FM9 UI issues

Report · Oct 05, 2009

FM9 doesn't remember the size of position of document or book windows.

If I drag a window for more than a second or so, it maximizes and loses its position.

Double-clicking on a tag name in the conditional text dialog doesn't apply it, instead it opens the Add/Edit Condition Tag dialog.

Alt-Tab doesn't switch from FrameMaker another application; I have to Alt-Tab twice for that.

Is there a guide for keyboard shortcuts? or have they gone away?

This mess is seriously affecting my productivity.Is FM8 available as a workaround? I don't have a copy.

Report · Oct 05, 2009

It's a differnt way of working and you have to forget some of the old habits. The keyboard shortcuts are still there, about 1081 of them. A number of them are documented in the FM9 Help file, CH. 15 - Keyboard Shortcuts.

There's a good online presentation by RJ Jacquez that compares the FM8 & FM9 UI and gives you a better overview of what's going on and how to use it. Please see: Getting Started with the new FrameMaker 9 User Interface

Report · Oct 05, 2009

Hi rlauriston,

FrameMaker 9 is the first release with the new UI, which offers new options, but breaks with some (beloved?) options, and contains a number of quirks. Some comments:

FM9 doesn't remember the size of position of document or book windows.
If I drag a window for more than a second or so, it maximizes and loses its position.
Double-clicking on a tag name in the conditional text dialog doesn't apply it, instead it opens the Add/Edit Condition Tag dialog.
Alt-Tab doesn't switch from FrameMaker another application; I have to Alt-Tab twice for that.
Is there a guide for keyboard shortcuts? or have they gone away?
This mess is seriously affecting my productivity.Is FM8 available as a workaround? I don't have a copy.

Books are no longer treated as documents, but are no pods either since you can't store their position/status in a workspace (which would be a cool idea, I think). Documents also have a very new life and certain properties are not (yet?) implemented. API programming for those new document windows is also harder. The most important command regarding documents seems to be »Consolidate All to Here«, available when right-clicking the document’s tab to collect all other documents in one window.
I have no problem dragging around either a floating window or a document. Look for the blue frames which signal docking positions. You may also be interested in an introduction to the new UI mentioned in the Help: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FrameMaker/9.0/Using/WS2526FE8F-4A7F-4f1a-A4EE-6491DD4D47C4.html
The UI of the Conditional Text pod is basically very similar to the old dialog. You have to select one or multiple conditions AND the appropriate radio buttons above the list before clicking the Apply button. You are right, it is shown with a black border indicating something like a default action. Many people I know use keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+4/5 to add/remove single conditions or Ctrl+6 to remove all conditions from selected text.
Alt+Tab works as usual for me. This is a Windows feature and FrameMaker does not change it, maybe some other software on your PC intercepts it?
Keyboard shortcuts are listed in the Online Help. Search for "Keyboard Shortcuts" or start here: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FrameMaker/9.0/Using/WSd817046a44e105e21e63e3d11ab7f7862b-7ffd.html

HTH,

- Michael

Report · Oct 05, 2009

Ctrl+4 is a good workaround for the clumsy conditional text UI.

I still say that double-clicking on a single style name should apply only that condition to the selected text and close the dialog (something users do all the time) rather than opening the Add/Edit Conditional Text Tag dialog (something users do rarely, if at all).

Report · Oct 05, 2009

Also, be sure to check for FM updates, as there were some tweaks to the pod handling in the most recent update --

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=22&platform=Windows