FrameMaker 2017 released today

[Arnis_Gubins]

The new version of FrameMaker along with the TechComm Suite (v. 2017) was released today. More information is available here:

http://blogs.adobe.com/techcomm/2017/01/2017-release-of-framemaker.html

Adobe Technical Communication Suite (2017 release) is here! – TechComm Central by Adobe

A review of the FM2017 is available on Matt Sullivan's site at:

http://www.techcommtools.com/review-framemaker-2017-release/

You can download a trial version from:

Adobe FrameMaker (2017 release)-Free Trial

One of the main things that you will notice are enhancements/changes to the user interface. Once you get used to it, it certainly improves the user experience.

[Arnis_Gubins]

The product launch webinar will be held on Feb. 15th at 8am PST.

For more info and to register for this event, please see:

Adobe Technical Communication Suite (2017 release) – Launch Webinar

[Arnis_Gubins]

The "Productopedia" page is now live and has an extensive set of links for all things FM2017, RoboHelp and TCS related.

Please visit: Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2017 Productopedia – TechComm Central by Adobe

[Bob_Niland]

Of note in the System Requirements:

• Windows 7 is still supported.
• The high-resolution support raises some questions.

The res spec is “Maximum supported screen resolution – 4K (3480 x 2160, 8.3 megapixel, aspect ratio 16:9)”.

What was the resolution limit previously?

Why only 4K? Multi-monitor capability, with a logical desktop well above 4K, has been common for years. Even single-screen 4K is is no longer “high” - 5K monitors already exist, with 8K coming to a future near you.

Resolution support these days is actually two separate questions. Max raster is one, but support for high DPI is another. Are the icons and pods now all legible on screens running well above 100 dpi?

[Arnis_Gubins]

Hi Bob,

The previous fixed-size icons were getting messed up with Windows system settings and the way FM handled the monitor scaling in the Preferences. It worked ok on a 1920x1200 monitor, but IIRC, trouble started at around 2K - there were a few kludges posted in the Forums.

Now, FM no longer has the monitor resolution settings in the Preferences, nor is there any choice for Icon scaling nor colour. FM will auto-scale the menu text and icons and they're all the Adobe grey [yuck!] as in the CC products. I find these a touch on the small side and wish they had a scaling option internal to FM, instead of having to use the system scaling [which affects all apps].

[Bob_Niland]

re: It worked ok on a 1920x1200 monitor, but IIRC, trouble started at around 2K - there were a few kludges posted in the Forums.

I'm surprised to hear that. I ran FM7.1/Solaris for years on a twin-screen setup that was 3200px wide. I'm running 7.0 in a Windows XP VM at 2048 wide. Trouble-free (well, apart from that old Error7103 thing on Solaris that is no longer my problem, but even then hadn't anything to do with res.)

[Ian Proudfoot]

Bob,

The problem isn't with overall pixel count. I too have used multiple monitors with great results for years. However the pixel density was always around 96 ppi. The difference with 4K and above is that the ppi count goes up significantly. On my Dell laptop the 4K screen gives about 284 ppi. That needs each application to be aware of its environment so that fonts and dialogs are drawn correctly. FrameMaker 2017 does a pretty good job, not perfect, but better than many other applications.

Ian

[Bob_Niland]

As an early adopter of large monitors for the last quarter century, I appreciate that issue, Ian. I tried going to 120 ppi back in the 90s, and had to abandon it due to the icon/raster_font dialog problem. The software industry has mostly fixed it, but due largely to FM, I still deliberately picked all subsequent monitors, including my most recent to be under 100 ppi (32in 2560x1440, ~92 ppi), even though I would have preferred "4K" (~147 ppi).

So I'm surprised at this focus on raster size in the promotional copy. PPI is the issue, not total pixels. Glad some progress has been made on it, even if Adobe doesn't know how to explain it.

[IsleofGough]

Framemaker has been one of my favorite programs for a decade. I have had every version of Framemaker since 5.56. The changes in the opening screen and menus are a slight improvement in FM 2017, and what has worked well in Structured and Unstructured FM for a decade, continues to work well. However, I was disappointed that Adobe has stuck with its decision to discontinue a OSX version. There is still no InDesign export, and files are stored in a proprietary format with changes each version (making newer versions unreadable in older versions without saving in older formats). There is still no ability to set paragraph and character styles by books rather than by files (yes, one can import formats, but that is a cludge). Typographical control are still primitive and there is no advanced opentype ligatures. It is not possible to define styles (or master page layouts) according to targets, the way there is in Flare. Graphic import may save some steps, but graphics intensive files still scroll slowly. The symbols for markers or other features still does not differentiate two adjacent symbols, the way Oxygen XML or Flare does. Framemaker is still a very strong program for tables, equations, and graphics - particularly as a structure tool, but the updates have been disappointing to me.

[Stefan-Gentz]

Thanks for the comprehensive feedback. We are looking into all the points you have mentioned and have them on our radar. On some of them we are already working.

Could you please share a little bit more details on this: "The symbols for markers or other features still does not differentiate two adjacent symbols"? Maybe with a screenshot of how it is + how you would expect it? I think I know what you are talking about (e.g two index marker symbols directoy next to each other look like one), but would like to make sure, we're talking about the same.

[feline_1973]

Stefan,

I've asked about this plenty of times before, on these very forums. I've been frustrated by Frame's colour management (if you could call it that) since at least about 2003.

[Bob_Niland]

re: ...been frustrated by Frame's colour management (if you could call it that) since at least about 2003.

Updated color library and CM are separate problems.

In the case of Pantone at the library level, perhaps Adobe was just waiting for Pantone to simplify the effort by discontinuing Hexachrome/CMYKOG and GoeSystem, now both gone.

Including, supporting and passing any profiles, including Pantone ICC profiles, in the workflow is a whole different matter scheduled for FM2099.never as far as anyone can tell.

And then of course there's the material question of credible MS Windows support for color spaces other than RGB.

[Stefan-Gentz]

I would not be so sure about the FM2099.never … Just stay tuned 😉

[feline_1973]

  "Updated color library and CM are separate problems."

Auch Bob, to be honest, I see it as all part of the same smokescreen. Complain that colour goes wrong in Frame and you just get fobbed off with "oooh, colour management, it's complicated" when actually it's just (1) poorly documented and (2) doesn't work properly.  It's been like that for years. 

[feline_1973]

See for example this thread from 2014 Why is FrameMaker using different CYMK/RGB values for Pantone library colours compared with Illustra...

[feline_1973]

And this thread from 2011 Re: ANSI Z535.1 Safety Colors in Frame

I mean basically this stuff just trundles on from release to release and is never fixed, never improved. It's a joke.

[Stefan-Gentz]

Thanks for the link. This is very helpful for me to drive this topic forward!

[Bob_Niland]

Would it be correct to assume that FM'2017 is internally major release 14.0, or did they take the opportunity to skip some majors and bring it up to 17.0?

I ask because at some point references to things like "FM15" are going to become a problem.

[Klaus Göbel]

That's correct.

FrameMaker 2017 = 14 internally

FrameMaker 2015 = 13 internally

[Ian Proudfoot]

Bob,

Yes internally it's Major Version 14. The "FrameMaker 2017 Release" name is simply a marketing affectation. It seems to be in keeping with the Creative Cloud version identification. Personally I would prefer to call it FrameMaker 14, but perhaps I'm just old-fashioned!

Ian

[christopherf7897462]

Hi,

Our team had an unused license for 2015 which we attempted to use today, but it will only allow us to download the 2017 version. Three of us are using 2015, so we don't want the fourth to be on a different version.

Can we still download FrameMaker 2015? And if so, where do we find the link?

Thank you,

Chris

[christopherf7897462]

Please note, we only bought our 2015 licenses in November. Would we be eligible for an upgrade?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

-christopherf - contact Adobe Support - they should be able to give you a link to the prior version; ask about your upgrade path too - you might be out of the "upgrade zone" timeframe for freebie upgrades.

[Klaus Göbel]

Quote from a Swiss forum : Framemaker 2017 - Adobe FrameMaker - HilfDirSelbst.ch - Forum

In order to download Adobe Framemaker 2015 Windows English, click on the first link mentioned below and comeback to this email. The first link will take you to the “Download CS5 products”. Do not click on download.

https://helpx.adobe.com/...oduct-downloads.html


Kindly stay on that page and click the below two links one by one and save the files on your desktop.

http://trials3.adobe.com/...memaker_13_LREFDJ.7z

http://trials3.adobe.com/...emaker_13_LREFDJ.exe

.exe is a smaller file and .7z is a larger file. Wait for both the files to download completely. 

When both the files finish downloading or saved in the same location, then run the second file (.exe) which will start extracting the first file (.7z) and will start installing Adobe Framemaker 2015 on your computer.

[Moderator edit: the 2015 version is also available via the link on the main FM forum page or directly here: https://helpx.adobe.com/framemaker/kb/framemaker-downloads.html ]

[feline_1973]

So are Frame's Pantone colour library definitions still from 1986?