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keithh13764083
Known Participant
November 12, 2020
Question

Adobe TCS 2020: Linking RobHelp to FrameMaker?

  • November 12, 2020
  • 16 replies
  • 1210 views

Hello,

I recently upgraded to Adobe Technical Communication Suite (ATCS) 2020 (including FrameMaker 2020 and RoboHelp 2020).

Previously, I had been using ATCS 4 (with FrameMaker 11 and RoboHelp 10).

Previously, I had a FrameMaker 11 project and a RoboHelp 10 project. The RoboHelp 10 project was linked to the FrameMaker 11 project to allow single sourcing. (Any change made to the FrameMaker files was automatically reflected in the RoboHelp project.)

I have just done the following:
• I have converted the old Frame 11 project to Frame 2020.
• I have converted the old RoboHelp 10 project to RoboHelp 2020.

QUESTION: How do I link the new RoboHelp 2020 project to the new Frame 2020 project (so I can continue to do single sourcing)?

In other words, I want the RoboHelp 2020 project linked to the Frame 2020 project... so that any change made in the Frame 2020 project will be automatically reflected in the RoboHelp 2020 project.

Thank you for your reply! I have studied the information about linking on adobe.com, and I have not been able to make the slightest progress whatsoever on achieving this....

Yours,

Keith

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    16 replies

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    Jeff_Coatsworth
    Community Expert
    Jeff_CoatsworthCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 23, 2020

    @Theresia5E7B are you upgrading an old RH/FM project or trying a brand new one?

    T
    Theresia5E7B
    Known Participant
    November 23, 2020

    This does not work for me either. I am using RoboHelp 2020 and FrameMaker 2020, both with the latest updates. In RoboHelp, importing/linking of FrameMaker files does not work because there are no topics created. That is, trying to generate/update the files does not create the topics, so there is no content. If this works for someone can you please indicate what is required to get this work? Are there settings that need to be set before trying to generate/update? Not sure if I should post this in the RoboHelp forum instead, as I am not using the technical communication suite....

    Peter Grainge
    Community Expert
    Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 13, 2020

    Ignore Assets. Create a folder in the Contents panel with whatever name you want. This is just to keep what you are about to link to self contained. 

     

    Now right click and select Link. In the file type dropdown select the option that includes book. In theory that's it to the best of my knowledge.

     

    From there you configure your preset and generate.

     

    If that doesn't work, come back but do explain the Fm side in simple terms. I'll see what I can find out. 

     

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    Jeff_Coatsworth
    Community Expert
    Jeff_CoatsworthCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 13, 2020

    Yes, in Classic you would link to either the FM document files (.fm/.mif/.dita) or [more commonly] to the book (.book) files - which are like a container for all your .fm files. IIRC (because I'm a FM import guy, not a linker), you would create a new RH project, right-click on the Project Files section in the Project Manager and select Link > Framemaker Document. That would pull all the FM content into the RH project and give you the option going forward to Force Update or Force Update All whenever the FM content changed.
    In the New UI scheme, I'm not sure how that is achieved anymore & I don't know how an existing TCS connection fares when both FM content & linked RH project are updated to 2020.

    Peter Grainge
    Community Expert
    Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 13, 2020

    Thanks Jeff, I've been waiting for you to come along and answer this one. 🙂

     

    I have never used Fm but I have described all the features in 2019 and 2020. They include linking to many file formats including book. What formats would you be using in Fm?

     

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    K
    keithh13764083Author
    Known Participant
    November 13, 2020

    Jeff wrote:
    <<At one point in the development of RH2020, there wasn't any linking option being offered - only importing FM content into RH.>>
    If there is no linking option, then ATCS 2020 is a step backward for me from my old ATCS 4.
    Does anyone know if ATCS 2020 can even do what I'm trying to do?

    Peter wrote:
    <<I have never used Fm but I have described all the features in 2019 and 2020. They include linking to many file formats including book. What formats would you be using in Fm?>>

    In RH2020, I can right-click the Assets folder and see Link and Sync options in the menu... But I haven't been able to get any detailed guidance on how to use these. I've tried using them through trial and error, without success. I'm trying to link to a FameMaker book, with all its related files. I want my RH2020 project to be linked to all the content of the FrameMaker book and display all that content. Any changes made in Frame would be reflected automatically in the RH2020 project.

    RE Link and Sync, any information that anyone can provide about those would be much appreciated. Thanks!

    Jeff_Coatsworth
    Community Expert
    Jeff_CoatsworthCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 13, 2020

    At one point in the development of RH2020, there wasn't any linking option being offered - only importing FM content into RH. Now I'm not sure what stage that was left at before RH2020 was released. Maybe @Peter Grainge can recall better (I don't have a copy of RH2020 at hand right now to test with).

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