Importing Framemaker files

[Guest]

I've had success importing smaller files (100 - 200 K), but they are the exception. Now I have to do the large dudes. 700+K. I set up the Paragraph tag conversions and click Finish. Robo sends a blue progress bar halfway across the screen and stops processing. Any ideas?

[Peter Grainge]

I have moved this to FrameMaker Integration as the question is to do with getting FM files into RoboHelp rather than the output that will be created.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Specific versions of RH & FM, o/s details would be helpful. Kind of sounds like a memory issue.

[Guest]

RH 8.0.2.208

FM 7

XP SP3

I've been trying this on the network. I'll move files to my desktop and try there.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You've been placing your RH project on the network??? Definitely an issue - RH projects on network drives will inevitably get corrupted. Best practices dictates placing them in c:\projects\[project_name]\ to keep it as short as possible.

[Guest]

Moving sped up process but no help. Import dialog comes up. Paper on dialog gets halfway across and stops. Progress bar does same.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

How much RAM? I think from your post you must be running TCS2 or 2.5 - make sure that you've got all patches installed - do them sequentially.

[Guest]

296G of RAM. Not sure about TCS2 or patches.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

296GB of RAM? I think you're looking at drive space - I'm talking memory. Did you purchase FM & RH individually, or as part of the Tech. Comm. Suite? Use the Help > Updates area to run the patcher.

[Guest]

Make that 2.96 GB RAM. No updates available (RH is set to update automatically).

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Are you getting any error messages? Tried closing all other apps except FM and RH to free up memory? Anything about the file you're trying to import - lots of graphics, fonts, formats?

[Guest]

No error messages. The file does use many graphics. Just shut everyting down and tried one half the size and got same result. Imported another small file and it worked fine. Sure seems to be the file size.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So it just stalls? What about waiting it out? I know that when I imported some of my books, I had to wait 10-15 minutes for them to all be pulled into RH.

Couple of alternatives - add more RAM or download the trial of TCS3.5 on another (non-production) machine and play with it with a copy of your FM files. There's been a lot of improvements since your version of TCS.

[Guest]

I'll try "waiting it out". Did you see any screen activity while doing that? I'm getting nothing.

I split the large file into 4 parts. The first imported with no problem. I'll use this process for other large files if the wait doesn't work.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

No, it would appear as if it were frozen - every once in a while it would jerk to life and the little "pages flying" graphic would advance.

[Guest]

My flying page disappears, as does the progress bar, and it says "Ready" in the bottom left corner. I'll wait for a bit, but I don't think it's coming back. I can proceed by chopping up the files when necessary. If you come across anything, let me know.

Thanks Jeff!

[Mark Southee]

I was wondering whether you import or reference the graphics in FrameMaker?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Always reference - keeps the file size down & if anything changes, I can just sub in a new image with the same name.

[Guest]

I reference (seems like an odd admission)

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You never said if you're running the standalone versions or the TCS. If TCS, I would really suggest that you upgrade because there's a lot more fixes done in TCS 3 & 3.5 concerning the stability of the FM/RH integration.

[Guest]

I'm running the standalone versions. Don't think my employer would go for TCS.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

It's actually cheaper - you get Photoshop, Captivate and Acrobat Pro all in the suite. I think even if you have just RH & FM, the price is cheaper in the suite; definitely cheaper if you have PS or Acrobat also.

[Guest]

I do need to make a move from Acrobat 5. Probably to Pro. I'll look into it.

[Guest]

This may be getting into an area that belongs on a different section of this board. If that is the case, could you direct me. I could "inherit" a machine in our office that has FM 9. If that happens, do you know which versions of Acrobat would be compatible? I'm kinda leaning toward Acrobat X.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Well, I know that the standalone versions of FM include a "headless" version of Acrobat for creating PDFs - when you get the suite, the headless version isn't installed but the full version is. With standalone installs, you have to uninstall the headless version, so that the full version can be installed in its place (they don't get along with each other). I don't even know if you can get older versions of Acrobat now.