Selected PDF Job Option doesn't exist...

[April_Singer]

When I try to print to a .ps file I get the message:

"The selected PDF Job Option does not exist n the current installation. Either create this Job Option or select an available Job Option. Continue?"

Background:

Was using FrameMaker 7.2 previously. Recently bought Frame 11 (not an upgrade, full program) and installed it on a new machine that is running under Windows 7. I also bought and installed (didn't upgrade) Acrobat 11 after using Acrobat 7 for years on another machine. There are no previous versions of either app on my Windows 7 machines.

I copied two JobOption files from the old machine (Acrobat 7/Frame 7) to the new machine. They are stored in the same location where I found the preset JobOption files:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 11.0\Acrobat\Settings

In FrameMaker I went to File --> Print Setup and selected Adobe PDF as my default "printer". I set the Default Settings for that printer to the JobOptions file I want to use, which is one of the two I brought over from the other machine (in other words, my JobOptions appear in the list of settings from which to choose).

When I go to print the Book in Frame (Ctrl-P to open the Print Book dialog) I click PDF Setup and the correct PDF Job Options file is shown based on my Print Setup configuration. When I click Set though, I get the above message. I don't understand this message since I both see and can select my JobOptions files in FrameMaker and in Acrobat/Distiller.

I tried reading through the Adobe PDF Creation Settings document to confirm where the JobOptions files need to be stored, but the information I found doesn't seem to cover Windows 7 (named locations don't exist on my system, e.g., Documents and Settings folder).

Can someone clarify for me whether I can use my custom JobOption files from Frame 7 in Frame 11, and if so, where I need to place them? Also, any clarification of this situation in general and why I'd be getting this message when clearly Frame and Acrobat both "see" my JobOptions since they arein the drop-down list, is appreciated.

BTW - I also edited one of my JobOptions in Frame 11 and Saved As a new file but still get the same alert when I proceed.

Thanks

EDIT: realizing that maybe I should have posted this in the Acrobat forum but since I am working from Frame and accessing settings via Frame, and getting a Frame errror, I started in this forum.

[April_Singer]

Thank you for the encouragement Rob. I think I have forgotten what it is I intended to actually do with Frame after spending so much time just trying to get it installed and working! After four days off, perhaps I'm ready to keep going now

[Bob_Niland]

> My favourite voodoo trick at the time of writing in book mode is to update all files three times, with all boxes clicked.

It definitely takes more than one pass if you click the Apply Master Pages box.

That is entirely unreliable in FM7 inside Update Book, so we do it as a separate option, file-by-file, before doing an Update Book.

[Rob_from_Mustang_land]

Thanks anonymous:

I am glad I am not alone.

I am going to try 5x now.

I wish we knew a little about how FrameMaker sorts its scratch disk space...

I know it uses about four hundred (judging from the cleanups so there are a lot of things going on.

I will experiment with Update all files with Apply Master pages clicked.

I have also tried creeping up on apply Master pages, updating first cross references then numbering and so on.

I think its time to move onto Robohelp and too hell with pdfs.

[Bob_Niland]

> I will experiment with Update all files with Apply Master Pages clicked.

AMP is probably unstable, in part, due to the fact that what we are giving it to do may be unstable. I've seen cases where combinations of MP assignments and degenerate page layouts cause the layouts needed to oscillate. Doesn't fit - move to new page - needs MP update - now fits on previous page - AMP it - doesn't fit - around we go, etc.

FM in general doesn't recursively apply formats until there are no more changes, possibly because there are cases where it might loop indefinitely. Self-referential cycles of Xrefs (and insets, I imagine), can grow until they blow up at 4GB, but they grow only once per open or update.

So we need to Update until there are no more changes, and some things need to be done before others.

[Rob_from_Mustang_land]

This is an appropriate forum. The message derives from FM11 and I have had many examples of it.

[April_Singer]

Thanks Rob. I'm not always sure where to go when features overlap between these two apps. I kept referring to the JobOptions that installed with "Acrobat" but late yesterday I read something in one of the help docs that says they are installed with Frame. Wouldn't have known that otherwise...but I was pretty sure this was a Frame issue since Acrobat and Distiller (and Windows) all see the JobOptions but Frame doesn't but I didn't want to upset anyone by posting to the wrong forum. Appreciate the feedback.

[April_Singer]

[Ooops! Clicked Yes to Was this helpful? for my own original post. Not intentional.]

OK, I think everything is resolved. I can now generate a .ps file and distill it without any problems. Things that worked for me were:

1. Uninstalled both Framemaker 11 and Acrobat 11.

2. Searched for and removed any lingering Job Options (my own custom ones in various locations).

3. Reinstalled Acrobat 11, then Framemaker 11.

4. Installed Frame patches/updates.

5. Opened the Standard Job Options with Distiller, did a Save As to create a new one, accepted the default location, then edited those options to match my old ones from Frame/Acrobat 7.

6. Made sure to disable the "Rely on system fonts only; do not use document fonts" setting in my Print Setup for Adobe PDF printer.

Now I see my custom Job Options listed in the various drop-downs in Frame and Acrobat, and can "print" and distill using them.

Noted that the default location that Acrobat/Distiller saves custom files in on Windows 7 is:

     C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\AdobePDF\Settings

I have not tried just putting a Job Option file in that location again since resinstalling. Doing so before didn't work for me but maybe it would now. Saving a custom Job Option there via Distiller did work now.

Thank you for all of the great tips and endurance! Glad to be up and running for now.

[Arnis_Gubins]

April,

Glad to see that you've finally go tit all sorted out.

However, why are you doing the print to .ps route and then distilling? The SaveAsPDF route is now recommended (and is working quite realiably on most standard installations). If you ever need to prepare PDFs for print output and use CMYK or spot colours, then your method will not create the desired output.

Also ensure that the AdobePDF printer instance is always the default in a FrameMaker session to avoid any surprises in PDF creation. The Sundorne SetPrint utiility ( http://www.sundorne.com/FrameMaker/Freeware/setPrint.htm  )  is a great freebie plug-in that does this invisibly for you.

[April_Singer]

Well, a few versions back we had problems with SaveAsPDF so we ended up going the .ps to Distiller route. I cannot even remember now what the actual reasons were but it was a huge hassle and that is what fixed it for us.

Our output is pretty simple - text and screen shots for "eManuals" (end user docs for a software developer). We don't use anything advanced in terms of Frame features. I can try the SaveAsPDF - it would save time to do it in one step instead of two.

I will say that I sure do miss the functionality I had with MicroType's Xpress Customization. I don't know exactly what all that plug-in added for me because I've been using it so long, but now that I am facing Frame without, I'm bumping into things I really miss (e.g., the quick tool button to import graphics). Doesn't look like they produce that plug-in for versions newer than 9 for Frame...but if anyone has any recommendations for something similar, I'm sure open to it.

I'll give the SaveAsPDF a try once I finish up some things that were on the back burner here. Once again, Arnis, thanks for your help. You've been around awhile because I recall being blessed by your assistance in years past too

Oh, and thanks for reminding me about the SetPrint which I have used in the past but didn't have now.

[Arnis_Gubins]

April,

Have a look at Klaus Daube's enhanced toolbars for FM11 at:

http://www.daube.ch/docu/fmaker66.html

http://daube.ch/docu/fmaker67.html

There's also a lot of good information, tips, tricks, documentation and manuals available from his site. Highly recommended.

[I've been around as the sysop/host/moderator for the FM forum since the Frame Technologies days on Compuserve ]

[April_Singer]

Oooo, thank you Arnis! This might make me a happier Frame user again!