Adobe Technical Communications Suite - Importing Framemaker Files into Robohelp

Question

We have just started using the Adobe Technical Communications
Suite to import our Framemaker files into Robohelp. (We have about
a year’s experience of taking Framemaker files into Web Works
Publisher, with good results so we were hoping for a similar
experience with Robohelp).
Please can you help us with the following two problems:
1. Importing FM files into Robohelp has posed some immediate
table formatting problems. We imported the FM files by reference
according to the instructions but cannot format the tables, ie.
Colors etc.
2. Can you also tell us if there is a way to set up our
graphics in Framemaker to import into Robohelp without first having
to run them through a batch file scenario to change the size for
online help. Also, can you explain why the imported graphics are
being put into separate folders in Robohelp – is there a
system option where we can stop this from occurring.
We are a little frustrated because we are long-time users of
Robohelp and Framemaker and are finding some of the new features of
TCS are not as helpful as we first thought. I am sending these
questions after spending several hours going through the Robohelp
Help and the Adobe website and not finding the answers.
Thanks for your help,
Asra S.

Answer 1

I have purchased the Technical Communications Suite and am
working with it now. I am finding several short comings in the
product – 60% great product and 40% not so great. I have been
using FrameMaker and RoboHelp for about 11 years and also I am a
Webworks (ePublisher) user. I was expecting (at a minimum) to have
the same functionality as ePublisher in TCS - ePublisher works
seamlessly with FrameMaker. Quadralay worked with me the first
month to answer my questions to ensure I was pleased with the
product - and welcomed/appreciated my feedback. In some cases they
provided me with scripts to accommodate my needs. I am finding on
message boards and forums that a lot of users as very disappointed
with your product so far. Are there any plans on
improving/enhancing the product to accommodate our basic requests?
The standard answer we get concerning graphics and tables is
to use conditional text. This is not single-sourcing and is a
horrible recommended work-around – a hack if you will. We use
conditional text to handle differences in program functionality. I
understand there is some set up required when you create a new
project in RoboHelp, but after that I would like to run the Batch
File process to simply generate my newly updated FM files to online
help. How efficient is that? VERY!
I have provided a list of the basic missing
functionality/oversights that would greatly improve the product and
satisfy a lot of your current users. Some of these issues may be
user misunderstanding and in that case I seek guidance on what
I’m doing wrong. Take the other issues into consideration
because these are not just my issues, but a TON of your users.
Hopefully you are user focused and are as concerned as we are.
Please welcome this feedback as a way to improve the product.
- No Breadcrumbs supported with MS HTML Help - supported in
your other outputs and is available in ePublisher, so it must be
possible.
- Table formats are not configurable – why? Sometimes
the converted table format from FM isn’t 100%.
- Imported file structure (folder for each chapter) totally
hoses my fix to poor graphic rendering. Currently I use a batch
file to run a Photoshop macro/action on my graphic source files to
reduce the file size by 50% and sharpen. I replace the graphics
with my graphics and they look marvelous in online help. I copy my
source graphics back into my “graphics folder” imported
into FM at 260 dpi for my printed docs. Can we have the option on
the structure for imported FM files to put them all into one
folder?
- Text entered into the Auto numbering field is not converted
when importing by reference. It is when just doing a straight
import. This is used for standardizing my inserted tables with
pre-populated column titles– Troubleshooting, If/Then, etc.
- Too many CSS issues. It would be nice to have one main
template that we can sync to when the master template is changed.
- Can’t specify a default template to apply to all FM
files when imported.
- My output .chm file is not picking up my Project Settings.
It will not display Favorites, My Window Size, it’s not
showing the TOC.
- Cross-references – sometimes they work and sometimes
they don’t.
- Markers – we use markers for glossary terms and the
character tagging carries forward throughout the rest of the
sentence.
I started testing the product four days ago and these are the
major issues that are keeping me from moving forward with my
overall plan to move to structured FM. I’m now between a rock
and a hard place because now my department does not have the
software to do their job. Do I go to management and tell them that
I made the wrong decision in my tool selection? I choose your TCS
over the updated Quadralay ePublisher that works with FM8…
Maybe they went up on their price because the knew their former
users would come back and be willing to pay the increased price for
their software that generates online help with just a click of a
button.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your help
in advance. Please direct these concerns to those in charge of
enhancing the product (Product Evangelist). A reply and technical
support is greatly appreciated.
Director of Technical Publications - Horizon Software
International, LLC
Nikki Bridwell