Adobe Technical Communications Suite - Importing Framemaker Files into Robohelp

[tina_tw]

We have just started using the Adobe Technical Communications Suite to import our Framemaker files into Robohelp. (We have about a year’s experience of taking Framemaker files into Web Works Publisher, with good results so we were hoping for a similar experience with Robohelp).
Please can you help us with the following two problems:
1. Importing FM files into Robohelp has posed some immediate table formatting problems. We imported the FM files by reference according to the instructions but cannot format the tables, ie. Colors etc.
2. Can you also tell us if there is a way to set up our graphics in Framemaker to import into Robohelp without first having to run them through a batch file scenario to change the size for online help. Also, can you explain why the imported graphics are being put into separate folders in Robohelp – is there a system option where we can stop this from occurring.

We are a little frustrated because we are long-time users of Robohelp and Framemaker and are finding some of the new features of TCS are not as helpful as we first thought. I am sending these questions after spending several hours going through the Robohelp Help and the Adobe website and not finding the answers.

Thanks for your help,

Asra S.

[JainVivek]

I hope the following helps -

RoboHelp does not allow mapping of table styles during import. RoboHelp imports the table format - almost identical to what is present in FrameMaker. The workaround is to use a FrameMaker template prior to import in RoboHelp (change the style of FrameMaker table prior to import) or define two tables with conditional text - one for print and another for HTML.

Conditional text can again help here to set images for two different outputs. Adding images to a separate folder is not configurable.

[NBridwell]

I have purchased the Technical Communications Suite and am working with it now. I am finding several short comings in the product – 60% great product and 40% not so great. I have been using FrameMaker and RoboHelp for about 11 years and also I am a Webworks (ePublisher) user. I was expecting (at a minimum) to have the same functionality as ePublisher in TCS - ePublisher works seamlessly with FrameMaker. Quadralay worked with me the first month to answer my questions to ensure I was pleased with the product - and welcomed/appreciated my feedback. In some cases they provided me with scripts to accommodate my needs. I am finding on message boards and forums that a lot of users as very disappointed with your product so far. Are there any plans on improving/enhancing the product to accommodate our basic requests?

The standard answer we get concerning graphics and tables is to use conditional text. This is not single-sourcing and is a horrible recommended work-around – a hack if you will. We use conditional text to handle differences in program functionality. I understand there is some set up required when you create a new project in RoboHelp, but after that I would like to run the Batch File process to simply generate my newly updated FM files to online help. How efficient is that? VERY!

I have provided a list of the basic missing functionality/oversights that would greatly improve the product and satisfy a lot of your current users. Some of these issues may be user misunderstanding and in that case I seek guidance on what I’m doing wrong. Take the other issues into consideration because these are not just my issues, but a TON of your users. Hopefully you are user focused and are as concerned as we are. Please welcome this feedback as a way to improve the product.

- No Breadcrumbs supported with MS HTML Help - supported in your other outputs and is available in ePublisher, so it must be possible.
- Table formats are not configurable – why? Sometimes the converted table format from FM isn’t 100%.
- Imported file structure (folder for each chapter) totally hoses my fix to poor graphic rendering. Currently I use a batch file to run a Photoshop macro/action on my graphic source files to reduce the file size by 50% and sharpen. I replace the graphics with my graphics and they look marvelous in online help. I copy my source graphics back into my “graphics folder” imported into FM at 260 dpi for my printed docs. Can we have the option on the structure for imported FM files to put them all into one folder?
- Text entered into the Auto numbering field is not converted when importing by reference. It is when just doing a straight import. This is used for standardizing my inserted tables with pre-populated column titles– Troubleshooting, If/Then, etc.
- Too many CSS issues. It would be nice to have one main template that we can sync to when the master template is changed.
- Can’t specify a default template to apply to all FM files when imported.
- My output .chm file is not picking up my Project Settings. It will not display Favorites, My Window Size, it’s not showing the TOC.
- Cross-references – sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.
- Markers – we use markers for glossary terms and the character tagging carries forward throughout the rest of the sentence.

I started testing the product four days ago and these are the major issues that are keeping me from moving forward with my overall plan to move to structured FM. I’m now between a rock and a hard place because now my department does not have the software to do their job. Do I go to management and tell them that I made the wrong decision in my tool selection? I choose your TCS over the updated Quadralay ePublisher that works with FM8… Maybe they went up on their price because the knew their former users would come back and be willing to pay the increased price for their software that generates online help with just a click of a button.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your help in advance. Please direct these concerns to those in charge of enhancing the product (Product Evangelist). A reply and technical support is greatly appreciated.

Director of Technical Publications - Horizon Software International, LLC
Nikki Bridwell

[John_C_Robbins]

I'm also very disappointed. I switched from RoboHelp for FrameMaker 1.1, and many of the features I used are missing. Also, because I use the Information Mapping template, RoboHelp HTML 7 crashes when I try to import files the previous version handled--the new version cannot handle large numbers of tables. It also cannot format them--the table styles feature is missing. When I try to import FrameMaker books by reference, RoboHelp crashes without warning. I must cut the files in half or quarters to get them to import. I would like to switch back to RoboHelp for FrameMaker, but it supports FrameMaker 7.1.

[Guest]

My evaluation took more than four days, but I came to pretty much the same conclusion: Adobe Robohelp's support for Adobe FrameMaker 8 is not ready for prime time.

In the same evaluation, I tried Mif2Go, and it gave me breadcrumbs, reliable graphics, and (with some light scripting) dropdown hotspots and Related Topics buttons. At the price, the choice was clear.