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QuintinSeegers
QuintinSeegers
Legend
November 29, 2021
Answered

Upgrading from FM2019 to FM2020 - known issues/experiences

  • November 29, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 312 views

We're currently using FM2019 (Structured) and are investigating upgrading to FM2020. I have seen from other community posts that users have had some issues with FM2020.

 

Our documentation contains a lot of graphics (imported by reference), text inserts, cross-references, Variables, Conditional Text, Hypertext. We make use of a range of Master Pages. Our FM books contain anything from 4 to 20 FM documents, each varying in size from 2 pages to 100+ pages.

 

What is everyone's experience in using FM2020, working with large documents containing graphics, etc? Are there any 'breaking' issues, features that no longer work as intended? Are there any advantages to upgrading? Is it worth upgrading?

 

Much appreciated.

Quintin

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer frameexpert

    There are probably some release notes somewhere on the latest 2020 build, but unless there is something specific that you need in the latest version, my tendency is to stay with what is working for you.

    3 replies

    F
    Community Expert
    FrameMaker-dkCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 1, 2021

    There IS one major advantage in 2020 over 2019 when it comes to publishing HTML5. I am aware that you are working with pdf,  but if anybody else peeks into this thread... 2019 has some annoying difficulties with clearing memory when creating iterations of publish runs on HTML5. Meaning that one can not be entirely certain that revised settings take effect, because FM picks up older versions of the published material. That works much better in 2020.

    Bjørn Smalbro - FrameMaker.dk
      Bob_Niland
      Community Expert
      Bob_NilandCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 30, 2021

      re: …are investigating upgrading to FM2020.

      What's the output workflow?

      I have both '19 and '20 on my system, and use either (back-saving '20 files to MIF on close). I output mainly to PDF.

      For PDF, there are a number of new Joboptions in FM2020. These not only don't exist in FM2019, as I recall. they won't work in 2019. So when I need PDF/A-2b, for example, I use FM2020.

      QuintinSeegers
      QuintinSeegersAuthor
      Legend
      November 30, 2021

      All our documentation is output to PDF via the Save as PDF option. We don't use the Publish option because it creates an additional, unwanted, subfolder for the PDF, rather than saving it to the selected folder. (If there is a way to prevent this from happening, I'd love to know.) Our documentation doesn't need to meet any ISO standards, so I'm not worried about outputting to specific PDF formats/versions.

      frameexpert
      Community Expert
      frameexpertCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      November 29, 2021

      There are probably some release notes somewhere on the latest 2020 build, but unless there is something specific that you need in the latest version, my tendency is to stay with what is working for you.

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