[Closed] FrameMaker 7.x/8 Feature Requests

Report · Aug 19, 2002

Time to start entering these. If you are unsure about whether FM has the feature yet, please do some research and figure it out before posting.

Please don't post requests for assistance in here, either.

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 13, 2003

I'd say chapter-specific variables are generally a bad idea.

Why do you need a ChapterName variable? Just grab the text of your ChapterTitle pargagraph tag, or am I missing something.

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 13, 2003

Missed the origin of this current thread, but it'd be nice to be able to selectively import xref definitions, variables, paragraph formats, character formats, etc. instead of all or nothing from one file.

Report · Jan 13, 2003

Bill, you can with FrameScript or in the MIF. But, point taken ;?P.

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 13, 2003

Shouldn't need to play in the MIF or rely on a third party tool (no matter how cool it is). ;-)

FM-X... how cool would it be... every book file comes with a custom palette for all style types, and you can pick and choose which ones to plop into which files. Ahhhh... Droooool...........

;-)

imagine creating completely empty files and assigning master pages, flows, and styles based on need...

FM developers, let's finally harness the power and potential of the BOOK file!!! :-D

Report · Jan 13, 2003

I have a request. I think we should pack more into the Document Properties option when importing formats. In FM 6 it imports:

Document Properties The templates custom marker types and footnote properties; the volume, chapter, page, paragraph, footnote, and table footnote numbering styles in the Numbering Properties dialog box; the characters in the Allow Line Breaks After setting in the Text Options dialog box; and the Feather settings in the Line Layout dialog box are merged into the document. The PDF Setup settings (other than the bookmark settings) are also merged into the document. On Japanese-language systems, the rubi properties and kumihan rules (Japanese-language typesetting rules) are also merged into the document.

I think it needs to be beefed up to include all file text, disposition of the original author, and the kitchen sink.

Thoughts?

Report · Jan 13, 2003

In case it wasn't clear...

We need more granular control over what we are importing when importing formats

I hope that was clearer.

I'd like to not only be able to import ONLY marker types (instead of all the other crap listed in Document Properties), but be selective in what I import.

I'd like to be able to import ONE or a SELECT FEW of my paragraph formats into a new file, rather than the whole paragraph catalog, for example.

Every user-controlled element in template/style management should be available for selective import.

Report · Jan 13, 2003

FrameScript.

Think of it as akin to the VBA stuff you can do in MS Wierd.

Or, there are bound to be plug-ins.

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 13, 2003

Pish posh. *lol*

Put it in the product. :-D

Report · Jan 14, 2003

Here's a list off the top of my head:

* Provide an easier way of making hypertext links, similar to cross-references where all you have to do is select a paragraph, rather than having to manually enter a newlink and gotolink each time. This is different from a cross-ref which uses the text of the heading. I want to be able to identify a piece of text to make "hot" then choose the heading to jump to.

* Give me back the ability to do Esc F G to generate TOCs for individual files. I include chapter TOCs and used to be able to generate these using this keystroke. Now I am forced to use Special > Table of Contents, then click Yes, I am really sure I want to make a TOC for this file. GGGGRRRR.

* The ability to search for pages with a particular master page applied. During production, I apply Blank master pages to the last page of a document when the text ends on a right-hand page. In later revisions, I want to put these back to Right/Left so I don't end up with blank pages in the middle of the file, which is what happens now, unless I happen to notice them. I know you can convert these using Format > Page Layout > Master Page Usage, but you can only do it on individual chapters in a book. Alternatively or additionally, provide a way of converting master pages across a book.

* I second (or third) someone else's suggestion that you provide conditional text that uses AND logic, in addition to OR logic. It's a major pain now since you have to create multiple conditions to cover each combined case.

* Figure out some way to insure that when you create a marker, you are creating the type of marker you want. I don't know how many times I have accidentally made an index marker a hypertext marker or vice versa because I have the Marker dialog open and I am searching for text or highlight some text with a marker, and the marker type changes without my noticing it, then I wonder why my hypertext doesn't work or I end up with a newlink in the index! Maybe a separate dialog for index markers or hypertext markers.

* On the subject of index markers, please make the marker dialog BIGGER so it's easier to edit the text, make it hold more text, and make it obey custom keystroke commands like cursor forward, back, delete character, upper case character, etc.

* I realize that in general only one dialog can be open at a time. But I don't know how many times I've wanted to search for several different things across a set of books, and I have to reconfigure the search each time. You know, you have a bunch of things you need to fix across a bunch of books. I'd love to have it remember the last things I searched for so I don't have to reconfigure the search multiple times. Maybe a history of previous searches in the Find dialog would work.

That's all for now.

Natasha Norwalk
Gensym

Report · Jan 17, 2003

Better color management controls. :-)

thomas bro "Surprise! RGB color definitions have been added to your color definitions list!" 1/16/03...

Report · Jan 23, 2003

This from a request on the FrameUsers list. I suggested that she join the forum.

Wouldn't it be convenient if, when we hide a condition, the conditional-text
markers would indicate what condition is hidden...perhaps as a list of the
non-displaying condition name(s) inside the marker itself.

Report · Jan 23, 2003

> Wouldn't it be convenient if, when we hide a condition, the
conditional-text
> markers would indicate what condition is hidden...perhaps as a list of the
> non-displaying condition name(s) inside the marker itself.

I don't understand this request. What conditions are hidden must be
a global setting for the whole file, it cannot be specific for
each marker. So why would you bloat the file with this information
in every single condition marker, when it's already available in the
Conditional Text dialog? And a condition marker is only present
when you hide the contents, so you won't find the information unless
you go to a page with hidden conditional text...

--
/Thomas Michanek, FrameMaker/UNIX/MIF expert
http://go.to/framers/

Report · Jan 23, 2003

Thomas,

I've forwarded your response to the originator. I'll request that she answer directly, and get on this forum.

Report · Jan 23, 2003

The ability to globally (even at the file level) remove applied character formats.

Minimally, by including the Default P Font as a Replace option. Would also be helpful if, when replacing with Char formats, you could actually use the Char format name as in the catalog rather than an override.

In general, I think it's kind of, well, dumb that FM allows you to search for pretty much anything under the sun, but replace with so few options.

Report · Jan 23, 2003

Hack the MIF.

Use Funduc's Search and Replace on all files in your directory.

LOL!

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 23, 2003

Hack the MIF...

OK, before I begin, I've been using FM non-stop since about 1998, with use here and there prior to 1998. I *do* hack the MIF, I have hacked the MIF, and will continue to hack the MIF, but WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HACK THE MIF.

I have one word for FM development, and I hope they do read this:

USABILITY

We shouldn't have to hack the MIF to do something as mundane as globally remove all char formats from select paragraphs, or search for one applied char format and remove it without having to tag each found paragraph with Default P Font.

Sorry for the rant, but hacking the MIF shouldn't have to be the preferred method for this kind of work.

I truly hope Adobe addresses this and other global control issues in its next release of FrameMaker.

Report · Jan 23, 2003

Well . . .

. . . Adobe has never completely implemented the book paradigm in FrameMaker. Maybe with the added resources for the next version?

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 23, 2003

We can only hope. The book paradigm is what FM really has going for it. It's a shame it's not more robust.

Report · Jan 24, 2003

I'd like FM to notify me of cross-reference destinations that are to valid files in valid locations but that are not part of the current book.

That is, if I remove a file from a book but leave the file intact, I'd like notification if there are cross-references to that file from the book.

Cheers,

Sean

Report · Jan 28, 2003

I'd like to be able to import a chapter's or book's File Info information into other book or chapter files. I'm imagining that this could be implemented by adding a new button on the Import Formats dialog box.

How I would use this: IF I have a FrameMaker chapter file from book "A," AND I want to copy that file into another directory for use in book "B," THEN I currently must manually edit the File Info from chapter file "A" to make it consistent with book B's File Info. I'd like instead to be able to quickly import the book B's File Info into the new chapter file re-used from book "A".

While today it is possible to select multiple book files and use the File Info dialog box to specify the pertinent information for all of those files in parallel, it is evidently not possible to import existing File Info from one book or document into another.

Cheers & thanks,
Riley

Report · Jan 29, 2003

I hope FM could have the same shortcut as other Adobe DTP products. For instance, Shift->Drag&Move with mouse, Ctrl+Shift->ZoomIn&ZoomOut, Ctrl+F1-> apply paragraph style. etc.

Andrew

Report · Jan 30, 2003

I wish FrameMaker would ditch its dependancy on print and supply a more general authoring environments, where templates could then be applied to immediately format content for whatever deliverable I need.

I also wish I'd win the lottery.

Report · Jan 30, 2003

>I wish FrameMaker would ditch its dependancy on print

Can you elaborate?

Report · Jan 30, 2003

"I wish FrameMaker would ditch its dependancy on print."

Yes, I too would like to understand the direction of that question. Single-sourcing? Content management? Or...?

Report · Feb 03, 2003

Single-sourcing, mainly. What some prefer to call "low-end" (though the ROI is greater than "high end" systems, but that's another argument *g*).

OK, use FM to manage tagged content. Want to go to print? Apply a template that formats your content ready for PS output. Want to go HTML? Apply a tempalte that formats your content with HTML tags and uses the Cataogs as a basis for CSS creation. Blah blah blah...

Sounds good in theory. 😛 Was thinking of templates more as output filters than working environments. Would be cool. At least I think so.