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Inspiring
Aug 28, 2023 10:33 PM UTC
Question

Design Science is no longer selling MathFlow, is there another way to use MathML in FrameMaker?

FrameMaker 2022 help (in Home > Structured authoring > Author structured content > Create equations using MathML) provides a link supposedly to information about MathFlow. It now displays info.wiris.com/mathflow-info, which explains that MathFlow has been replaced by MathType. The 30 day temporary license to MathFlow is still available, but attempting to convert that to a permanent license attempts to bring up a web page that doesn't exist.

 

Attempting to purchase MathType directly does not list a FrameMaker version.

 

Is there an available way to use MathML in FrameMaker?

 

   --Lynne

 

    6 replies

    Inspiring
    Sep 4, 2023 6:33 PM UTC

    I have heard from TCS support (tcssup@adobe.com) that MathType is under consideration for a future FrameMaker update but a date is not yet available.

           --Lynne

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    frameexpert
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Aug 29, 2023 2:15 AM UTC

    Good riddance. The MathFlow interface for FrameMaker was terrible. And to charge extra for it wasn't good either. They should make a FrameMaker equation to MathXML converter so you could still use FrameMaker's native equation editor.

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    www.frameexpert.com
    Inspiring
    Aug 29, 2023 12:52 PM UTC

    I do not need to edit equations. I am trying to open and format existing XML that contains MathML equations.

              --Lynne

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    Bob_Niland
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Aug 29, 2023 1:59 PM UTC

    Lynne: I am trying to open and format existing XML that contains MathML equations.

    And that's the problem: older FMs could create content that newer FMs now can't support. This is inconsistent with historical FM customer expectations.

     

    Rick: They should make a FrameMaker equation to MathXML converter so you could still use FrameMaker's native equation editor.

    I suspect many users would be happy if FMeq would just generate SVG in the output. But it does seem to still be using overlay fonts, so that, plus lack of MathML semantics, is one of the roadblocks to FM ever supporting PDF/A-1b & 2b.

     

    I suspect that what to do about FMeq was given hard look at least a couple of times: once at the Unicode boundary {FM8}, where it may or may not have gotten some encoding tweaks, when MathFlow trial was bundled, and perhaps at PDFL.

     

    There are a number of object types that can be imported to an FM doc, for which no native editor is included: raster, video, 3D, EPS/SVG. Equations would seem to be in need of a clear Adobe posture statement (and a suggested work-around for docs now bearing MathFlow MathML). I have no authoring/stewardship suggestions, for as FRMAKER-11189 indicates, the very first time I tried to use MathML in FM, it was already broken.

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    Bob_Niland
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Aug 29, 2023 1:48 AM UTC

    In case you're tempted to open a new Tracker, this seems to have been a problem for some time: FRMAKER-11189

     

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    Inspiring
    Aug 29, 2023 12:49 PM UTC

    Bob, 

      Yes, I'm aware of  FRMAKER-11189.

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