FrameMaker (or DITA) tables to SVG

[frameexpert]

I am looking to convert some long FrameMaker tables to SVG. I don't have any SVG experience yet and am looking for pointers to existing tools, etc. Thanks.

[Winfried Reng]

Hi Rick,

Do you want to convert the table only once? Or do you want to update the SVG files regularly?

You might copy the FrameMaker tables e.g. into CorelDraw and convert the file to SVG from there.

I am sure there are also other tools which could do this.

Best regards

Winfried

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Hmm, odd request!

If I were to give up on finding a non-SVG way to deliver that info, I think Winfried's approach is a good one. However, I'd use Illustrator for the task, as it's been (for me) a much more reliable vector graphics tool over the years.

-Matt

[frameexpert]

I have a large dita chapter with a lot of tables (over 300) and FrameMaker chokes on it while opening it. The tables are pretty dense with data. I have unstructured versions of the fies so I was thinking of converting the tables to SVG and referencing them as graphics.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

By chapter, do you mean a single topic? 

If a ditamap was stringing together smaller topics, you shouldn't be opening more than a couple tables at a time.

[frameexpert]

Its part of an automated process that combines a bunch of topics into a single chapter that has to be opened in FrameMaker. We could make each topic a separate FrameMaker document but that would mean re-engineering things.

[4everJang]

Hello Rick,

Of course tables can be converted to SVG (I would be able to create a script for this), but I am not sure if this would solve your problems. SVGs require time to render in FM, just like tables do. Also, you would lose the option to edit anything in the tables, and repeating headers when tables span a page break would involve quite a lot of additional work.

There might be other ways to solve the problem. If you want you can contact me, possibly sending me a file that you are facing problems with, so I can figure out if there are other solutions.

Kind regards from Amsterdam

Jang

[frameexpert]

Thanks Jang. I will be discussing it with the client to see what they want to do. Thank you for the offer.