OT: Software recommendations

[Writer]

We use DITA (authored in FM9) and create HTML output with ePublisher. Currently, we create an FM book from the DITA files, apply a template to the book, and create the PDF with Acrobat. WebWorks has added the ability to format PDF output through ePublisher, but we haven't had the chance to run it through its paces. If we can get the output to look the way we need it to, this will shave a lot of time off of production.

We do all this without a CMS, although I shall be investigating CMS systems this year.

Even though we do have to keep a close eye on managing the files and the process, I really like working this way.

Nadine

--- On Mon, 1/25/10, Roger Shuttleworth <rshuttleworth at avbasesystems.com> wrote:

> From: Roger Shuttleworth <rshuttleworth at avbasesystems.com>
> Subject: OT: Software recommendations
> To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> Date: Monday, January 25, 2010, 4:23 PM
> Hello All
> 
> I just started a new job at a software company whose
> product is very GUI-intense. User assistance is crucial, and
> our legacy versions use online Help that opens in a separate
> browser window. Management seem to be very open to the idea
> of embedded help, etc. in upcoming versions, and they are
> very serious about good UI design - so I'm hoping I'll be
> able to promote embedded help in the future.
> 
> In the past the Help was  created in RoboHelp 7 and
> existed separately from any PDF output, but in the future I
> can see us also creating well-designed PDFs, single-sourcing
> the PDF and the Help, and maybe also training materials.
> There will also be about four software packages with
> different sets of features (so some form of
> inclusion/exclusion mechanism will be needed.
> 
> I'm looking for recommendations as to which software
> package(s) to use. My inclination is to get TCS2,
> single-source in FrameMaker, and then push to RH. I'm pretty
> savvy with structured FM (though not v.9.0).
> 
> Before I leap for TCS2, I wonder if there are other
> possibilities. We do not need XML as yet, though it may be a
> remote possibility down the road). I've also thought about
> using XML and the DITA-OT, but the PDF output is probably
> not good enough and there will be issues with file
> management in the absence of a content management system.
> 
> Any suggestions will be welcome. Thanks for your help.
> 
> Roger
> 
> Roger Shuttleworth
> Technical Documentation
> AV-BASE Systems Inc.
> 1000 Air Ontario Drive, Suite 200
> London, Ontario
> N5V 3S4
> Canada
> Tel. 519 691-0919 ext. 320
> rshuttleworth at avbasesystems.com
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