What is the best way to accept all edits in a book with many files and still retain the edits for archival.

[sedona]

I'm using FrameMaker 12.

I have a book with 17 files (one is a generated TOC). Every file has tracked edits and now I need to accept all the edits (redlines) in all the files to make a "clean" book. I also need to retain the redlined copy in addition to having a clean copy of the book. What is the best, most efficient way to do this? Do I Save as or copy the book to another folder and then accept the edits in all the files separately? Do I need to delete all the files from the book first and then add them back?

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Assuming you don't have a document control system, there are two easy ways to create a backup...

• Fm 12 introduced the File > Package utility (which will collect linked graphics) or
• Close FrameMaker (to avoid archiving autosave and temp files), and create a zip by right-clicking on your project folder and choosing Send to > Compressed (zipped) Folder

-Matt

[sedona]

Hi. I appreciate your answer but that is not the answer I'm looking for.

I do use a doc control system. But the files I put into that system have to have a PDF redlined version and a PDF clean version. I'm just not sure how to take the Frame files (the book) and make them clean while at the same time retaining a folder of the redlines. What's the quickest way to accept all edits in a book with 17 files and still keep a book that has the redlines.  Is there a way to accept all the edits for each file at the same time or do I have to accept all edits for each individual file saving it somewhere else? Do I need to delete all the files from the book save them somewhere else and put them back together again?

Thanks. I'm using unstructured FrameMaker 12.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

That doesn't sound like a doc control system, but a document management system - a control system would preserve separate copies of each file every time a file changed - think version control for software. It sounds like you would need to make a copy of your docs before accepting all the changes & then repeat the procedure for the next iteration.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

The quickest way is to produce the redlined PDF, then make a copy of the project folder, or to use the Package feature to make an archive. Then accept the edits per file and produce the clean PDF.

[sedona]

Hi. Thanks for attempting to answer my question. Maybe I'm making it harder than it is.

I have finished redlining all the files in my book. It sounds like you're saying I should copy the folder my Frame project is in and paste it into a new folder, perhaps named "clean." Then open the book in the new folder and accept the edits in each individual book. Then I'll make a PDF of the "clean" book and use it for my next Adobe shared review. Any new edits from that review I'll incorporate into the folder that has the original edits and then overwrite that folder into the "clean" folder repeating this process until all reviewers are happy. The clean PDF and redlined PDF will go into our Agile PLM for approvals and archival. Writing this out helps.

Thanks again!

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

My choice would be to exit Fm, ZIP the current directory, and archive the ZIP.

Now you have a saved archive to go back to, and can edit the current version to your heart's content.

That's how I manage FrameMaker - Working with Content and my structured Fm workbooks.

**Also, the commented PDF files can go in the folder prior to ZIP, so you have them available if needed.

-Matt