DITA - Multiple objects in anchored frame

Hi,
I'm using the DITA features in FrameMaker 9. I'd like to insert multiple objects in an anchored frame in a DITA topic.
Right now, if I save an image element containing multiple objects, FrameMaker discards any extra objects in the frame. I've also experimented with adding extra graphics elements to the DTD using the attributes listed in the Structure Application Developer Guide. I can save DITA topics containing the custom elements, but they are not added to the XML file though I can see them in the FrameMaker interface. I have not yet experimented with a DITA specialization.
When exporting anchored frames in Structured FrameMaker to XML, FrameMaker bundles multiple objects in a frame into a single CGM file.
Is there a way to export anchored frames to CGM files before saving DITA topics? Is there a plug-in out there that will automatically save the objects in a frame? Can I use read/write rules to define how to treat these frames? How about creating a specialization on the objects element?
I'd like to use the tools in FrameMaker to modify elements in an anchored frame. I don't see why doing this should break the DITA model if these objects are bundled into a single file on export.
Thanks,
- Maura

Hi Maura...
The short answer is .. you can't do that.
DITA knows nothing about "frames" and only allows a single object to be referenced by an image element, so to remain in compliance with the DITA specification the content of a frame is tightly controlled by FM. There's nothing that you'll be able to do via read/write rules or EDD tricks to get FM to write out the data from multiple objects as a CGM .. this is overridden by the internal DITA plugin within Frame. You're correct that in theory FM could merge multiple graphics into a CGM, but this really wouldn't be a good way to operate since the text or other objects would no longer be editable. You can do this now using Illustrator or other applications that let you store the text and objects on separate layers, then save to a single file. Reference this single file in the image element in DITA.
That said .. we are looking into supporting some subset of multiple graphic objects within a frame in DITA-FMx, and this feature may be available in an upcoming beta.
http://leximation.com/dita-fmx/
Cheers,
...scott
Scott Prentice
Leximation, Inc.
www.leximation.com

Similar Messages

Need to ungroup objects in anchored frames

Hi all,
Going round and round in circles with this one...and have found other posts around anchored frames, but not this issue.
I created a book (file) with a lot of grouped images (screenshots, arrows, annotations - composed and grouped on clean area).
I created anchored frames, cut and pasted the groups INTO the anchored frames.
So far so good.
Six months later, I need to update the book (it is now a book in InDesign terms, so I was only coping with one section at a time).
I can select each item inside the group using the direct selection tool - so where just a bit of text in an annotation needs to change, that's what I'm doing.
I also need, though, to update some of the screenshots, add new arrows and new annotations (which are just small text boxes).
Nothing I do lets me ungroup the object so I can replace the screenshot and then regroup them.
I have tried releasing the anchored frame, but that doesn't help.
I've tried using the direct selection tool on the frame contents to try to copy it out of the frame, but ungroup remains stubbornly greyed-out.
I've resorted to using the direct selection tool to copy each element individually out onto a clean area, put the new screenshot in the middle, group them all and then re-insert into an anchored frame. One screenshot, one arrow, one caption = nuisance, but OK. One screenshot, 20 arrows, 20 captions = real pain.
Because my deadline is fast approaching, I've just been superimposing the extra arrows and annotations - which will do to create the PDF, but I need to sort it out at some point or I'm going to have a nightmare the next time around with floating arrows all over the place.
I must be missing something, but what?
Wrong selection tool at wrong time?
Thanks in advance,
Alison

It was the stacking problem that really took me to the "copy them out one by one" phase as I needed to replace something that was originally obove some elements but below others. For example,one page originally had two partial screenshots, now it has three. I need to insert one into a layer between the first two (basically, I'm shorf of space on a printed document, and the bottom right section of each screen is blank so I'm taking advantage of that space to overlap).
can delete the "original" top image, then put the two in in the correct order, but I'm covering the arrow heads...by the time I get to this stage, it's as quick to start again comosing a new group.
I'm not putting so much in anchored frames this time around - I thought it would save me time, but it isn't.

Need to shift multiple objects across many frames

I don't know if this is even possible, but what I'd like to
do is shift multiple objects, in multiple layers, across multiple
frames. The problem is that I built a complex animation as a movie
symbol within the root movie. It got so complex, however, that I'd
like to just go ahead and make it the main timeline for the root
movie. But when I copy and paste the frames from the symbol back
out into the root timeline, the location is wrong. Everything is in
the correct location relative to each other element, but wrong
relative to the stage. Is there any way to grab everything up in
all of those layers and frames and just shift it all over to where
it's supposed to be? Or can I somehow shift the stage under it?
Thanks in advance.

Edit Multiple Frames.
it's in the help docs but also here:
http://www.biteycastle.com/lessons/emf.htm
--> Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)
--> www.mudbubble.com :: www.keyframer.com
-->
http://flashmx2004.com/forums/index.php?
-->
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/flash/articles/animation_guide.html
-->
http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search?q=group:*flash*&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
thewizzard24 wrote:
> I don't know if this is even possible, but what I'd like
to do is shift
> multiple objects, in multiple layers, across multiple
frames. The problem is
> that I built a complex animation as a movie symbol
within the root movie. It
> got so complex, however, that I'd like to just go ahead
and make it the main
> timeline for the root movie. But when I copy and paste
the frames from the
> symbol back out into the root timeline, the location is
wrong. Everything is in
> the correct location relative to each other element, but
wrong relative to the
> stage. Is there any way to grab everything up in all of
those layers and frames
> and just shift it all over to where it's supposed to be?
Or can I somehow shift
> the stage under it?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

Pasting multiple objects into frame

Greetings everyone
I was wondering if someone could shed some light on how to best paste multiple objects into a single frame.
Mainly, I'm trying to nest objects that form a part of a newspaper article header; since it's a design element that keeps repeating with each single article I don't want to spend time with manually positioning the elements each time--it's time consuming and prone to sloppiness.
Unfortunately, the base frame will have about three objects that need to be nested within it. Once I paste one object into a frame, the next time I do `Paste into`--the content (previously pasted object in this case) just gets overridden.
I've read that, to paste multiple objects into a single frame, one should group the objects first. Now this works pretty well for getting them into the frame, but leaves me with no options to position them relative to the frame. I can't move or position an object individually and I have no option to ungroup them once they've been pasted.
Here's a small mock-up to depict my peculiar predicament:
Ideally, I'm aiming to have the main header frame to fit the content of the nested objects and for it to be flexible enough that I can quickly span it across multiple columns as per article requirements.

!kRON wrote:
For items that are part of the group, their (X,Y) location coordinates are relative to the document--neither to the group nor the parent frame. The group itself has coordinates that are relative to the parent frame (X+ offset, Y+ offset). I can select the group and the parent frame and use the align to selection options. For individual items, I cannot make a selection of both them and the frame, only between items that are part of a group. I loose options to align an individual item relative to the parent frame, which means I have to drag them around and rely on smart guides.
I've tinkered around some more and it'd appear it's not possible to lay out the elements as I imagined. So I have to resort to grouping the items that would form a frame and pasting them into a frame. If multiple frames have to be members of a single frame I'd have to group the frames and paste them into the single frame and so on.
Based on my layout mock-up, I'd end up with 3 frames within the header frame:
Article header
Heading
Article type
Separator
Article heading
Title
Footer
Author
Shape
Based on experience, should I go with this or stick with the old fashined moving around of loose elements? Will it be a lot of work to maintain resizing and repositioning of the various items and their frames once I start changing the width and height of the header frame or will it save me some time?
I'm not a working designer or production worker, so anything new takes me longer than I think it should, because I don't have a rich reservoir of quick methods at my fingertips.
Your description above interested me, because I've been wrestling with the annoying limitations of manipulating and adding compound objects in anchored frames. For many situations, it's probably simplest to assemble each iteration of a compound object, that introduces a new element, outside the anchored frame, then group the elements and paste the grouped object into the anchored frame.
However, the arrangement of elements in your example made me think that a table might be a workable solution. The answer I arrived at is "Yes, it's a solution, but it takes a while to set up." If it's reusable easily, then it might be worthwhile investing in a few experiments.
I've attached a zipped idml interchange version of the file, and also a PDF.
Here are some notes:
* I created a table with three rows and three columns, no header or footer rows. Three columns because I thought I'd paste a vertical line into an inline anchored frame in the center cell of the top row, for the separator line. Later, I realized that defining the vertical cell rule as paper color would suffice, so I merged the two right cells on the top row to create a two-column row, with text in each cell and the vertical separator between them.
* I merged all three cells on the second row into a single cell.
* I merged the two right cells on the bottom row, but later, when I moved the cell rule to position the triangular graphic in the inline anchored frame in the right cell, it moved the vertical cell rule in the first row. So, I had to unmerge (or split) the cells, and cut/paste the triangular graphic's anchored frame into the rightmost cell. To position the anchored frame, I moved the vertical cell rule with Shift+Drag, to keep the table width unchanged.
* I sampled the purple color with the eyedropper tool while cells were selected and the swatch panel was set to fill the selected object.
* I didn't spend much time matching the type, as you can see. To position the text, I adjusted the cell margins in some cases, and left/right indention in some cases; I'm not sure which is more efficient in situations where there will be different amounts of text to fit. I didn't create cell styles or paragraph styles (BAH! Bad, bad, bad process) because I won't be repeating this stuff, but you probably will benefit greatly from defining styles for your repeating needs.
* The triangular cut into the bottom row made it easy to manage creating and positioning the graphic. A non-geometrical object might be trickier. The triangle is a text frame, set to negative space above, so it overlaps the cell above it, enough to avoid a black gap.
* Except for the vertical paper-colored divider line, all the cells have zero-width strokes.
* I created the table in a text frame, that I fitted down to the size of the table, but I can't remember if I selected, copied, and pasted the text frame into the text flow to anchor it, or if I selected the table in the text frame, copied and pasted it into the flow. Not sure if it makes a difference in work efficiency.
If I understand your general needs, this should work well for changing text and adjusting the column widths.
HTH
Regards,
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices

Using Anchored Frame Object Attributes to "Store" Art Numbers

Good Morning, Everyone,
I have been using FrameMaker for over 15 years now, and as a tech writer who has inherited LOTS of graphics-intensive documents from previous writers, I have often struggled with identifying source files for embedded graphics. (I prefer to embed graphics in my documents, but that is a topic for another discussion ;-) ) More often than not, graphics have been named something that made sense to the original author at the time, but is nothing more than cryptic code to me now.
As a result, over the years, I have developed a personal "system" for naming my graphics files that identifies/names each file as the document number in which it resides followed by a sequential number. For example, if a document number is UM345-123, then my graphic files are named UM345-123_0001, UM345-123_0002, etc. I then include a small (hopefully unobtrusive) 8-point text frame in the lower right-hand corner of the graphics frame that indicates the file name for the base graphic. I create an Art# tag that includes an autonumber for the Document Number (e.g., UM345-123,) which is then inserted into the text frame, and I assign the next sequential number to the graphic/file. The advantage to this is that in the future, files are easily identified if someone wants to use my graphic and all they have is a pdf copy of my document - anyone can easily locate the source file and either update it or forward it on.
One disadvantage is that in some situations, fitting the text frame/graphic number into the graphic frame is tough - to the point where it detracts from the graphic itself. I am now wondering if it is possible to somehow utilize Anchored Frame Attributes to store the graphic number in these situations. Perhaps create a new attribute specifically for the Art Number? Has anyone else done something similar?
Thanks in advance for your help!!!
Nancy

> ... include a small (hopefully unobtrusive) 8-point text frame in the lower right-hand corner of the graphics frame ...
We do this as well, either as a text frame, or in the caption table below, with the reference ID set to a non-obnoxious gray. The main issue with doing this is that the ID is hand-typed, and can easily be incorrect, but usually only when it matters .
We also have other metadata, that the end users don't see, such as file type, scale and rotation, and this is text with a color set, at rendering, to Invisible by Color Views.
What you really want, however, is metadata that can't be incorrect, and shows the complete provenance of the object. For this, use text in the original art that is several mm above the art/table/chart extents. Clip it after import with the top edge of the anchoring frame or graphic frame within. End users never see it, but future document stewards can either slide the image down, or pull the frame edge up, to reveal the trail of crumbs leading back to the object's place of birth.
Caution: that out-of-frame metadata may survive into the PDF, depending on Distiller vintage and settings. You can remove it via Examine Document in Acrobat Pro.

Anchored Frame in DITA file

I inserted an <image> element in a DITA file. In the dialog box, I selected a screen shot (JPG). FM inserted an anchored frame with the graphic in it. The anchored frame was cropped, so I did Special>Anchored Frame and cleared Cropped. Worked fine, so I saved and closed.<br /><br />I opened the file and the anchored frame is cropped again. Re-did above steps, saved and closed, reopened, anchored frame is cropped again.

Hi Michael...
In the read/write rules file, add the following rule to the image element ..
fm property cropped value is "0";
If you make this change, be sure to update the rules files in both the Topic and Book applications.
This and other FrameMaker/DITA tips are available at ..
http://kb.leximation.com/dfm/
Cheers,
...scott
Scott Prentice
Leximation, Inc.
www.leximation.com

Insert inset in anchored frame

I cannot find the info on how to insert an Inset into an existing AFrame using ExtendScript. Does anyone have experience with this?
Thanks
Jang

Hi Russ,
I know I would have to fire myself, and believe me, I have tried many times. But my boss will not let me go :-)
What I am doing is this: I walk through a document and find anchored frames. If the anchored frame contains more than one graphic (which includes referenced files, lines, text boxes and such), I convert the entire contents of the anchored frame into a single SVG, which then replaces the contents of the anchored frame. This makes the graphic object, including possible arrows, text boxes etc. suitable for conversion to structured framemaker and/or output to XML. It works fine when there is at least one referenced graphic (Inset) in the anchored frame, as I simply change its InsetFile to the newly created SVG. This works like a breeze, even though FM complains about changed image formats when I reopen the file. The SVGs are displayed correctly, so I am happy. But when I encounter a file that has no referenced graphics, just lines and text boxes and - god forbid - images that were copied in rather than referenced, I have no single Inset to change the InsetFile property of. So I will have to add an Inset to the AFrame at that point and set its InsetFile property.
As you see, there is no text involved and no paragraphs available to set a text location to. If you have a bright idea about this, I would be over the moon. This type of thing has been on my mind ever since I found that FM creates an - Ugh! - CGM out of any AFrame that contains multiple graphic elements. An SVG for that purpose is infinitely better, as it will even allow me to create references to callouts from the text, or have captions inside the text boxes pick up their content from referenced elements in the text flow. Once I have the conversion to SVG perfected, there is no limit to what I can do next.
Let me know if you have the info I need. I know you have been playing around with inserting graphics into an AFrame, but I need to add an Inset right there.
Ciao
Jang

Hel with modifying cs5/6 script...create anchored frames from text

hello
I have one great time saver script for cs5 for create anchored frames from text tagged with/or charachter style/paragraph style. This work in cs6 but have some "bugs" for me. Script need to be compatible with InDesign CS6.
1. script in original (look bellow) create text frame which is fitted to lenght of the text. I make change and change 466 line:
AnchoredTextFrame.fit(FitOptions.FRAME_TO_CONTENT);
now frame is wide as I write in check box, good. But frame not resize to lenght of the text so I add after above lines 466-470:
    var FO = FitOptions.FRAME_TO_CONTENT,
    tfs = ([]).concat.apply([], app.activeDocument.stories.everyItem().textContainers),
    t, i = tfs.length;
while( i-- ) (t=tfs[i]).overflows && ( t.locked || t.fit(FO) );
now all is ok but is here better way to make this to work? Simply, i want to spec text frame width in dialog box, frame will resize only verticaly in direction to amount text in frame. I dont want any overset text.
2. One "bug". For some reason script alter paragraph style of other text which is not subject to be cutted in anchored frame.
How to resolve this?
#targetengine "session"
          Automating anchored object creation
          Version: 2
    Script by Thomas Silkjær
          http://indesigning.net/
Модификация Б. Кащеев, www.adobeindesign.ru
Скрипт предназначен для создания привязанных фреймов из текста, отформатированного
каким-либо абзацным или символьным стилем. Эти стили задаются пользователем в диалоговом
окне скрита. Там же необходимо задать объектный стиль для привязанного фрейма, в котором
пользователь должен заранее задать оформление и параметры привязки. Далее необходимо
указать ширину привязанного фрейма, а его высота будет рассчитана автоматически исходя из
объема текста. При вводе дробных значений ширины привязанного фрейма в качестве
разделителя целой и дробной части следует использовать не запятую, а точку, следуя западным
стандартам разработчиков программы Adobe InDesign. Первоначально идея и скрипт по созданию
привязанных фреймов принадлежит Thomas Silkjær для версии ID CS4. C появлением версий CS5
и CS5.5 скрипт перестал в них выполняться, да и в версии CS4 не всегда корректно работал.
Анализируя недочеты скрипта в данной его версии были исправлены ошибки и внесены
функциональные дополнения исходя из понимания задачи автором модификации. Добавлена
возможность выбора стилей, если они они находятся в группах (папках), возможность выбора
единиц измерения из выпадающего списка, изменены GREP-выражения для поиска текста,
область действия скрипта ограничена материалом (Story), а не документом.
var myMeasureUnits = ["Milimeters","Centimeters","Points","Inches", "Picas", "Ciceros"];
var selectUnits;
var pStyleIndex = null;
var cStyleIndex = null;
var oStyleIndex = null;
var myH, myW;
function main()
    app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.interactWithAll;
          if (app.documents.length == 0)
                    alert ("Document is not open. Open document first");
                    return;
    var myParaStyleList = myGetParagraphStyleNames();
    var myCharStyleList = myGetCharacterStyleNames();
    var myObjStyleList = myGetObjStyleNames();
    if(app.selection.length && app.selection[0].hasOwnProperty("baseline"))
        var myStory = app.selection[0].parentStory;
        var myWin = myDialog(myParaStyleList, myCharStyleList, myObjStyleList);
        if ( myWin.show() == 1 )
            var myDocument = app.activeDocument
            with (myDocument.viewPreferences){
                // Сохраняем старые единицы измерения в переменных myOldXUnits, myOldYUnits
                var myOldXUnits = horizontalMeasurementUnits;
                var myOldYUnits = verticalMeasurementUnits;
                // Устанавливаем новые единицы измерения
                switch(selectUnits)
                    case 0:
                        horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.millimeters;
                        verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.millimeters;
                        break;
                    case 1:
                        horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.centimeters;
                        verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.centimeters;
                        break;
                    case 2:
                        horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.points;
                        verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.points;
                        break;
                    case 3:
                        horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.inches;
                        verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.inches;
                        break;
                    case 4:
                        horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.picas;
                        verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.picas;
                        break;
                    case 5:
                        horizontalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.ciceros;
                        verticalMeasurementUnits = MeasurementUnits.ciceros;
                        break;
                    default: break;
                } // switch
            if(cStyleIndex == null)
            {/*поиск по стилю абзаца*/
                var pStyle = getParagraphStyleByName(myParaStyleList[pStyleIndex]);
                resetGREPfindChange();
                app.findGrepPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = pStyle;
                app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = NothingEnum.nothing;
            else //
                // поиск по стилю символов
                var cStyle = getCharacterStyleByName(myCharStyleList[cStyleIndex]);
                resetGREPfindChange();
                app.findGrepPreferences.appliedCharacterStyle = cStyle;
                //app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = ".+";
                app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = NothingEnum.nothing;
            var foundItems = myStory.findGrep();
            if(!foundItems.length) {
                alert("Found the text to be placed in a linked frames"); exit();
            //alert(foundItems.length);
            //alert (foundItems[0].contents)
            //alert (foundItems[1].contents)
            var oStyle = getObjectStyleByName(myObjStyleList[oStyleIndex]);
            for(var i = foundItems.length-1; i >=0; i--)
                //alert (foundItems[i].contents)
                createAnchoredFrame(foundItems[i], oStyle);
            with (myDocument.viewPreferences){
                try{
                    horizontalMeasurementUnits = myOldXUnits;
                    verticalMeasurementUnits = myOldYUnits;
                catch(myError){
                    alert("Unable to return to the original unit");
        } //if ( myWin.show()
    } //if(app.selection.length && app.selection[0].hasOwnProperty("baseline"))
    else
        alert("Place the cursor in the text and run the script again")
} // main
function myGetParagraphStyleNames()
// Получаем список стилей абзацев
          var curGroup;
          var curGroupName;
          var curNameInGroup;
          var myParagraphStyleNames = app.activeDocument.paragraphStyles.everyItem().name;
          myParagraphStyleNames.shift(); // удаление стиля No Paragraph Style
          var paraGroups = app.activeDocument.paragraphStyleGroups;
          var paraGroupsLen = paraGroups.length;
          for(var i = 0; i < paraGroupsLen; i++) {
                    curGroup = paraGroups[i];
                    curGroupName = paraGroups[i].name;
                    curGroupStyleNames = curGroup.paragraphStyles.everyItem().name
                    for (j=0; j< curGroupStyleNames.length; j++)
                              curNameInGroup = curGroupName +":"+ curGroupStyleNames[j];
                              myParagraphStyleNames.push(curNameInGroup);
          return myParagraphStyleNames;
function myGetCharacterStyleNames()
// Получаем список символьных стилей
          var curGroup;
          var curGroupName;
          var curNameInGroup;
          var myCharacterStyleNames = app.activeDocument.characterStyles.everyItem().name;
          myCharacterStyleNames.shift(); // удаление стиля None
          var charGroups = app.activeDocument.characterStyleGroups;
          var charStyleGroupLen = charGroups.length;
          for(var i=0; i < charStyleGroupLen; i++)
                    curGroup = charGroups[i];
                    curGroupName = charGroups[i].name;
                    curGroupStyleNames = curGroup.characterStyles.everyItem().name;
                    for (j=0; j< curGroupStyleNames.length; j++)
                              curNameInGroup = curGroupName +":"+ curGroupStyleNames[j];
                              myCharacterStyleNames.push(curNameInGroup);
          } //for
          return myCharacterStyleNames;
} // fnc
function myGetObjStyleNames()
    var curGroup;
          var curGroupName;
          var curNameInGroup;
          var myObjStyleNames = app.activeDocument.objectStyles.everyItem().name;
    myObjStyleNames.shift();
    var objGroups = app.activeDocument.objectStyleGroups;
    var objStyleGroupLen = objGroups.length;
    for(var i=0; i < objStyleGroupLen; i++)
                    curGroup = objGroups[i];
                    curGroupName = objGroups[i].name;
                    curGroupStyleNames = curGroup.objectStyles.everyItem().name;
                    for (var j=0; j< curGroupStyleNames.length; j++)
                              curNameInGroup = curGroupName +":"+ curGroupStyleNames[j];
                              myObjStyleNames.push(curNameInGroup);
          } //for
    return myObjStyleNames;
} // fnc
function myDialog(myParaStyleList, myCharStyleList, myObjStyleList)
    var myDialog = new Window('dialog', 'Create anchored text frames');
    this.windowRef = myDialog;
          myDialog.orientation = "column";
    myDialog.alignChildren = ['fill', 'fill'];
    // добавляем панель 1 с элементами управления
    myDialog.Pnl1 = myDialog.add("panel", undefined, "Move the text in linked frames");
          myDialog.Pnl1.orientation = "column";
    myDialog.Pnl1.alignChildren = "left";
    myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle = myDialog.Pnl1.add('checkbox', undefined, "Text with the paragraph style");
    myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle.value = false;
    myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle = myDialog.Pnl1.add("dropdownlist", undefined, myParaStyleList);
    myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.title = "Select the paragraph style ";
    myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.minimumSize = [250,20];
    myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.enabled = false;
    myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.selection = 0;
    if(myCharStyleList.length)
        myDialog.Pnl1.сstyle = myDialog.Pnl1.add('checkbox', undefined, "Text with character style");
        myDialog.Pnl1.сstyle.value = false;
        myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle = myDialog.Pnl1.add("dropdownlist", undefined, myCharStyleList );
        myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.title = "Select the character style ";
        myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.minimumSize = [250,20];
        myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.enabled = false;
        myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.selection = 0;
        myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle.onClick = function()
            if(this.value) {
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.enabled = true;
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.enabled = false;
                myDialog.Pnl1.сstyle.value = false;
            else
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.enabled = false;
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.enabled = true ;
                myDialog.Pnl1.сstyle.value = true;
        }// fnc
        myDialog.Pnl1.сstyle.onClick = function()
            if(this.value)
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.enabled = true;
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.enabled = false;
                myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle.value = false;
            else
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.enabled = false;
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.enabled = true ;
                myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle.value = true;
        }// fnc
    }// if(myCharStyleList.length)
    else
        myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle.onClick = function()
            if(this.value)
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.enabled = true;
            else
                myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.enabled = false;
// Вторая панель
    myDialog.Pnl2 = myDialog.add("panel", undefined, "Parameters of the text frame");
          myDialog.Pnl2.orientation = "column";
    myDialog.Pnl2.alignChildren = "left";
    myDialog.Pnl2.dropdownObjStyle = myDialog.Pnl2.add("dropdownlist", undefined, myObjStyleList );
    myDialog.Pnl2.dropdownObjStyle.title = "Select an object style ";
    myDialog.Pnl2.dropdownObjStyle.minimumSize = [250,20];
    myDialog.Pnl2.dropdownObjStyle.enabled = true;
    myDialog.Pnl2.dropdownObjStyle.selection = 0;
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group1 = myDialog.Pnl2.add( "group" );
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.stxt1 = myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.add("statictext", undefined, "The width of the text frame");
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.etxt = myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.add("edittext", undefined, "40");
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.etxt.characters = 10;
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.dropdownMeasurementUnits = myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.add("dropdownlist", undefined, myMeasureUnits );
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.dropdownMeasurementUnits.maximumSize = [80,20];
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.dropdownMeasurementUnits.selection = 0;
    //myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.stxt2 = myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.add("statictext", undefined, "mm ");
    /*myDialog.Pnl2.Group2 = myDialog.Pnl2.add( "group" );
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.stxt1 = myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.add("statictext", undefined, "Высота привязанного фрейма ");
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.etxt = myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.add("edittext", undefined, "30");
    myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.etxt.characters = 10;
    //myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.stxt2 = myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.add("statictext", undefined, "mm ");*/
    myDialog.Pnl2.stxt1 = myDialog.Pnl2.add("statictext", undefined, "Attention! When you enter fractional values as");
    myDialog.Pnl2.stxt2 = myDialog.Pnl2.add("statictext", undefined, "the decimal part, should be used");
    myDialog.Pnl2.stxt3 = myDialog.Pnl2.add("statictext", undefined, "point, not comma.");
    myDialog.Pnl2.stxt1.graphics.foregroundColor = myDialog.Pnl2.stxt1.graphics.newPen (myDialog.Pnl2.stxt1.graphics.PenType.SOLID_COLOR, [1, 0, 0, 1], 1);
    myDialog.Pnl2.stxt2.graphics.foregroundColor = myDialog.Pnl2.stxt2.graphics.newPen (myDialog.Pnl2.stxt2.graphics.PenType.SOLID_COLOR, [1, 0, 0, 1], 1);
    myDialog.Pnl2.stxt3.graphics.foregroundColor = myDialog.Pnl2.stxt3.graphics.newPen (myDialog.Pnl2.stxt3.graphics.PenType.SOLID_COLOR, [1, 0, 0, 1], 1);
    // --------- кнопки --------------
    var myGroup = myDialog.add( "group" );
    myGroup.orientation = 'row';
    myGroup.alignChildren = ['fill', 'fill'];
    myGroup.okButton = myGroup.add( "button", undefined, "OK" );
    myGroup.okButton.onClick = function()
        if(myCharStyleList.length) // есть символьные стили в документе
            if(!myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle.value && !myDialog.Pnl1.сstyle.value)
                alert("You must select a paragraph style or character style");
                return ;
            if(myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle.value) { pStyleIndex= myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.selection.index; cStyleIndex = null;}
            else {cStyleIndex = myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownCharStyle.selection.index; pStyleIndex=null; }
        else // нет символьных стилей
            if(!myDialog.Pnl1.pstyle.value)
                alert("You must select a paragraph style");
                return;
            pStyleIndex = myDialog.Pnl1.dropdownParaStyle.selection.index;
            cStyleIndex = null;
        } // else // нет символьных стилей
       oStyleIndex = myDialog.Pnl2.dropdownObjStyle.selection.index;
       if(myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.etxt.text =="")
           alert("Enter the width of the text frame");
           return;
        else
            myW = myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.etxt.text;
            myH = myW;
        /*if(myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.etxt.text == "")
            alert("Введите высоту привязанного фрейма");
            return;
        else
            myH = myDialog.Pnl2.Group2.etxt.text;
       selectUnits = myDialog.Pnl2.Group1.dropdownMeasurementUnits.selection.index;
        myDialog= this.window.close( 1 );
    myGroup.cancelButton = myGroup.add( "button", undefined, "Cancel" );
    myGroup.cancelButton.onClick = function() { myDialog = this.window.close( 0 ); }
    myDialog.Pnl3 = myDialog.add("panel", undefined, "");
    myDialog.Pnl2.alignChildren = "left";
    myDialog.Pnl3.stxt = myDialog.Pnl3.add("statictext", undefined, "(с) Thomas Silkjær        (с) Борис Кащеев, www.adobeindesign.ru ");
    return myDialog;
} // fnc
function getParagraphStyleByName(myStyleName)
          var DocParaStyles = app.activeDocument.paragraphStyles;
          var DocParaGroups = app.activeDocument.paragraphStyleGroups;
          myStyleName = ""+myStyleName;
          var pos = myStyleName.indexOf(":")
          if(pos == -1)
          // стиль не в группе
          var myStyle = DocParaStyles.item(myStyleName);
                    return myStyle;
          } //if
          else
                    var myGroupAndStyleNames = myStyleName.split(":")
                    var myGroupName = myGroupAndStyleNames[0];
                    var myStyleName = myGroupAndStyleNames[1];
                    var myGroup =DocParaGroups.item(myGroupName);
                    return myGroup.paragraphStyles.item(myStyleName);
} // fnc
function getCharacterStyleByName(myStyleName)
          var DocChStyles = app.activeDocument.characterStyles;
          var DocCharGroups = app.activeDocument.characterStyleGroups;
          // Есть ли в имени полученного символьного стиля двоеточие? (двоеточие разделяет название группы стилей и название стиля)
          myStyleName = String (myStyleName);
          var pos = myStyleName.indexOf(":");
          if(pos == -1)
          // стиль не в группе
                    return DocChStyles.item(myStyleName)
          } //if...
          else
          {// Стиль в какой-то группе
                    var myGroupAndStyleNames = myStyleName.split(":")
                    var myGroupName = myGroupAndStyleNames[0];
                    var myStyleName = myGroupAndStyleNames[1];
                    var myGroup = DocCharGroups.item(myGroupName);
                    return myGroup.characterStyles.itemByName(myStyleName);
          } // else
} // fnc()+
function getObjectStyleByName(myStyleName)
    var DocObjStyles = app.activeDocument.objectStyles;
    var DocCObjGroups = app.activeDocument.objectStyleGroups;
    myStyleName = String (myStyleName);
    var pos = myStyleName.indexOf(":");
    if(pos == -1)
          // стиль не в группе
                    return DocObjStyles.item(myStyleName);
          } //if...
    var myGroupAndStyleNames = myStyleName.split(":");
    var myGroupName = myGroupAndStyleNames[0];
    var myStyleName = myGroupAndStyleNames[1];
    var myGroup = DocObjGroups.item(myGroupName);
                    return myGroup.objectStyles.itemByName(myStyleName);
} //fnc
function resetGREPfindChange()
    app.changeGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing;
    app.findGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing;
    app.findChangeGrepOptions.includeFootnotes = false;
    app.findChangeGrepOptions.includeHiddenLayers = false;
    app.findChangeGrepOptions.includeLockedLayersForFind = false;
    app.findChangeGrepOptions.includeLockedStoriesForFind = false;
    app.findChangeGrepOptions.includeMasterPages = false;
function createAnchoredFrame(myText, myObjStyle)
    var myGeometricBounds = [];
    var myInsertionPoint = myText.insertionPoints[0];
    myInsertionPoint.select;
    var AnchoredTextFrame = myInsertionPoint.textFrames.add();
    myGeometricBounds = AnchoredTextFrame.geometricBounds;
    //alert(parseFloat(myH) + " " + parseFloat(myW))
    myGeometricBounds[2] = myGeometricBounds[0] + parseFloat(myH);
    myGeometricBounds[3] = myGeometricBounds[1] + parseFloat(myW);
    AnchoredTextFrame.geometricBounds = myGeometricBounds;
    AnchoredTextFrame.anchoredObjectSettings.anchoredPosition = AnchorPosition.anchored;
    myText.move(LocationOptions.before, AnchoredTextFrame.texts[0]);
    AnchoredTextFrame.appliedObjectStyle = myObjStyle;
    AnchoredTextFrame.fit(FitOptions.CONTENT_TO_FRAME);
    var FO = FitOptions.FRAME_TO_CONTENT,
    tfs = ([]).concat.apply([], app.activeDocument.stories.everyItem().textContainers),
    t, i = tfs.length;
while( i-- ) (t=tfs[i]).overflows && ( t.locked || t.fit(FO) );
} //fnc
main();

Hi Cari,
I did create a new user account (admin level) and InDesign works like a charm.
When I went back to the other account, plug-ins gone, I deleted the prefs and caches, restarted and still everything is crashing as before.
At least I am working on one account and I will contiue to troubleshoot on the other account. And at some point either the new account will crash or the old account will work and I will go from there.
Thanks for the info about Mac remembering info. Always trying to be helpful these Macs.
And thanks for getting at least into a workable space!!! I am supremely grateful!

Accessibility: Reading order of tables and anchored frames

I am creating accessible, tagged (section 508 compliant) PDFs in FrameMaker 9. The reading order for tables and frames is not correct.
When I view the PDF reading order using Adobe Acrobat Professional or another screen reader, anchored items such as tables and anchored frames are placed last in the reading order, regardless of where they appear in the document flow or page layout. The reading order skips over all tables and frames, reading all paragraphs on a page first, then reading the tables and frames as the last objects on the page. This logically doesn't make sense to skip over tables/frames as they generally apply to the content that preceeds it.
For example, the following document structure:
<Paragraph 1>
<Table 1>
<Paragraph 2>
<Anchored Frame 1>
<Paragraph 3>
<Anchor Frame 2>
<Paragraph 4>
is being read by assistive technology as:
<Paragraph 1>
<Paragraph 2>
<Paragraph 3>
<Paragraph 4>
<Table 1>
<Anchored Frame 1>
<Anchor Frame 2>
I want the document structure to be read correctly as intended.
In otherwords, the PDFs generated by FrameMaker 9 are not completely accessible because of incorrect reading order output by default. This information is not listed in the VPAT for FrameMaker 9.
I want to avoid any post processing using Acrobat's Touch Up Reading Order tool. Is there a way to automate updates to reading order?
Can FrameMaker 9 logically place tables and anchored frames into the correct reading order? How do I adjust these settings?
Thanks in advance!

As mentioned above, tables and anchored frames are inserted into thier own paragraph style "Frame". The paragraph style "Frame" is tagged. To my knowledge, there are no options for tagging or not tagging tables or anchored frames.
Regardless of which paragraph type the table or anchor frame is inserted into, and what that paragraphs tagging settings are, it is still last in the reading order.
I've tried a variety of options: tagging the "Frame" paragraph style as a sibling, child, and parent of my other paragraphs; I've even tried omitting it from the reading order. None of these options present anchored frames (and tables) in the logical reading order.
Even images that are inline (within a paragraph; not in thier own paragraph) are not being read as part of the paragraph. Inline images get skipped over by screen readers and get read at the end of the page, which makes no sense whatsoever.
All tables and images end up at the end of the reading order (after ALL paragraphs) regardless of the tagging settings.
Refer to my previous screenshot for a clear diagram of what is happening to the reading order. Each of those anchors is in it's own paragraph style. I want tables and anchored frames to be sequential in the reading order along with paragraphs. (1,2,3,4,5,6 not 1,4,2,5,3,6.)
I'm using the Tags tab of the "PDF Setup" dialog to adjust these settings. Is there somewhere else I should be making changes to the reading order?
This is a bit disturbing because FrameMaker touts creating accessible documents and this severe reading order issue impares my ability to do so. I would not consider documents that jump around the page in an illlogical, fixed order, to be accessible. I'm very suprised that no one else has encountered this issue (at least that I can find...)

Pages '09: Can't select multiple objects with mouse?

Hello! I want to select some shapes. I know that I can hold down shift and click on them individually one by one, but they're very many and grouped together, so I just want to draw a 'selection-rectangle' with the mouse, just as it works in all other programs I've ever used. But this doesn't seem to work. What am I doing wrong?

Hello Stef,
You can simply click and drag over an area to select multiple objects if you are in a Page Layout document, but since this is your fourth post you may be new to Pages and you may not yet even be aware of the Page Layout mode. At the top of your Pages window is the document title and next to the title in parentheses are the words "Word Processing" or "Page Layout".
So, in a Word Processing document, it's just a little bit more involved. In the upper left corner of the window, click on the View icon and select "Show Layout". You will see gray around the edges - your desktop, a white sheet - your paper, and three rectangular outlines - the header field, the text frame and the footer field. This assumes that you have the Header and Footer turned on.
As you move your mouse, the text insertion bar, a vertical line with curved features top and bottom, will move about the document. Move the insertion bar to the margin, outside of the boxes, and press and hold the COMMAND key. Your cursor will change to an arrowhead. Now you can select multiple objects by click-dragging, just as you are accustomed to doing in other applications.
Regards,
Jerry

Selecting multiple objects with Direct Select tool

I'm working in InDesign CS4 on a pc and am having trouble with the Direct select tool. I go through my document selecting multiple objects, change the color of the selected boxes only to find that about half of my objects have "deselected" themselves. Has anyone else had this problem? Or does anyone have a fix I could try? Thanks!

I know, I was pretty vague.
Are you continuing to hold the shift key with each addition? Yes
Are you trying to selct things on more than one spread? No
Are you being careful to click inside each object other than an image and on the frame for an image? Yes

How to define alt text for an anchored frame in FrameMaker 11?

What is the procedure in FrameMaker 11 to include alt text for anchored frames? We need to produce tagged PDF output that is accessibility compliant; this output must include alt text for each image in the document that a screen reader can read out.
In previous FrameMaker versions, it was possible to define alt text as follows:
Select the frame and choose Graphics > Object Properties.
Click Object Attributes.
In the Text Attributes section, add your alt text and actual text, and then click Set.
The FrameMaker online help still describes this same procedure, at http://help.adobe.com/en_US/framemaker/using/WSd817046a44e105e21e63e3d11ab7f7960b-7f0f.htm l. However, I see that in FrameMaker 11, what you get on choosing Graphics > Object Properties has completely changed from previous versions, and I cannot see Object Attributes.
Where is the alt text defined for an object in FrameMaker 11?

In the Anchored Frame panel, click on the Object Attributes button.

Blur out multiple objects in a single clip?

I found a tutorial which explains how to blur an object in a frame by having the source clip on track1, a duplicate on track3 with gaussian blur and a shape on track 2 and then you do composite mode travel matte-luna on the clip on track 3, but how do you blur multiple objects in the same clip?

How do you nest them? This is what I got:
http://screencast.com/t/r7wanNGAi
both circles have ADD composite modes.
Result:
http://screencast.com/t/l0nihfdBuV
The left circle is correct but the right circle is white now.

Anchored Frames Adrift

I am using TCS4 (FM11, RH10).
In FM, I add images (import by reference), set the anchored frame to "Run into paragraph" and have it right-justified. Looks good, and publishes to PDF fine.
RH imports it and ignores the anchored frame spacing. If the text is not deep enough to span the depth of the image, RH overlaps the image, preferring to manage spacing through the text. Pictures on top of pictures.
How can I tell RH to honor the anchors put into FM? Hopefully its a setting in RH, since there are a lot of pics and it would be a pain to have to modify all of them individually.
Help.

If memory serves, I applied an Object Style to my run-ins, allowing me to redefine the Object Style with a FrameMaker import template and change them automatically from Run In, to Below Current Line (or whatever else you want)
Worked like a charm across 1000+ frames.

Can global commands be created for Anchored Frames?

I am migrating a rather large documentation suite from one FM template to another. One of the changes is larger anchored frames (95% are sized the same). Since there are numerous graphics per document (100+) one of the rather monotonous tasks involves resizing all the frames (and associated pictures). I can batch process all the graphics in Photoshop, but can't see a way around having to manually resize each anchored frame after I import the old content into the new template. Since each object has an "object type" associated with it, wouldn't it be possible to make a global change to the properties of a selected object type?
This may just be a wishful thinking, but before I accept having to enter the same numbers in the anchored frame properties a buzzilion times, I thought I would throw this puzzle out into the forumsphere.

Several possibilities include:
1. Bruce foster's Impgraph plug-in: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.foster/ImpGraph.htm
2. A custom Framescript
3. In the MIF version of the FM file, use a text editor to adjust the Frames <ShapeRect L T W H> parameter.
4. Do nothing, i.e. delete the current anchored frame an import the new graphic in the same location, FM automatically sizes the Aframe to be 1 pt larger than the imported graphic (see also #1 - Impgraph).

DITA - Multiple objects in anchored frame

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