FrameMath in FrameMaker 12 RIP

[MichaelKazlow]

I have filed a bug report/feature request. But obviously, Adobe is trying to kill off its old FrameMath. If they make it so no one will want to use it, then they don't have to keep supporting it. FrameMath had many shortcuts one could use so that one never had to use the FrameMath Palatte for most operations. While I was more comfortable with the Mac shortcuts, I have learned the Windows shortcuts and have used the ones available on both systems. You used to be able to type \lim (short for limit) and that would be the same as going to the Calculus pane and hitting the limit button. You could type \alpha and get the alpha character. You actually do not have to type out the full word, just enough for FrameMaker to figure out which one you were using. All of these shortcuts are gone. Accident---doubtful. No one checked, possible, unlikely.

I know that the concentration is on the new features with MathFlow, but the old features worked and made Frame easier to use. MathFlow and MathType have their place. But the Math editing and Math computational features of FrameMath were unique in my opinion. I usually, convert all my old documents to a new version of Frame for consistency. But I think I have to keep using FrameMaker 11 while it works or until Adobe puts back the features.

[Arnis Gubins]

Hi Mike,

I don't recall those types shortcuts for FrameMath in Windows. For entering the limit,  ctrl+shift+L still works and for alpha I use alt+ctrl+a. There are still around 300 defined FrameMath shortcuts in FM12 and they're still the same ones going back to at least FM6 (try Scott Prentice's ListShortcuts utility to get all available shortcuts in any FM version - see: http://leximation.com/tools/info/listshortcuts.php ).

I've just tried doing the two shortcuts (\lim and \alpha) you mention in FM6, FM8 and FM11 and they don't work for me. I just get those characters showing up verbatim in the Equation text frame. Is there some special technique to using these?

Do you know where these "\" shortcuts were documented? I've checked back to FM6 documentation and haven't found any references to these shortcuts.

[MichaelKazlow]

I may have to go searching. I double checked they work for me in 11, 10, I have a co-worker that uses it 7.x. I lost my old Framemaker 3.2-5 documentation to a Superstorm Sandy.  Strange they work for me and not you. I need to hit return after typing the letters, but they do work.  I will look up those other shortcuts. Better to learn something new than get left behind.

[MichaelKazlow]

A quick google search shows some of them here as backslash  sequences.

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/framemaker/using/WSd817046a44e105e21e63e3d11ab7f7862b-7fa3.html

The trick is you did not need all of  the characters to make them work.

[MichaelKazlow]

Since it is in the documentation maybe Adobe will fix it.

[Arnis Gubins]

Thanks Mike. It was the Return after the sequence that was the trick. It works for me now in FM11, but doesn't in FM12. One more bug added to the list and hopefully a second patch will be also be available sooner, rather than later.

Even after more than twenty years of using FM, there's still lots to learn...

[xauthor]

I just upgraded from FrameMaker 9 to 12.  Not sure that was a great idea.  The "\" sequences worked in 9 but not in 12.  Quite aggravating!!!

[ksaini]

Hi Michael ,

We have fixed the mentioned issue in latest update FM 12.0.2. Please refer Readme for other fixes.

Thanks for reporting it to us.

Regards

Kunal Saini

FM Engineering