How do you generate a PDF from Structured FrameMaker?

[Guest]

Hi,

I am using Framemaker 8.  I have not used Structured FM before.  I go through the normal steps to print a PDF, but the PDF does not appear in the location I specify, and it appears not to have been created at all.

I File > Print Book.  I print using Adobe PDF, with Generate Acrobat Data selected.  I try to generate the PDF without the Print to File or with the Print to File checkbox selected.  I have the file path set to the location I want the file to go to, and when I check that location, the PDF is not there.  In Adobe Distiller, I get the message %%[ Warning: Empty job. No PDF file produced. ] %%.

Am I doing something incorrectly?

The problem could be with SVN- maybe I do not have permission to the area I am in. I am going to get a different location later today.

Thanks,

Erin

[Van Kurtz]

Erin,

Creating a PDF from a structured document or book is the same is with unstructured. Any problems you encounter have nothing to do with its being structured. I always use Adobe PDF as the printer with generate Acrobat data selected. I uncheck save to file (which saves the Postscript output) and print directly as PDF. I have no problems. Typically printing to PDF is better than SAVING as PDF. So, when you click the Print button and you have save to file OFF, you should get a dialog box asking where to write the PDF file. Be sure you navigate to the location you want before clicking Save.

Van

[Russ Ward]

Erin,

Like Van said, PDF generation is the same as unstructured FrameMaker. You need to do things like turn off the element boundaries beforehand, but that shouldn't affect whether or not a PDF is generated at all. It sounds like there may be a problem that is not related to structure.

Any chance that there is a comma in the file name, or any ancestor folder name? I've had PDF generation fail in the manner you describe if a comma is present. There might be other characters that cause the problem as well.

Russ

[Guest]

There is not a comma in the file name. All of the files include an underscore in the name, though. There was an issue with File Optimization, which I fixed.

Erin

[Van Kurtz]

Erin,

You might try CHECKING the save to file box in the Print dialog. This will save the raw Postscript. Usually FrameMaker defaults to the same folder as the source file; but check to be certain. Then distill the PS file directly.

Van

[Russ Ward]

Erin,

Unfortunately, I don't have any more specific ideas. Underscores shouldn't make any difference. What you may need to do is a process of elimination... for example, if you have other documents somewhere else for which you know PDF generation works, what happens if you put them in that folder? If they don't work there, you'll know there is something peculiar about the location. If they do, you'll know there is something peculiar about that structured document. If it is the document, perhaps try deleting content until you get any kind of output at all.

I know this is a bit of a shotgun approach but it would be what I'd resort to.

Russ