equation editor for FM 9.0

[Tarlochan S. Nahal]

Dear Klaus Daube,

Actually, the FrameMaker's equation editor is quite powerful, but one must have some patience and time to learn it. I used it extensively in the early 1990s when I was working with a digital image processing expert, former MIT Math professor and director of engineering at Sun. This was a 900-page manual related to ISO graphics standards. I certainly did not understand those 3-storey high Math equations, but I produced them exactly the way they were needed. 
 
I think the equation editor is little bit better now because it has better micropositioning and alignment functions. There were a couple of 'extremely rarely used' symbols that it did not have then and perhaps still does not have, but it is still a very powerful equation editor.
 
You can call up the equation editor within Frame and starting working on simple equations using Operators and then start adding matrices and so on. Do not be intimidated by "?" marks. These marks simply mean that you need to enter the appropriate values. Click on the right side of the equation to add more values and mathematical elements.  You can start work on a valid mathematical equation from a book or magazine and see if you can create it by entering those values. After entering simple equations, you can do more complex ones. 
 
Please keep in mind that equation editor has a mathematical engine below the surface that keeps track of various operations. So it is very different from entering simple text. Once you have done the basic learning, it is really not that difficult.
 
Regards
 
Tarlochan S. Nahal
 
Sr. Technical Writer
Atheros Communications, Inc.
Santa Clara, CA