Convert InDesign to Framemaker 9

[shealy1]

Hi All,

I've trawled through the forums and see that for previous versions of Framemaker, it was suggested that InDesign be converted to RTF and then import the RTF into Framemaker.

Our design company doesn't have Framemaker and so would like to design our styles, templates, layouts etc in InDesign.  That's great, but I need them in Framemaker for our long manuals.

What's the best way of taking the bits they design in InDesign and converting them with "ease" to pull into Framemaker?

Thank you!

Sian

[Dov Isaacs]

There is no simple way of doing this. The RTF route is fine for text, but that's about it.

You really have two good choices here:

(1)     If you are insistent on using FrameMaker for your final documents, then you need to either get your “design company” to agree to design your styles, templates, layouts, etc. in FrameMaker. Otherwise, you are going to essentially be re-doing whatever they did in InDesign in FrameMaker. Otherwise, find a new “design company!” Remember that you are the customer paying for the work. If you need FrameMaker-based work, then get a designer that knows and uses FrameMaker.

(2)     If you have flexibility and don't need some of the features that are exclusive to FrameMaker (i.e., features not in InDesign), perhaps you should consider migrating to InDesign. This would be appropriate if your content is very graphically rich.

          - Dov

[shealy1]

Thank you for your "response" Dov, however it wasn't particularly helpful with regard to my question.

Anyone else out there that can be of assistance?

Thanks.

[Dov Isaacs]

Sorry you didn't find it “helpful” but on behalf of Adobe, I was being brutally honest with you. There is no best and/or easy way to go from InDesign to FrameMaker whether you or I like it or not.

          - Dov

PS:     I've had experience trying to go both ways - FrameMaker to InDesign and vice versa. Very painful!

[Art_Campbell1]

There isn't a great way to do what you want because at the low level that you're interested in, there are pretty large incompabitlies that don't automatically map. It's easier to move data between the programs than to map underlying design elements between different programs.

I would try the RTF route and see what you can use... But I suspect you're in for a fairly large amount of reading design specifications in one program and translating them into the second. Because it sounds as if you're working on templates, it may not be too bad -- just tedious.

Remember that each program has a 30 day eval version available for those times when you do need to run them side by side.

[shealy1]

Hi Art,

Thanks for the advice - I'll have a go and see what the RTF files do.  We're all trying to avoid the Word route (argh!) or have them try to cobble it together because they don't know Framemaker.

Thanks again,

Sian

[Be.eM]

shealy1 wrote:

Our design company doesn't have Framemaker and so would like to design our styles, templates, layouts etc in InDesign.  That's great, but I need them in Framemaker for our long manuals.

What's the best way of taking the bits they design in InDesign and converting them with "ease" to pull into Framemaker?

Sian,

honestly: get an other design company or buy them FrameMaker, including some in-depth training.

You simply can't define FrameMaker templates in InDesign. You could try to do so at a very basic level, if the designer knows InDesign as well as FrameMaker, and thus would only define parameters which both applications share via RTF, but this still wouldn't be a valid "template".

Sorry, but "don't do this" is my best answer…

Bernd

[Arnis Gubins]

Sian,

Is there any technical issue with taking their designs and creating the appropriate template in FM? I've had numerous clients present layouts created in InDesign (or with other tools) and converted to those to use in FM. Sometimes it's as simple as taking a PDF of their pages and sticking it on the Master page(s) and adding/adjusting the appropriate text frame location and sizes.

Taking complete InDesign documents to FM is a different matter.