Trouble understanding RH customization when linking FM files

[Seanb_us]

Is there a video that will help with this, particularly creating and customizing a single CSS for use with my work? I also would like to have an idea of the best workflow.

Here is what I am doing and some issues:

1. Open RH.
2. Click File > New > Project.
3. What I really want is a bunch of HTML files with known filenames. I know FM 12 can do this without RH, but I want to work this out now so I can take this in a better direction. Anyway, I click Application Help in Project Type.
4. Click the Import tab in the New Project dialog box.
5. Select FrameMaker Documents as the Import Type, and click OK.
6. Select my FrameMaker .book file, and click Open.
7. Enter a title for the project, file name for the project (left default), and location for the project.
8. Click Finish.

At this point, my multi-FM-file .book project hangs and never finishes. If I am using a single-FM-file .book project, though, the following happens:

The Import dialog box opens.

9. In the FrameMaker Document area, click Edit. Some scanning happens, and the Conversion Settings dialog box opens.
10. Edit paragraph settings.
11. Find those paragraphs I don't want output for and select the Exclude from output check box, such as Footer.
12. Set each of my four Bulletn styles to Multilevel list. Bullet1, Bullet2, Bullet3, and Bullet4 styles represent decreasing levels of subbulleted lists.
13. Set my eight Stepsn styles to Multilevel list. Steps1, Steps2, Steps3, and Steps4 styles represent decreasing levels of subnumbered lists (1, a, I, i). Each of these styles has a corresponding First style that sets the numbering to 1, such as Steps1First.
14. Set up cross reference settings to remove page numbers.
15. Set the default format for Image to .png.
16. Leave Character, and Other settings alone.
17. Click OK and Next.
18. Leave the Table of Contents, Index, and Glossary Settings turned off.
19. Click Finish. Some scanning happens and a result is created.

Some issues.

1. While Mutilevel Numbering creates 4 appropriate levels of bullets based on my styles, it only creates 3 of 4 levels of numbered lists. Levels 3 and 4 are presented identically by RH. How did this happen and how do I fix it.
   
   
   
2. Indented body tags are not correct. I can fix this in the CSS. But, then, how do I create and make sure my project uses a new CSS?
3. How do I create a delivery package for this? I see what I have in project manager, and want to create a folder that contains my output, that is, HTML, PNG, and CSS files that support my project so I can move these to the target CD or delivery mechanism?
4. I have HTML and CSS buried within individual folders with the respective FM source. How do I get these HTML files and images out, and mate them to one and only one CSS for delivery?

Thoughts?

Sean

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Why are you picking “Application Help”? Why not “BlankProject”?

EDIT - "Blank Project" not "NEW PROJECT"

[Captiv8r]

But Jeff, whatever was selected would be rendered moot once they switched to the Import tab.

[Seanb_us]

Thanks. I will choose Blank Project  instead if Application from now on, though I understand that is erased by choosing FM files. I really just want compliant HTML 5 output with a single CSS file that I can deploy with linked files, which will be PNGs.

So, can you  help with my customization questions?

Also, another issue I have run into is spacing in the HTML around run-in headings. This is caused by RH adding an extra blank paragraph with a non-breaking space, as show in the following code. I don't need this empty paragraph added, and it was not in the FM source. Thoughts?

<p class="FM_GlossaryTerm">Term Name Here as a runin in FrameMaker.</p>

<p class="FM_GlossaryTerm">&#160;</p>  //<-- This line added in RH conversion, and I don't want it.

<p class="FM_GlossaryDefinition">Term definition paragraph here.</p>

Cheers,

Sean

[Captiv8r]

LOL, Blank will have the exact same effect of choosing any other type on that tab.

But hey ho, if you like just clicking things for the sake of saying you clicked them, I say go for it! Certainly not hurting anything. Just wasting a click.

[Seanb_us]

I get it. Will do that. So, what do you think of the other things I am running into?

[Captiv8r]

Jeff or someone will have to provide guidance on some of the stuff like getting the HTML pages where you want. As for the CSS, once you get all the pages in, it's "fall off a log simple" to just select all the HTML pages in the RoboHelp Topic List pod and associate a single CSS there. OR, usually from the Single Source Layout settings, you can choose a single CSS to associate at the time the generation process occurs.

Cheers... Rick

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Sorry Rick, didn’t parse that far – I just tried his step #3 and got some demo data BigCo project. I pick “Blank Project” and let it create the “shell”. Then I right click on the Project Files “folder” in the Project manager pod and pick Import the FM book file. Scanning ensues and the Import window pops up. Then you can select the Edit button to see what Conversion Settings to apply to translate your FM paragraph and character tags over to RH styles. More scanning ensures before the Conversion Settings screen appears.

[Captiv8r]

So with your approach, you create the shell based on a Blank project, then after it has been created, you import.

Using the method being discussed allows you to omit creating the shell first. Instead, you import and create the shell at the same time.

Choosing one of the types such as Application Help or whatever just creates a project with certain things already in place and with topics that are partially fleshed out with information intended to help guide you along. Those are Project Templates. I created the one with the BigCo stuff in it years ago.

Cheers... Rick

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Hmm, I’ll have to play with that method – I end up just deleting the “First Topic” placeholder one anyway. I’ll have to see if the “all in one step” method allows for the import of my custom.isf file.

[Seanb_us]

I picked Application Help because there is nothing to indicate this was an incorrect choice -- nothing in the online documents or videos I have seen -- and my goal is compliant HTML 5 for use in an application.

[Captiv8r]

Hi Sean

I'm not a Frame user, so someone else will have to respond to that aspect. But I *CAN* say that your initial Step 3 of choosing Application Help means nothing and should be omitted. The moment you clicked the Import tab and selected FrameMaker Documents, you switched away from Application Help in favor of Frame.

Cheers... Rick

[Seanb_us · Accepted solution]

I broke this into two new topics. However, great discussion here!