FrameMaker 7.1/Acrobat 9 incompatibility??

Report · Sep 09, 2012

I am using Frame for a project after a long absence and cannot generate a PDF or PS file using Acrobat 9. Frame hard crashes each time I try to either "Save as PDF" or "Print to file" using Acrobat as the printer.

I have patched up to the latest level of Frame 7.1, and am running XP.

Am a bit stuck because without PDF support I'll be forced to migrate the project over to InDesign or (horror) MS Word......

Thanks in advance

Report · Sep 10, 2012

Print to .ps and Distill separately.

I can tell you that this path is likely to work, because we author on FM7/1/Unix and Distill on Acrobat9/Win7-64.

If you set up Acrobat to watch directories, print-to-ps will become a nearly transparent print-to-PDF, with faster return-to-authoring response.

Report · Sep 10, 2012

Thank you for your reply, but even trying to "Print to file" causes Frame to crash immediately.

It appears that invoking Distiller in any way, shape, or form, causes Frame to crash.

Perhaps the problem is an XP thing?

Report · Sep 10, 2012

Well, just printing to file does not involve Distiller. It only involves a PostScript driver, which is usually the one provided with Acrobat pro, but could be any PS driver.

If the printer presently configured with FM is "Adobe PDF", you might try installing a generic PS driver, and configuring ADISTILL.PPD (which you may still have on your FM7 media).

Can your FM7 even print to a physical printer, such as an HP in PCL mode?

Is your XP 32-bit or 64-bit?

FM7.x may be incompatible with 64-bit XP.

Report · Sep 10, 2012

Thanks for the clarification: I wasn't aware that only the driver was invoked, although when I think about what you said, it makes complete sense.

To be clear, when I select "Adobe PDF" and ask it to print to file, Frame crashes.

I'll try adding the Distiller as a printer and see if I can "fake" Frame out.

Printing to a physical printer works fine: an HP with PCL driver and a Ricoh multi-copy (supposedly PS 3, but the driver doesn't produce PostScript).

My XP is just 32-bit so no problems there.

Report · Sep 10, 2012

By the way, in this thread:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/1236347#1236347

people report getting FM7 to work with A9.

I might ask in what order things were installed.

Because FM7, as I recall, includes an older version of Distiller, it would be advisable to install FM first, not install Distller (or uninstall it), then install Acrobat Pro 9 (and take care not not wreck A9 by installing Reader X).