Seeking Solution for Repeating Chapters in Technical Manual

[Jessica24687671elve]

Hello everyone, and thank you very much for the support you provide every day.

I've been trying to find a solution to a problem for a few days now, but I can't seem to figure it out. I'm preparing a technical manual, and often some chapters repeat. I would like to find a way to create the chapter only once and then copy it to all the points where I need it. However, when it needs to be modified, I want to be able to modify only the original and have all identical chapters updated automatically. Is there a method you know of to accomplish this?

[Barb Binder]

Hi Jessica:

To most of us, a chapter is one .fm file. If one chapter is used in multiple manuals, you can create it once and then add it into various books. When you update your book, the numbering updates to reflect its position in that particular book. 

If by chapter you mean a section within a .fm file, you can create a standalone .fm file, and pull it into multiple files as a text inset. 

In either case, you are sharing the content, and just need to enter the edits once.

~Barb 

[Jessica24687671elve]

Hi Barb,

Rught, I'm trying to insert a section within a .fm file for my technical manual. This section comprises several pages of text and images that need to be replicated across various chapters and points within the manual.

I've created a separate InDesign file dedicated to this section, but I'm struggling to understand how to integrate it back into my manual at the required points. I haven't quite figured out how to achieve this yet. Could you please assist me?

[Barb Binder]

Hi Jessica,

The basic idea is you make the standalone Fm file, and then you open up another document,  click to create an insertion point, and then import the standalone file into the new document using File > Import > File. Be sure to choose the Import By Reference radio button at the bottom of the import dialog box so that the file is linked.

You can find all the details here: https://help.adobe.com/en_US/framemaker/2015/using/using-framemaker-2015/frm_single_sourcing/Text_in...

~Barb

[Barb Binder]

Oh shoot! It's early here! I thought I was answering the question on the FrameMaker forum and didn't realize you are using InDesign. Completely disregard that last post. 

[Barb Binder]

Ok! I stepped away for coffee, and am back to try again. I can see why I thought this was a FrameMaker question. FrameMaker is used to lay out technical documents and that was in your title. So... 

The first part of my first reply is still correct. If you make one InDesign .indd file, you can place it into multiple books and share the content that way. However, you have clarified that you're working with one file, and want to share sections within that file. InDesign is not as good at that as FrameMaker is. Honestly, I would divide this into individual chapters and work with an InDesign book file, but maybe InDesign's Edit > Place and Link could work. It would depend on your layout. 

I apologize for the confusion earlier. Adobe has two different page layout applications: InDesign and FrameMaker. FrameMaker is optimized to handle the needs of technical document layout, including this specific requirement. InDesign is much better at handling shorter, multi-story documents. InDesign has some book layout features, but they fall short of FrameMaker's for technical document layout. 

~Barb 

[Jessica24687671elve]

Thank you so much, Barb. Don't worry about the misunderstanding, you've been very kind. I wasn't familiar with FrameMaker, but thanks to your suggestions, I've started looking into it, and it's quite fascinating.

[Barb Binder]

Thanks for being so understanding, Jessica! I volunteer to help users on both forums and usually I can keep them straight! 🤦‍:female_sign:

~Barb

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Being a cup of coffee ahead of Barb (and we've all posted with a caffeine deficit around here... but that usually results in lousy advice, not really good advice in two completely different apps!) I'd suggest looking into breaking your material into standalone INDD files, and placing those where they are needed within actual "chapter" files. it's a bit involved and has some limitations, but it's probably the easiest way to share content across, and within, InDesign projects.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Jessica24687671elve 

If you need to use only Text Contents with formatting - but not "page layout" - you can export your Story as InCopy Story - ICML file.

Then you can place it like e.g. WORD file - and it will remain linked to the ICML file.

[Creamer Training]

I can think of a couple of options:

1. As suggested, use an InCopy workflow; downside: editors need to use InCopy; upside: cost is about $5/month for standalone copies.

2. Use EmSoftware's WordsFlow (MS Word) or DocsFlow (Google Docs); downside: cost of plugin(s); upside: familiar editing tools.

Import linked text into ID files, edit as needed, update in ID files.. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

1. As suggested, use an InCopy workflow; downside: editors need to use InCopy; upside: cost is about $5/month for standalone copies.

By @Creamer Training

But it's not for some 3rd person to use - @Jessica24687671elve will be using this workflow herself - and you can just open original INDD file and after you edit particular Story - ICML file will be automatically re-saved.

Kind of Snippet - but better. 

[Creamer Training]

It's not 100% clear if the OP is the actual editor (at least to me). It could just be the phrasing. 

If the OP is the editor, you are 100% correct--naturally!

[Barb Binder]

Some good ideas! I like the InCopy suggestion. WordsFlow would work too, but would be another subscription. InCopy is included with your CC subscription. 

~Barb

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Barb Binder

But you don't need InCopy to edit original INDD file - ICML is just for linking.