Need some FM tips

[Combs, Richard]

David Shaked (Wernick) wrote: 
 
> Can I ask the list members for some tips on various FM 
> techniques? I am using FM 7.2. Most of these questions 
> (except #6) are about techniques that are easy to use in 
> Word, and I haven't yet found an FM equivalent.
> 
> 
> 1. Navigation techniques. Are there quick ways, such as 
> shortcut keys, to do the following:
> 
>    a. Display the book window?
>    b. After following a cross reference (Alt+Ctrl+Click), go 
> back to the cross reference?
>    c. Go back to the last place that I edited?
>    d. Go to a specified page number in a book, if it is not 
> within the currently displayed *.fm file?

Ctrl+Tab cycles through the open windows within FM. Use Ctrl+g to go to
a page or to the insertion point.

For lots of menu and toolbar enhancements, including more navigation
tools, go to www.microtype.com/resources.html and get ToolbarPlus. While
you're at that site, click Links and check out some of the FM resources
and tools listed. Don't forget to bookmark that page!
 
> 2. Is there a way to display the same document in two windows 
> or in a split window?

Yes, if you get Enhance (www.sandybrook.com/enhance/), which has many
other compelling features. 
 
> 3. What is the best way to create a TOC or index conforming 
> to a predefined template? The method that I have used so far 
> is the following:
> 
>    a. Copy the TOC and index templates to the document directory.
>    b. Rename the files according to the convention 
> <bookname>TOC.fm and <bookname>IX.fm.
>    c. Open the *.book file and choose Add > TOC or Add > 
> Standard Index. FM places the TOC and index in the above 
> files and adds them to the book.
> 
>    Is that the right way?

It's a good way, probably better than most. There are generally several
ways to do anything in FM, and the "right" way often depends on your
personal preferences and situation.

> 4. On one computer, I accidentally moved my toolbar (the 
> Quick Access Bar) to a floating position within the document 
> window. How can I can move it back to the docked position at 
> the top of the FM window? It refuses to dock.

Never seen that. Try this: Open maker.ini and find the
ShowQuickAccessBar setting. Set it to this: 
ShowQuickAccessBar=On H

 
> 5. If I shorten a document, I need to manually delete the 
> blank pages at the end of the document. Shouldn't the pages 
> disappear automatically?

Select Format > Page Layout > Pagination and look at the 1st Page Side
(if Double Sided) and Before Saving & Printing settings. Within a book,
these settings interact. If your doc is double-sided and you want the
following chapter to start on a right-hand (odd) page, this chapter will
have to have either zero or one empty page, depending on whether the
content ends on a left or right page. If you don't care about where the
following chapter starts (or it's a single sided doc) you can select
Delete Empty Pages. 

FM deletes unnecessary empty pages when you save or print. Unless you're
applying custom master pages. FM won't delete pages using custom master
pages, only default Right/Left pages. 
 
> 6. Can I create a book of books? My idea is to create a 
> "super-book" that I can use for global operations such as 
> find/replace or import-formats throughout a documentation 
> set. However, I must be careful not to inadvertently change 
> the page and chapter numbering or corrupt any XRefs while doing this.

No, but the same files can be put into any number of books. So you can
create a "master" book that contains all the chapter files in your suite
of 10 manuals, and use the "master" book just for global operations like
updating variables, generating an index of imported graphics, etc. 
 
> Thanks in advance.

HTH! 
Richard


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Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
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