How do you change all images in file from import by ref to copy into doc?

Systec has a couple of Toolbox plugin modules that do this: "Adapt Graphic Imports" and "Imported Graphic."

http://https://www.systec-gmbh.com/os/index.php?cat=c176_TOOLBOX.html&XTCsid=afec57784912ef717a8b43a91b8993b9

I have used neither plugin. The user manual makes it appear that Adapt Graphic Imports will process the whole book at a time, but give you an option to be prompted for each graphic individually. Imported Graphic works on one graphic at a time, and has additional options to restore original size or scaling.

Mike Wickham

Ace:

Do your newly global company a big favor and argue -- strongly -- against embedding graphics in the FrameMaker files.

If your documents get larger (and what global company's won't?), there's a very real chance that you'll increase the size of the FrameMaker chapter files to the point that they can't even be opened.  Even if that doesn't happen, the files will handle so sluggishly that they'll start to affect productivity.

Various other posters have recommended Bruce Foster's Archive plug-in.  Speaking from experience, that plug-in works very well for packaging a FrameMaker book's constituent chapters, graphics, and text-insets into a tidy directory structure.  Among other things, the plugin provides a great way to ship a FrameMaker book to a localizer, or to quickly expunge unused graphics and text insets from a working files set.

Better yet, push for a true files distribution mechanism that serves your employer's needs.  I suspect if you do you'll find that part of management's arguments against imported-by-reference graphics are based on, ahem, an incomplete understanding of both the problem and the best long-term solutions to same...

Cheers & hope this helps,

Riley

Actually, I don't think becoming a global company is a reason to invalidate a Best Practice. Figuring out a better way to transport files and component parts makes more sense than building huge files that invite slower operation and corruption.

So I'd encourage you to improve your file management practices before going down the embedding path. One easy way to do this without changing the paths of the imported graphics (which is the better way to procede)  is to make a practice of packaging files with a utility such as Bruce Foster's Archive plug-in. It collects all component files in a dedicated file package much as InDesign's or Quark's collection tools do. Then the package can be easily zipped and transported.

If you must go down the embedding path, be prepared for more problems than it solves. One of the FrameScript gurus, Rick Quatro at frameexpert.com, just released a script package or tool set that un-embeds graphics and converts them to referenced... you could probably ask him to produce a script that goes the other way too.

Cheers,

Art