FrameMaker and Word: Anchored Frames, 3D graphics with links, globally update positioning

FrameMaker 11 "remembers" which paragraph style is in each column of a table when you create or update the table style. This includes paragraph styles that have artwork form the Reference Page. Using these two features in tandem, you can easily create a two-column "CAUTION" box table that will place CAUTION artwork to the side of your text. Since the CAUTION arwork is invoked from the reference page, you can change it there once and update all instances of the CAUTION used in a new table. This allows (a) swift and easy authoring with consistent results and (b) the ability to globally update all instances of a particular segregated caution statement. With WORD, considerable effort would be required to plant consistent artwork in all instances of such a table.

FrameMaker 11's Reference Pages allow you to associate text and artwork with paragraph formatting. For instance, you can place horizontal lines above or below a paragraph, or have a "Caution" box automatically placed above a paragraph. Writers cannot edit this artwork on the body page; one must visit the Reference Page in order to make a change. If the user revises the artwork or text in a special frame on the Reference Page, all instances associated with paragraph styles will universally update throughout the document.

This brief video introduces all the episodes you will find in our "FrameMaker for Word: Do you Write Right?" campaign, located at: http://tv.adobe.com/show/framemaker-for-word/ -- Check out the episodes after this brief intro

FrameMaker goes beyond Word in extending your style control over graphic object styles. As with paragraphs, character tags and tables, FrameMaker provides a catalog for object styles, which can enable you to globally update the position or appearance of named anchored frames and graphics. This functionality empowers you to achieve consistency with graphic formatting just as you have always done with text formatting.

FrameMaker has many functions not available in Word, including the ability to make a "reverse cross reference" between graphic objects and related text. Watch this short video to see how to select objects or portions of a vector diagram, and make them behave as hyperlinked hotspots that will jump to related text. A simple marker mechanism is used to accomplish this.

FrameMaker 11 has powerful table features well suited for long, multi-page tables. This short demo highlights how to insert a "continuation" indicator in a Table Title, and also how to add a footer row and customize it to automatically display how many pages long the table is. Although this demo focuses on print and PDF output, FrameMaker 11 tables are equally powerful for Tablet and WebHelp output.

FrameMaker 11 offers many more options for resizing table columns than Word. See a quick demo of just how swiftly you can customize your table widths to suit your needs. FrameMaker 11 will automatically calculate selected column widths, let you apply the width of another column, or even resize the width of an entire table proportionally to fit within you page.

FrameMaker allows you to tag and change table styles as easily as paragraph styles. There is a separate catalog to view and choose table styles, and a Table Designer to swiftly create or modify new styles. See how easy it is to (a) modify existing table styles, (b) "update all" to globally update all tables with the same style name and (c) import table styles from one document into others. There is much more to FrameMaker tables, which will be covered in more episodes in this show.

Although Word has a loose equivalent to user variables, this features is far easier and more straight-forward in FrameMaker 11. Unlike Word, no macros or arcane program strings are required. User variables are ideal for product names, company locations, designated staff members ... anything that is likely to change in your document. Simple actions allow you to globally update not only the content of variables, but their appearance as well. You can combine this feature with conditional text control, which allows you to swiftly "show" or "hide" different sections of text, tables or entire graphics that are associated with a certain version of your documentation. This allows a single set of source files to produce multiple versions of your documentation for various customers or internal content consumers. These features can be invoked with simple keyboard shortcuts while authoring, and you can import their values and setting from one document into an entire book!

How many times have you had to correct random numbering "mishaps" within nested lists and autonumbered headings in Word? With FrameMaker 11, this drudgering becomes a thing of the past with what most users describe as "bullet proof" mixed numbering. Many also describe it as "easy." The autonumber setting in paragraphs is completely unaffected by page breaks, and FrameMaker has no section breaks. With FrameMaker 11, you aren't limited to a certain number of nested list levels. You can also mix multi-numbered prefix stings in any fashion you wish. When it comes to text prefixes (like "Table X.X" or "Figure X.X"), you have complete control over wording and formatting. Warning: once you use this feature in FrameMaker 11, there's no turning back.

With FrameMaker 11 and you forget about section breaks to segregate landscape pages (which can easily affect numbered headings in Word.) Simple master pages control page layout in FrameMaker, swiftly reshaping columns, background logos, and page orientation. In FrameMaker 11, not only can you instantly insert a landscape page that is disconnected from other pages; you can even change any page to landscape orientation and permit adjacent page content to pagination through it! Discover the joys instantly changing page appearance and orientation with one action. Page layout may be swiftly imported from other documents to save even more time.

Word's style catalogs don't obviously segregate text styles from paragraph styles. FrameMaker 11 provides simple, logical catalogs for paragraphs, character styles, table styles and even graphic object styles. In FrameMaker 11, not only can you globally update headings, lists and emphasized text, you can even change all instances of named tables, labeled anchored frames or graphic objects! This allows you a level of formatting control and document consistency amongst multiple authors you could have only dreamed of with Word. Warning: once you use these tools, there is no turning back.

Unlike Word, FrameMaker 11 has page headers and footers that are not limited to the top/bottom margin of the page. FrameMaker master pages allow simple actions to created rotated running headers or footers in the Left/Right page margins, or "anywhere" on the page. Headers and Footers are created with logical system variables that ensure that "file name" or other metadata will update automatically when source information is changed.

FrameMaker 11 has the unique ability to customize cross-reference formats, which use simple building blocks to display anything from page numbers, Figure Titles, to numbered prefixes and preceding Chapter or Section Titles. In cases where Word requires multiple clicks and links to targets, plus manual entry of text, FrameMaker 11 let's you "have it all" in just one mouse click.

FrameMaker 11 has a paragraph property that will allow headings to automatically position themselves in outer margins of pages. Retagging the para with a different style will restore normal position within the flow. Unlike Word, you do not need to resort to boxed text, anchored frames, or multi-step workarounds with section breaks.