RoboHelp 2017 not recognizing FrameMaker 2017

[sylviec28123142]

Hi!

Not unlike the comment of a user having a similar issue with RoboHelp 8, I have just had the latest versions of these programs installed and when I try to import a FrameMaker file into RoboHelp, RoboHelp advises me that I need to install FrameMaker.

Any suggestions on how I might fix this?

Thank you!

[gbarrelet]

Okay.... here is an update of something that I just realized.

The reason why RH 2017 tries to launch Frame 2015 is because, during the installation of Frame 2017, the default Windows associations were not updated from 2015 to 2017. This is why it would try to launch Frame 2015 instead of Frame 2017, causing the errors.

I have now manually updated the associations from Frame 2015 to Frame 2017 and will be running more tests. I'll let you know what I find out.

[Peter Grainge]

Unless it runs contrary to anything that Adobe have told you, try installing Fm2017 after Fm 2015.

I'm thinking it might be the same as RoboHelp where the order of installation dictates which version a file is opened in.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring information

@petergrainge

[gbarrelet]

I very deliberately installed Frame 2015 first, then Frame 2017. For some reason, the associations don't get updated. I had to go into "Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\Set Associations" to manually re-associate the documents. For now, the problem seems to be resolved.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So just manually changing the file associations so that .book and .fm files get opened by FM2017 fixes the import/linking issue with RH2017?

[gbarrelet]

Yes. That seems to have fixed the issue for now.

[gbarrelet]

No wait... I take it back. It's really weird.

You must manually open Frame 2017 when you try to import or update an linked Frame file in RH 2017. If Frame 2017 is not currently open, Robohelp will try to launch Frame 2015 automatically and then this error appears:

When this happened, I went into the Control Panel and checked the file associations. Everything is associated to Frame 2017, and yet, RH 2017 will try to launch Frame 2015 unless Frame 2017 is open.

*gobsmacked*

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

But the standard TCS behaviour has been to open FM, leave it running (no docs loaded), then fire up RH, then do your import or linking. So that's "relatively normal" what you're seeing. (the stubborn insistence on opening FM2015 is the bug I suspect)

[doctester]

The standard behavior up to TCS 5 (I can't speak to 2015 since I never had it) was that if you had linked content and wanted to update it, RoboHelp/TCS opened FrameMaker for you.

There are several things that fail the "relatively normal" test in this issue. Not opening the correct version of FrameMaker, killing your linked content under some circumstances (not just failing to update it), and a message that tells you that there is *no* FrameMaker present when in fact you have two versions present. A product should be able to identify its fellow products in a suite or it's not a suite.

We all have many options for authoring and producing content. I stuck with TCS because it should be integrating two of Adobe's own products, seamlessly.

[gbarrelet]

I usually launch RH first. I'm a non-conformist like that.

I agree that the bug is the insistence of opening FM2015. The thing is, if I uninstall FM2015, I get this error:

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

gbarrelet​ - yes, I would expect that error message to occur when FM2015 isn't there - that's the bug part - it's not figuring out the .fm or .book files should be launched by FM2017.

doctester - the "open FM first & then open RH" method has been around since TCS1.3 or so...

[Arnis Gubins]

Have you checked to see what the environment variable %FMHome% is pointing to?

[Stefan Gentz]

As per my information from support, you can simply have FrameMaker 2017 open on the same machine where you have RoboHelp 2017 installed while importing.

As mentioned by my colleague earlier, we will provide a fix with Update 1 which is scheduled for the second half of April.

[gbarrelet]

So to sum up the results of this dysfunctional RH/FM relationship:

If you are linking Frame files as your source files, RH2017 will attempt to access Framemaker when importing or updating these files. However, if you do not have FM2017 currently running, RH2017 will attempt to launch FM2015 automatically, which can lead to an error if 1) you do not have FM2015 on your system, or 2) your Frame files are in 2017 format.

Solution: you need to ensure that the File Associations are updated and that you have FM2017 running at the same time as RH2017.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

If I may ask, what advantages are you gaining (honest question) by linking Fm to Rh?

Unless you're tethered to a format only supported by Rh, or you have other content in the Rh project, you are likely to have a vastly smoother experience publishing the formats available in Fm under the File > Publish pod.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Personally, I still find that the controls exposed in RH are still superior to those in FM's Publishing engine - messing around with MapIDs, TOC fiddling, etc.

[Sreekanth_S]

Hi

We are facing the same issue now. We just installed FM17 and RH15 separately and updated to the latest fixes. But when we try to link or import FM, it asks us to install FM.

We have tried opening FM first and then RH. That didn't work either.

Any other solution?

Sreekanth

[Peter Grainge]

Contact Support as that should not happen with the updates applied.

[Sreekanth_S]

Thanks Peter.

[veni79]

Hi Matt,

Thank you for bringing this up. I have an FM-files-linked-to-RH setup that is not working with FM & Rh 2017. After many installs and uninstalls and sessions with Adobe Support (they are always v. helpful, but could not resolve this issue), my colleague and I downgraded to 2015 versions and are waiting for the 2017 fix.

I looked into outputting directly from FM when I upgraded to TCS 5, and my impression was that  compared to RH , the formatting is too basic and limited. In a word, I share Jeff's opinion.  I will have to look into it again, once I reinstall FM 2017. BTW, your webinar on linking FM to RH a few years ago, was v. v. helpful and I still use some of the tips I learned there. Thank you!

[Peter Grainge]

Update 1 has been released and I believe it fixes this issue. Please post back to confirm or deny.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring information

@petergrainge

[doctester]

I installed the update last week, and it does appear to fix the problem.

I did see some strange behavior that might or might not have involved my environment only. The first time I did an Update for my linked FrameMaker content, all of the linked content disappeared. The next time I did an update (it might have been a Force Update All), the content returned and it seems happy now. Could be a fluke. If I see it again, I'll make another report.

[Peter Grainge]

Let's hope we don't hear from you again! ☺️

Thanks for updating the thread.

[doctester]

or at least on this subject ...

[Peter Grainge]

... or ever because you never have another RoboHelp or FrameMaker problem? ☺️

Yeah OK.

[veni79]

Regarding your topics disappearing when trying to update the content, so that the RH files have the latest updates to the FM files, do check  the Recycling bin after you open RH and click Update for the FM book files.  If you find all of your html topics there, that is  a problem, (For me it happens each time I reopen the project and update the files.)

I was hoping this will be fixed in 2017 as it creates several additional issues.

See here https://forums.adobe.com/message/8697382#8697382   and https://forums.adobe.com/message/9142335#9142335