Authoring and productivity enhancements

 

Revamped Word import

The improved Word import feature in FrameMaker allows you to import a Word document into an existing or new FrameMaker document. When you import the document, you are provided with a number of options that allow you to choose the formatting of the destination content based on the styles and formats available in the Word document as well as FrameMaker document.

For more information, see Import Microsoft Word files.

See the video, More powerful Word Import.

Create mini TOCs for documents

Now make your long documents easy to read and navigate by adding a mini TOC. Earlier, FrameMaker allowed you to add a TOC at the book level, but now you can add a mini TOC in each document within your book. The style of your mini TOC can also be customized to match your document's look and feel. You can choose to updated the mini TOC from within the document itself or update all documents containing the mini TOC at the book level.

For more information, see Generate a miniature table of contents.

See the video, Mini TOC.

Improved visual conditional indicators

Selecting any content, such as image, table, graphic, or anchored frame now reveals the conditional tags applied on it. Using the visual indicators, you can ensure consistency while applying the condi­tional tags.

 

See the video, Enhanced visual conditional indicators.

Table Enhancements

Conditionalize table columns

Apply conditional tags to individual columns in any of your tables. The column reflects the format­ting specified in the conditional tag. The columns are either displayed or hidden based on the settings you save from the Show/Hide Conditional Text dialog. The conditional tag state for a column overrides any conditional tags that are applied to the text in the individual cells in the column.

For more information, see Conditional text.

See the video, Conditional table columns.

Table usability enhancements

Use one of the multiple table formats available to you when creating a new table. You can choose to use the new formats for existing tables, from the Table Designer or the Table Catalog. Use the Table Designer to modify a table design as required.

For more information, see Insert a table.

See the video, Improved usability in tables.

Navigate through the cells of a table using either the Tab key or the arrow keys on your keyboard. Pressing Tab when you are in the last cell of the table, creates a new row at the end of the table.

If you are working in Structured FrameMaker's Author View or FrameMaker XML Author's WYSIWYG or Author View, you can easily rotate graphic and table text by using the context or main menu. Also, resizing table column function is now available in the context and main menus’.

For more information, see Rows and columns.

You may need to reorder the rows and columns in your table. Select the row or column you want to move and hold the Shift key down before you drop the row or column to the desired location. You can select multiple rows and columns for reordering.

For more information, see Copy, move, or reorder rows or columns.

Auto insert table continuation variables

Add continuation variables to a table using the Add Variables option from the right-click menu. Apply the variables you created to the current table, to all tables, or to all tables of a certain format.

For more information, see Insert a table.

See the video, Automatic insertion of table continuation variables.

Table cell shading with solid fill

In previous releases, the color tint property of a table, would cause the color to be displayed as a gran­ular pattern. The functionality now changes the color to a shade based on the percentage of the tint.

See the video, More out-of-the-box table styles.

Conditional text at book level

You can choose to apply conditional tags to all documents in your book at the same time instead of working with each file individually. Select your book file and click View > Show/Hide Conditional Text to select the conditions you want to apply to the files in your book. The Show/Hide Conditional Text dialog displays a consolidated list of all the conditional tags present in the files of the book. Only those expressions that are present in the default document, which is the first file in your book, are listed in the Show/Hide Conditional Text dialog.

For more information, see Applying conditional tags at book level.

See the video, Conditional text at book level.

UI Enhancements

Location of modal pods

FrameMaker now remembers the location of the modal pods in the application.

Activate opened pods

If a modeless pod is currently opened and a user opens the pod again (using the menu or shortcut keys), the pod is highlighted as an indicator to the user.

 

Resizable dialogs

The following modal and client dialogs can be resized:

•Set Up Table of Contents (Special > Table of Contents > Standalone TOC)

•Set Up Mini Table of Contents (Special > Table of Contents > Create Mini TOC).

•Set Up Standard Index dialog (Special > Standard Index).

•Set Up Author Index dialog (Special > Index Of > Authors).

•Set Up Subject Index dialog (Special > Index Of > Subjects).

•Set Up Index Of Markers dialog (Special > Index Of > Markers).

•Set Up Index Of References dialog (Special > Index Of > References).

•DITA Conref dialog (DITA > Insert Conref)

•DITA Cross-Reference dialog (Special > Cross-Reference)

•DITA Link dialog

The following modeless dialogs can be resized:

•Show / Hide Conditional Text dialog

•Cross-Reference dialog

Smart filter

In the following dialogs, you can use the Smart filter feature to search for tag names:

•Character Designer

•Paragraph Designer

•Table Designer

•Object Designer

 

See the video, Smart filters in pods.

Redesigned pods

The following pods have been redesigned to improved usability:

Add / Edit Condition Tag

Add / Edit Variable

Color definition dialog updates

The following updates have been made to the Color Definitions dialog:

•The color sliders now function on the 0-255 RGB range

•The New and Current views are now within the same color box to allow users to easily compare the two.

•You can now specify a Hex color code

 

Pods do not gray out on resize

If pods are docked at the bottom of the screen and a user reduces the size of the FrameMaker window, the pods are grayed out only if the size of the window is reduced to an extent that prevents functioning of the pod.

Table color shading

In previous releases, the color tint property of a table, would cause the color to be displayed as a granular pattern. The functionality now changes the color to a shade based on the percentage of the tint.

Drag and drop to open files

You can now drag-and-drop files from the Windows Explorer to empty UI areas, toolbars, menu bars, pods, or document window to open them.

Conditional tag pod State button

Now when you apply a condition to text in a document, the State checkbox operates as a toggle. This implies that if you apply a condition to text, you need to check the State checkbox. To remove a condition from text, you need to uncheck the State checkbox.

The intermediate state is read-only. This implies that if you select text where the current condi­tion is partially applied, the checkbox displays with the intermediate state.

 

See the video, Enhanced pod support.

See the video, Enhanced UI.

Package related files into a zip file

You can package a FrameMaker book, DITA map, .xml, .mif, or .fm file with all its related files into a zip file for distribution or backup. When you choose to create a package with a book or DITA map in focus, FrameMaker automatically picks up the related files, such as chapter files, images, text insets, conrefs, crossrefs, to a .zip file.

For details, see Create packages.

FrameMaker connector enhancements

DITA Exchange - FrameMaker connector

In addition to the existing AEM, Documentum, and SharePoint connectors, FrameMaker now also provides support for the DITA Exchange connector.

Dita Exchange simplifies the way organizations create, manage, deliver and re-use important content through structured content management solutions built to run on the SharePoint platform. By helping companies produce and maintain important information quickly and following compli­ance guidelines, employees spend less time keeping up with regulations and more time reaching company goals. For more information about DITA Exchange visit the official website at http://dita­exchange.com/.

FM-AEM connector enhancements

The FrameMaker - AEM connector includes the following enhancements:

User area

The user area will be used to store lock token information instead of user preferences.

The previous preference location: home/groups/e/everyone/preferences

The new location: home/users

note:  Since the way token information is stored is changed, all users should move simultane­ously to the new connector. Failing to do this may lead to inconsistent behavior across file oper­ations

Missing files

The missing file(s) will be displayed in FrameMaker Show Dependents and the Book dialog boxes.

Data loss during check-in

Previously, a user would lose data if the AEM server went down during a check-in operation. Now the check-in procedure is rolled back and the file remains checked out on the local drive.

Local download folder name

FrameMaker now always creates the local download folder in lower case, irrespective of the connection title provided in the Connection manager dialog.

note:  If a local folder with name in capital letters is already present, a file will get checked-out and downloaded in this folder itself but check-in will fail. In this case, the local folder in upper case should be renamed to lower case before migrating to the new connector.