Tech Comm Suite 2: Still no clean way to go from RoboHelp to Frame?

Report · Mar 19, 2010

Hi all,

The Help system I'm working on in RoboHelp has a "Getting Started" section that my client would like to output as a separate guide (PDF, possibly print). I would much rather do this in FrameMaker, but not sure I can justify it if the only way to get the content over is to generate Word first, then import to Frame, then do more clean-up than I would've had to do if I left it in Word. Am I missing something, or do all of the great FrameMaker - RoboHelp integration features assume you are authoring in Frame?

Thanks,

Katie

Report · Mar 19, 2010

Hi Katie

Indeed that's the way it's viewed. The expected workflow (assuming Frame is involved) is to author and maintain content in Frame, then use RoboHelp as the output medium for the Help formats (CHM, WebHelp, FlashHelp) but create PDF and Word type of content directly from Frame.

Cheers... Rick

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Report · Mar 19, 2010

Darn. I wish that workflow would work in this case, but unfortunately it looks like I'm stuck with Word! Thanks for the quick reply, Rick.

Katie

Report · Mar 19, 2010

Yeah, it's unfortunate that it doesn't work with RoboHelp for Word. Likely because the only legitimate reason I can fathom for using RoboHelp for Word is to create .HLP files.

(RoboHelp exists as RoboHelp for Word and RoboHelp HTML - Both are included and collectively known as "RoboHelp")

Because Microsoft did a good sales job of convincing most folks that WinHelp was dead (though it lives on) many switched to HTML based formats. This likely explains why no effort was expended on making Frame talk to RoboHelp for Word and all effort was placed on making Frame talk to RoboHelp HTML.