Word to FrameMaker - Is there a way to update missing files (graphics) on a global (book) level?

[_James_McKay_]

Hello,

I am in the process of converting hundreds of MS Word documents to Adobe FrameMaker 8.

During this conversion, I open up each legacy word document in FrameMaker and then apply the file against a template, that is also open.

Everything is working fine except that FrameMaker is asking me each time to address the missing files, which are graphics stored away in a single folder. This is extremely time consuming and I would like to know if there is an option or (FDK) utility, that will allow me to update all of the missing files (graphics) at the book level, by simply pointing to a graphics folder.

Is this possible to do or not?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Regards,

Jim

[Arnis Gubins]

Jim,

It's unclear from your message as to which file(s) is missing the
graphics - the template file or the Word file? If it's the template
file, fix that first.

Also, try importing the Word files into a template file instead and
then save with an appropriate name.

[_James_McKay_]

Let me try to clarify this better.

Forget about the template I am using. The template is working great and has nothing to do with what I would like to accomplish.

I would like to do the following:

1. Open a legacy word file and save as FrameMaker file format.
2. Choose "Ignore All Missing Files" each time FrameMaker finds a referenced graphic.
3. Repeat the same process for the next 100 word documents.
4. Add the 100 newly created FrameMaker files to a FrameMaker book file.
5. Run a global (book level command) that can point to a singles graphics folder and then globally update all the missing files found within each FrameMaker chapter.

I am good up until step five....

Is this possible to do with some command or via the FrameMaker Developer Kit (FDK)?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

By the way, the (FDK 8.0 Windows installer) zip file appears to be corrupt at the following link:

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/framemaker/fdk/8/

Has anyone else run into the same problem - with this zip file?

Thanks,

Jim

[Arnis Gubins]

Jim,

This could probably be done more easily from FrameScript than the FDK.

Though I still don't follow where the missing graphics are arising
from if you're just importing Word files - unless you're saving to a
different location that messes up any graphics (by reference) already
in the template.

No problems with zip at this end.

[_James_L_McKay_]

Hello Arnis,

I am not an advanced FrameMaker user and have never used the FDK or FrameScripts. Is there a place where I can download sample FrameScripts?

All of my word documents and graphics were moved to another location on my network server and I always link to file (never embed). So, I have to work the files and convert them - as they are...

My overall objective was to find a way to synchronize all the FrameMaker files, against all the (linked) graphics, which exist in a single folder. It would be nice if this were possible.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Regards,

Jim

[Arnis Gubins]

Jim,

If the graphics were imported as links in Word and then all of the
files moved, wouldn't it be easier to fix this at the Word end first?

If you save the Word files as RTF (Word doesn't complain about broken
links), then in the RTF you can find all of the linked graphics (look
for the INCLUDEPICTURE keyword) and change the path there using a
system level search&replace tool. Then when the files are imported
into FM (it can take the RTFs directly), FM won't have anything to
complain about.

You can either script a Word macro to do batch through a folder of
Word docs and save them as RTF or look for a stand-alone utility to do
this.

This is probably a lot easier and faster if you're not familiar with
FM scripting or programming tools.

[Art Campbell]

Rick Quatro is a FrameScript gurus, and has a book out on it.
Lots of samples too.... www.carmenpublishing.com
And, of course, the FrameScript site: http://www.framescript.com/
Art

[_James_McKay_]

Hello Arnis,

Thanks for the information on RTF. I did not know that about RTFs.

I will create a macro to batch process all of my MS Word 2003 documents (.docs) to RTF format. I am sure that will raise the file size, but all of my graphics are linked to file (in word anyway).

I will try this find and replace process that you mentioned, but I still have one question.

Is this the EASIEST way to go about converting hundreds of legacy word documents to FrameMaker 8 (when all of the graphics in the word document are linked to file)?

The network folder structure I am dealing with is similar to this:

>XYZ Network Folder
----->Legacy Word Files
----->Legacy RTF Files
----->Graphics\PNGs
----->FrameMaker 8 Book

The graphics folder contains a subfolder with "ALL" of the graphics to be used in the FrameMaker book.

Also, the graphics folder is at the same network folder level as the legacy word files folder (or legacy rtf files folder).

Thanks once again.

Jim

[Arnis Gubins]

Jim,

One tip when looking at the path names in the RTF. The backslashes are
escaped with another backslash, so you'll see lots of backslashes
there and the file name is enclosed in double quotes, e.g.
"C:\\\\Graphics\\\\PNG\\\\my_picture.png"

If the graphics in the Word file are linked, then FM imports the
graphic by reference, i.e. it preserves the external link. This really
is the best way to do it. Otherwise embedded graphics tend to muck up
the import filters and you would stand a very good chance of having
quite a number of your Word imports fail. The usual recommendation is
to strip out the graphics in Word first. Have you seen the Adobe
tutorial on importing Word documents by Matt Sullivan? There are some
tips and best practices in there. It's located at
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/framemaker/articles/word_conversion.html
Also have a look at Tim Murray's Word-to-Frame conversion paper at
http://www.techknowledgecorp.com/public/word2frame.pdf

If the Word files are "clean", i.e. the creators used styles and
didn't do any overrides, then you should be ok. However, if all you
have is a mixture of Normal and a few Heading styles, then you're in
for a tough slog.

As long as the Graphics folder is on the same drive as the FM folders,
then everything should get referenced relatively in the FM files. In
older versions of FM, if a reference traversed the root of a drive,
then the references would be made absolute.

[_Martin_R__Smith_]

Hi,

If you would like to move a book and all referenced graphics from one directory to another (for archiving purposes for example) I have a freely available script on my web site that will accomplish this. The script copies all referenced graphics to a designated graphics directory and fixes the paths. The same script also allows you to move a chapter and graphics from one book to another. These and other scripts are freely available for download at www.golehtek.com. FrameScript 4.1 or later is required to run the scripts.

Best regards,

Martin

Martin R. Smith
www.golehtek.com
martin.smith@golehtek.com

[_James_McKay_]

Hello Arnis,

I found a Word Macro and converted all of my word documents to RTF, but when I went to open one of the RTF files, I still got the popup window in FM8, that was looking for the missing files (graphics that are linked to the file). I have looked over the articles you mentioned, but I am not sure that they are helpful to me in my situation. Next, I will look at the scripts that Martin has mentioned.

A little history, I am coming back into FrameMaker after being away from it for a while. I am working on several projects and the ultimate goal is to find a fast and clean way to convert MS Word documents (MS Word 2003) to unstructured FrameMaker 8 files. Then, I will create a conversion table to convert all of the styles (mirror image of the word styles)into corresponding elements (with formatting information).

I am still wrestling with a way to bring in these referenced graphics, aside from having to go into each and every chapter and manually re-insert hundreds of graphics. There must be a way (at the book level) to point to a single graphics folder and have a script run that will resolve the "Missing File" issue.

Regards,

Jim

[Arnis Gubins]

Jim,

It sounds like the correct path or filename still weren't in the RTF
that was read by FM. Check to see if a relative or absolute path was
being used for these in the RTF and adjust accordingly for your new
folder configurations.

[_James_McKay_]

Hello Martin,

I have downloaded your scripts and will see if any of them are helpful to my scenario.

Thanks for your assistance.

Regards,

Jim

[_James_McKay_]

Hello Arnis,

Still no luck, but there are different ways in which the graphics were brought into the legacy word documents over time (by different writers). They are as follows:

1. "Insert" (embedded) graphic.
2. "Insert And Link" with code similar to this:

{INCLUDPICTURE "\Book\Graphics\PNGs\PC%20Front.png" \*MERGEFORMAT }

3. "Link To File" with code similar to this:

{INCLUDPICTURE "\Book\Graphics\PNGs\PC%20Front.png" \*MERGEFORMAT \d }

Note, the only difference between listing two and three is the "\d" at the end of the field code.

For this project, I had set up the legacy word files, graphics and frame files within separate folders, but contained under the same parent or master umbrella folder. After trying to fix the "Missing File" issue, I then tried moving the entire graphics folder to be a subfolder under my FrameMaker files folder (versus at same level), but nothing changed. Finally, I said, well let's go back into the original (MS Word only) working structure and open a Word document there and save as a .fm (via FM8). The result was that I still got the same popup prompt for "Missing File".

Also, I tried to create a NEW book and then NEW document from the default templates found within FrameMaker. But, the same popup message "Missing File" returned yet again.

It probably does not make a difference, but does the "%20" in a graphic name have an impact or not? I would imagine that FM8 can handle the space in a file name without a problem.

I guess now I will have to manually re-link all of the referenced graphics (which are in the thousands). I do wish that FrameMaker 8 had a better way of handling this part of the conversion process.

Excuse my ignorance on this process, I am really trying to get smart on FrameMaker after being away from it for a long time.

One final note, the "Missing File" popup prompt prompts the writer with the following information: "Looking For" plus folder path, "Document Folder" and folder path. Included with that message, are the following radio buttons:

Update Document To Use New Path
Skip This File
Ignore All Missing Files

Now, depending on the previous handling of graphics, the "Look in:" folder level will appear different. But, even if the "Missing File" popup opened to within my graphics folder, I would still have to manually select each graphic and choose "Update Document To Use New Path". FM8 does not seem smart enough to handle the missing file, once the folder is/has been pointed out. The writer STILL has to manually select the graphic, before hitting the "Continue" button.

It would be nice is there was a FrameScript that would make this laborious process disapear.

Thanks once again for all responses.

-J

[Arnis Gubins]

Jim,

The embedded graphics are a PITA and really should be removed prior to
importing into FM.

I tested an RTF file that uses the "%20" as a space in the graphic
filename. Unfortunately it looks like FM is parsing it literally and
looking for a file that actually includes those characters. It's best
to replace the "%20" with an actual space.

If FM is still throwing up the missing file, it means that the
find&replace conversions for the path and/or filename in the RTF
aren't correct. Once you get these sorted out, FM should be able to
find the files.

[_James_McKay_]

Hello again,

Another thing to mention...

Is there a way that I can see the (field) code that pertains to the referenced graphic in FM8? Currently, my FrameMaker documents consist of grey boxes (where the referenced graphic would go).

Now, in MS Word, I can highlight the graphic, select ALT F9 and then see the field code (e.g. INCLUDEPICTURE...) for the referenced image. Then, depending on whether the graphic was "Linked To File" or "Inserted and Linked" - I can then run a Find and Replace (or use a Macro) to correct the graphic path issues. Then, the graphics will appear and the problem is solved.

It would be nice if there was a way in which I could access the code (field codes for FM8???) and then do the same thing. Although, I have a feeling that even if the FrameMaker file was pointing to the referenced graphics folder, the writer would still have to manually select each individual graphic (via the Missing File popup)and click "Continue".

This is the process that I am currently following, which is like cutting the lawn of a golf course with a pair of tweezers... :-(

Thanks for the replies.

-J

[Arnis Gubins]

Jim,

In FM, if you select the graphic and right-click to get the "Object
Properties" (or Graphics menu > Object Properties) you'll see the
referenced file's name and path just above the "Set" button at the
bottom left.

[Art Campbell]

James,
I'm sorry to chime in late, but is there a reason you haven't saved the files to MIF, the FM ASCII format, and done a search-and-replace for the path? Worst case is you'd have to edit each file, but I recall that there are some utilies out there that would let you process all files in a directory...
Also, if you right-click the graphic and select Properties, you'll see what info there is to see.

Art

[_James_McKay_]

Hello Art,

Thanks for the tip. I will have to try it out when I have a moment.

[_James_McKay_]

Hello Arnis,

Thanks for the feedback.

Yes, I knew about right clicking on a grey box in FM8 and selecting "Object Properties" and yes the referenced file is above the "Set" button, but there is no way to interact with the field code for that graphic, as far as I know (e.g. select graphic and Alt F9 like in MS Word).

As far as my source documents go, I still have a folder full of .doc files. I prefer to use them over the other folder, which is full of very large .rtf file. Anyway, I may be able to get a Macro from (www.wopr.com) to find and replace the %20 with an actual space. But correct me if I am wrong, Microsoft Word sees the manual space itself as %20 - so would that indeed work?

Also, would the graphics remain or disapear from view after removing the %20 and placing a manual space. In the end I will need to see the referenced graphics in Word, before saving the word files and bringing them into FrameMaker.

Well, it looks like I have some testing ahead of me, but thanks for that research on the %20 Arnis. Maybe, there is a way to run a Frame Script that will find and remove the %20 code segment in all of the .fm files with grey boxes. Perhaps then, FM8 would be able to parse each chapter properly and bring in the referenced graphics.

Thanks again for all the responses.

Regards,

Jim

[Arnis Gubins]

Jim,

Your search&replace tool should be able to replace the %20 with a
space in the RTF files, but these characters may also be used
elsewhere, so be careful and replace only in the correct context of
the INCLUDEPUCTURE. Also, I think that some of those links may have
been across a network or to a web folder as any graphics with spaces
in the file names that I save out to RTF preserve the spaces and do
not substitute the %20. There may be additional values for the
backslashes and colon to contend with. Also make sure that you're
using the correct syntax in the RTF with regards to the number of
backslashes required.

Once you get the path and filenames correct, then FM will find the
linked files. Also from your earlier sample, it looks like a relative
pathname is being used, this can be tricky depending upon where
exactly you placed the graphics folder. It might be easier/safer to
change this to an absolute path during the search and replace
operation.

If any of the RTF (or DOC) files are really huge, it's probably due to
embedded graphics and that alone should be a red flag for handling of
that particular file.

You could also do some after the fact clean-up in the FM MIF files as
Art suggested for any documents that didn't get fixed properly for the
path in the first place. Just select the Ignore all missing files
option when importing the Word files into FM to speed things up at the
import step.

Check out "Search & Replace from Funduc Software at
http://www.funduc.com/search_replace.htm

For a more industrial strength tool, there's TextPipePro from Crystal
Software at http://www.crystalsoftware.com.au/textpipe.html

I have both and highly recommend them.

Also just a note that this thread really isn't a wishlist item and I
will be moving it to the main Forum once Jim indicates that he's
worked things out.

Arnis Gubins
Forum host

[Art Campbell]

James,

I'm using NoteTab Lite under Windows -- it'll run the S&R through all open files. But the trick may be finding the weird original references....

Also, be very careful with this -- if you mess up the internal formatting of the MIF file, it's very unforgiving -- FM won't parse the file back in.

Art

[_James_McKay_]

Hello Art,

I just posted a request for a Macro on: www.wopr.com - that will somehow remove the %20 (space) and yet keep the image and fieldcode path. Then, hopefully, this will satisfy FrameMaker 8 and allow the thousands of referenced graphics I am working with - to come cleanly into FrameMaker 8.

I will experiment with the MIF and that utility you mentioned later tonight. Thanks for the info.

-J

[_James_McKay_]

Hello Arnis and all -

I have a workable solution for now.

The %20 (percentage twenty) was the culprit in the MS Word INCLUDEPICTURE field code. Everytime I would import a graphic (LINK TO FILE or INSERT AND LINK) in MS Word, there would be a %20 (percentage twenty) in the INSERTPICTURE field code. FrameMaker did not know how to interpret this and was seeing that code as part of the file name of the graphic.

Currently, I am waiting to see if the programmers on www.wopr.com can come up with a Macro that will point to a folder full of hundreds of word documents, find the INSERTPICTURE field code and remove only the %20 (percentage twenty) code from that particular field code. If a macro can be made, then it will save me even more time, but for now, I am simply opening up each word document, launching the Find and Replace feature (CTRL H) and replacing the %20 (percentage 20) with a manual space on the Replace With line. Then, I save the document and open it up in FrameMaker and life is good. All of the referenced graphics (LINKED TO FILE and INSERT AND LINK) open up fine. I do not have to deal with the MISSING FILE popup any more, nor do I have to manually status thousands of graphics using that MISSING FILE popup.

Thanks to all for your support. It is truly appreciated.

Yes, this posting was placed under the wrong category (Wish List), so I would appreciate it, if the posts could be moved to a more appropriate section of the forum.

Again, thank you very much for your support guys. I truly appreciate it.

By the way, even though I removed the %20 (percentage twenty) code from the INCLUDEPPICTURE field code in MS Word, Word was still displaying the referenced graphics that were LINKED TO FILE, even after closing and re-opening the MS Word document. I thought that was interesting to note...

Regards,

Jim