OT: Is there an easy way to manage graphics shared in many FM files?

[Rene Stephenson]

I have a license personally, but the company never bought one. I'llpitch it to them again, as a MUST HAVE in the current environment.(wish me luck)

I do create help files with WebWorks, but I'venever been able to get them to upgrade to ePublisher. We're stuck withWWP Pro 8.x.

I'll pop over to the AutoImager site and check thatout. I know there is a small budget for software remaining, and if Ican fit FS and AutoImager into it, that looks like money very wellspent.

As for the current graphics, we have a tree structure like this:
DocProjects
    Common
            Templates
            SharedFMfiles
                    GraphicsForSharedFiles
            SharedTextInsets  
                    GraphicsForInsets
    Product1
            FMfiles (contains multiple .book and .fm files for various flavors of product1 docs)
            GraphicsImported
    Product2
            FMfiles (contains multiple .book and .fm files for various flavors of product2 docs)
            GraphicsImported
    ...[all other product folders in similar hierarchy]...
    System
            SysDescFMfiles
            SysMaintFMfiles (these .fm files have imported graphics files from all over the other product folders)
            SysGraphicsImported

GraphicsRepository (95% of the AI/CDR/VSD/DXF/DWG source files are here)
    container1
           [unrestrained folder depth with no readily identifiable theme for organization]
    container2
           [unrestrained folder depth with no readily identifiable theme for organization]
    container...
           [unrestrained folder depth with no readily identifiable theme for organization]


I think maybe the repository issues are beyond the scope of FS to deal with...? 

Rene
----- Original Message ----
From: "martin.smith at golehtek.com" <martin.smith at golehtek.com>
To: rinnie1 at yahoo.com
Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2008 3:21:41 PM
Subject: Re: OT: Is there an easy way to manage graphics shared in many FM files?

Hi Rene,

Do you have a license for FrameScript at your company, by any chance?  
FrameScript is a
high level scripting language available from Finite Matters Limited
(http://www.framescript.com) that makes it possible to extend the  
capabilities of Adobe
FrameMaker. If you would like to try out FrameScript, you can download  
a trial version
from the FML web site.

I have a freely available script on my personal web site  
(http://www.golehtek.com) called
BookMover that organizes the imported graphics in a FrameMaker book  
under a graphics
directory, further organized by chapter.

Using FrameScript, it would be fairly simple to generate reports about  
the imported
graphics in your documents, and develop an interface for tracking and  
managing the
graphics. If you can provide me with more information about what you  
are trying to
achieve, I can give you an estimate about the amount of work involved.

Regarding generating graphics from the original source files, this may  
also be possible.
I have achieved really nice results using AutoImager. AutoImager is an  
inexpensive
graphics conversion program that can produce vector and raster  
graphics from more than
120 common graphic formats. You can control AutoImager from within  
FrameScript, making it
possible to build an end-to-end solution for graphics conversion and  
management. More
information about AutoImager is available from  
http://www.mystikmedia.com/autoimager.asp.

I use AutoImager in conjunction with WebWorks ePublisher Pro so users  
can enlarge or
reduce the graphics in my on-line help systems without leaving the  
current topic. This
also solves the problems that occur when an anchored frame contains  
more than one
graphic, or a combination of graphics and annotations.

I hope this gives you some ideas to ponder.

Feel free to contact me any time with any additional questions.

Best regards,

Martin

Martin R. Smith
President: GolehTek, LLC
martin.smith at golehtek.com
703-889-0845