Mathtype/Google Docs workflow

[colleenr79979946]

Hi there,

I'm in need of some advice I can't quite find a solution scouring the internet.

I work for a publishing company and we have worked with at Word/InCopy and Indesign workflow for years.

Our owners would like us to stop using MS office products and switch to google docs so I thought something like a Docsflow plugin seemed like an easy switch for editors to be able to work in google docs and myself and another designer, work in InDesign. (I've been tasked to seeing if this is possible)

The problem is...we publish many of our test-prep books with math equations (thousands of them!). We have used Mathtype and Word together for years, and I would export mathtype equations from word as .eps files and import them into InDesign using a script that would place them with the proper question. This helped avoid me placing equations one by one and maintain the link back to mathtype if I needed to edit them.

I tested taking one our our word documents with mathtype into google documents, but it converted all equations into blurry images which won't work for print.

So the math is the only item holding me up with this google docs transition. Is there another math solution that could work with google docs and be hi-res enough to publish our books? Or if we should stick with MS Word and our old workflow?

I've heard of LaTEX as well, but am unfamiliar with how this works in terms of print resolution plus it seems like a huge learning curve to get our editors/math checker on board. Mathtype has been our standard for many years, but I am curious if anyone has found a better solution/plug in for math equations that could work better with google docs. (Very odd transition but I'm doing mt due diligence to research all options)

Thanks for any insight and if there's another community/other resources out there I may post this too, please let me know!

[Chad Chelius]

Is there  a chance that your authors would be willing to write in InCopy? This would be a much better workflow and would translate quite well using a product such as MathTools (movement.com). I'm not afraid to ask the question Why when it comes to current and proposed workflows. It sounds like you currently have a workflow that works but for whatever reason the powers that be want to change it. If there's a reason for this, then so be it. I think you're trying to use Google Docs for something that it wasn't really intended to do and I don't know of a solution that will address the current limitations. Using InCopy would definitely work but I'm not sure if that's feasible. Using InCopy with MathTools would work quite well.

[Pariah Burke]

I think you might be in a situation where your owners want you to use a tool that won't do what your owners need done. Google Docs is not a professional writer's or editor's tool.

Moreover, Google has a habit of discontinuing its products on short notice. Many high-end developers avoid building add-ons for Google products for that reason.

You can try OpenOffice and other MS Office competitors, but they're all Open Source with less than Word's full functionality. Still, you might find one of those that can work with Mathtype. Maybe talk to Design Science (makers of Mathtype) about other application compatibility.

[colleenr79979946 · Accepted solution]

Thank you both for your input!

Since I posted this, I tested further we are definitely sticking with our old workflow using ms word.

Mathtype and Google docs do not get along, (I tried a trial version of a plug-in called Docsflow and quickly discovered equations don't stay aligned and this would be disastrous for editors trying to establish the proper placement of equations in certain paragraphs throughout pur products....So an incopy indesign workflow is our best shot for now. I was a little too hopeful but glad I convinced our team Google docs was a bad idea.

[Pariah Burke]

I'm glad that worked out. If you need any help with InCopy, let us know. Both Chad and I are VERY good with the InCopy-InDesign Workflow.

[Cherilyn98A5]

Is there a way to use InCopy for complex text with math equations, if the original doc is created in Word? I have technical scientific info including math equations that scientist created in Word. In importing to InDesign of course the equations get messed up. Is there a way that InCopy can be used inbetween Word and InDesign?

[Laubender]

"I have technical scientific info including math equations that scientist created in Word. In importing to InDesign of course the equations get messed up."

Hi Cherilyn98A5,

it would make sense to open a new thread on this item if you did not do it already.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )