the step numbers because there are some steps that are all text and do not have images, which would force me to manually override the sections without images. If I'm going to manually override these sections, it defeats the purpose of formatting to help my day go smoothly.

Can a format be written to fix my numbering issue? Or am I stuck manually changing the numbers on each image?

Thanks,

Tony~

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer david_artman_designs

Ah, yes, good point: you'd have to use chapnum or sectionnum to drive the initial number, in both series. Otherwise, for chapters with no images, it would not increment on the "I" series when it incremented on the "S" series.

But, no, you don't do it with the same series label because (a) they aren't the same serieses and (b) they don't have the same numbering format.

[Aside: There's something to be said for figure numbers being directly coupled to their steps... in which case you *could* use one series, adding an alphabetic enumerator to the end of the existing steps's series (but not to the steps' autonumbering, of course). But you wouldn't get the "count of figures in the section" that the separate series label gets you... though I'm not sure what that buys you, in terms of navigation or comprehension--I have to assume that numbering sccheme was a management decision, therefore! ]

david_artman_designs

Participating Frequently

Van is correct, whether you use the sectionnum or chapnum building blocks or not--their use to "source" the leading "1." is sort of orthogonal to the numbering-cross-interference issue.

Use two different series labels and you'll be golden. For some deliverables sets (in unstructured FM), I will make a series label for just about every content type which could be numbered (e.g., tasks, figures, tables, footnotes, book-relevant-bits [volume, chapter, section]).

[I also think that using "=1" is a bit obsolete, when you can control numbering resets to 1 at the BOOK or sub-BOOK [FM9+] level, and when one hopes to move to structured FM. But that... is a different story.]

Van Kurtz

Inspiring

Tony,

Try using the <$sectionnum> building block and a different series label for images and steps.

So, the autonumbering for steps would be:

S:<$sectionnum>.<n+>

And for images:

I:<$sectionnum>.<A+>

The autonumbering for the section title would be

<$sectionnum>

Then in the Numbering Properties for the document, set Section numbering to continue from previous and Paragraph numbering to restart.

CAVEAT: I have never used the <$sectionnum> building block, so this may not work. I am assuming it works like <$chapnum>.

Van

R

RaceHomeAuthor

Inspiring

Van,

Don't I have to use the same Series label (for example M:) to keep the count correct throughout the document? Keep in mind that some sections in my documents don't have photos to label (see example below)...so changing the Series will lose count on the steps without photos.

Here's a quick example:

Repair Document

1. Baseline

1.1 Verify

2. Preparing Vehicle

2.1 Verify

Image 2.A

2.2 Flash ECU

2.3 Check Module

Image 2.B

2.4 Install

3. Install BEC Module

3.1 Verify

4. Preparing Vehicle

4.1 Verify

4.2 Check

Image 4.A

4.3 Check

Image 4.B

4.4 Install

Thanks,

Tony

david_artman_designsCorrect answer

Participating Frequently

Ah, yes, good point: you'd have to use chapnum or sectionnum to drive the initial number, in both series. Otherwise, for chapters with no images, it would not increment on the "I" series when it incremented on the "S" series.

But, no, you don't do it with the same series label because (a) they aren't the same serieses and (b) they don't have the same numbering format.

[Aside: There's something to be said for figure numbers being directly coupled to their steps... in which case you *could* use one series, adding an alphabetic enumerator to the end of the existing steps's series (but not to the steps' autonumbering, of course). But you wouldn't get the "count of figures in the section" that the separate series label gets you... though I'm not sure what that buys you, in terms of navigation or comprehension--I have to assume that numbering sccheme was a management decision, therefore! ]

P

peter minneapolis

Participating Frequently

RaceHome wrote:
Hello All,
I searched and could not find the answer. Since I'm fairly new at working with Framemaker, maybe I'm searching in the wrong area.
I'm writing a document that has multiple sections of instructional steps along with multiple images in each section.
Here's how I have the steps numbered in each section (module):
M:<n>.<n=1>   OUTPUT EXAMPLE= 1.1
M:<n>.<n+>     OUTPUT EXAMPLE= 1.2
M:<n>.<n+>     OUTPUT EXAMPLE= 1.3
I want to autonumber the images in the sections by referncing the section number (module number) "1", but follow the number with a letter. i.e. 1.A, 1.B, 1.C.
I tired this:
M:<n>.<A=1>
M:<n>.<A+>
Unfortunately, once I add the number format to the image...the numbers of the steps in the section start counting up by the amount of images.
I want to reference the step numbers because there are some steps that are all text and do not have images, which would force me to manually override the sections without images. If I'm going to manually override these sections, it defeats the purpose of formatting to help my day go smoothly.
Can a format be written to fix my numbering issue? Or am I stuck manually changing the numbers on each image?
Thanks,
Tony~

Examine the autonumbering formats in the sample template Outline Harvard for an example of nested lists. It's in File > New > Explore Standard Templates > Open Sample.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

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Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

A

Anonymous

Its a bit hard to say what's going on here. can you send me an example framemaker file that demonstrates this problem? My email is jaloren AT gmail.com

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