FrameMaker to Touch Screen - What do I need to get there?

[gbone2000]

Our company is looking at going to touch screen monitors on the production floor beginning in 2011. What do I need to get from a created FrameMaker document to using that document on a touch screen on the floor? These documents are specifically assembly procedure documents ("Install component using specific hardware as called out. When installation complete, touch here to record Component Serial Number(s), or Here, to proceed to next step.").

We are using FrameMaker 9 with all patches and Acrobat 9 Pro Extended on Windows XP. What other tools do I need? What do I need to know about the tools I have?

Thanks in advance,

gb

[Guest]

I assume you mean to be using PDFs on the shop floor, correct?

The most comprehensive group of FM-specific -to-PDF tools out there would be from http://www.microtype.com

For starters, look at the PDF forms examples,

http://www.microtype.com/timesavers_Assistants.html#FormAsst and http://www.microtype.com/homenewupdated.html

Does the company have a handle on the backend data collection from the user in place (capturing the serial number entered in your example)?  Using PDF forms would work, although the user would have to have a paid-for version of Acrobat, not just the free Reader, in order to use the forms and save the form for processing.

[gbone2000]

We're currently using pdf with LiveCycle Forms in the background, monitor,

keyboard, and mouse.

[Guest]

So you're meaning that you're transitioning away from LiveCycle forms and looking for a replacement form-generation process?

[gbone2000]

They've been staring at their new I-pd thingies to long, and wonder why we can't have that technology, look and feel on the manufacturing floor. Touch your finger to the screen and move to the next page, start a video, provide a 3D view, record data, and work off up to the minute instructions for any given step or procedure. I can do all that with the current set-up (Frame, Acrobat, and LiveCycle), but I need to know how to create it for a touch screen. What else do I need to know? What else do I need to get there? Do I need any backend software to read the screen touch? These are things I have no idea about. My biggest question is what it takes to keep Frame, Acrobat, and LiveCycle as the primary development tools, or is that even possible?

Your help and support are greatly appreciated,

gb

[Guest]

As far as I know (no personal experience, just googling) using a touchscreen for input is equivalent to using a mouse, in other words it's up to the device driver for the touch-enabled device to  interpret the touches and act on them, the equivalent to being a mouse movement where the mouse driver interprets and send the commands to the running application.

The key for usability would be to create the forms to have large enough touch-sensitive areas to accommodate finger / stylus (?) usage, and to make the amount of content visible at any time suitable for the screen size, both of which are similar to designing for online help.

Hoping that other forum members might jump in with some advice too ...

Sheila