Learning curve for FrameMaker

[Dennis Brunnenmeyer]

The learning curve for FrameMaker can be steep or relatively shallow, 
but it depends how how deep you involve yourself and whether its an 
avocation or a full-time effort. My recommendations:

1. Go for it with intensity and determination; dabbling won't work.
2. Get the previously recommended book by O'Keefe. It's extremely good.
3. Find and use a copy of Classroom in a Book for FrameMaker 7. eBay, 
Amazon and Abebooks.com are places to look for used copies.  See eBay 
item No. 310027856687, for example.
4. Join the Adobe FrameMaker forum and follow the FrameUser's mail 
list. Read every posting whose topic is of conceivable interest. 
Begin contributing as soon as you feel like you can answer someone 
else's question. Post your own questions after trying your best to 
figure them out for yourself.
5. Find another user in the same boat or one in a slightly larger 
ship. Trade experiences and share knowledge to accelerate your 
understanding as well as theirs.

Don't get discouraged. It may take several weeks to a month to get to 
where you fathom the program and can use it with some degree of 
self-confidence, six months until you feel pretty comfortable with it 
and it may be one or two years (or more) before you consider yourself a guru.

Once you understand the basic concepts, you'll find that the basic 
features are very intuitive and logical.

Dennis Brunnenmeyer
Cedar Ridge Systems
*******************************************************************
At 02:17 PM 4/29/2008, Linda G. Gallagher wrote:
>Most are called plug-ins. They extend FM's capabilities and are very handy.
>I use quite a few.
>
>There are also scripts that you use or create that let you do more
>customized things with your FM documents and books, usually using
>FrameScript.
>
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Linda G. Gallagher
>TechCom Plus, LLC
>lindag at techcomplus dot com
>www.techcomplus.com
>303-450-9076 or 800-500-3144
>User guides, online help, FrameMaker and
>WebWorks ePublisher templates
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com
>[mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Deirdre Reagan
>Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 3:09 PM
>To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
>Subject: Re: Learning curve for FrameMaker
>
>Also, one other thing:  FrameMaker has a lot of add-ons -- what are
>these called?  Scripts that peope have written that you can buy and
>use with the program.  I think I am understanding their purpose
>correctly.  The equivalent of a macro in Word, I believe.  Anyway,
>there are loads of them and many people use them often.
>
>Framers, is that correct?
>
>Deirdre
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Dennis Brunnenmeyer
Director of Engineering
CEDAR RIDGE SYSTEMS
15019 Rattlesnake Road
Grass Valley, CA 95945-8710
Office: (530) 477-9015
Fax:  (530) 477-9085
Mobile: (530) 320-9025
eMail:  dennisb /at/ chronometrics /dot/ com