Books and List of...

[Alison Craig]

Thanks Rick.

There could end up being 20 or more drawings so using Exclude might lead to errors as it relies on memory rather than a defined process handled by the software.

I've already created and released a set of user manuals with the wrong cover image (I rely on memory to copy in the correct Cover file), so I'm thinking *my* memory isn't the best option here.

Alison

Alison Craig, Technical Writer
Ultrasonix Medical Corporation
Tel: (604) 279-8550, ext 127
E-mail: alison.craig at ultrasonix.com
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Quatro [mailto:rick at rickquatro.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 11:59 AM
To: Alison Craig; framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: RE: Books and List of...

Hi Alison,

In FrameMaker 9, you can right-click on a book component and choose Exclude.
I am not exactly sure what this means, but it may serve to make the exclude
the component from the numbering, TOC, etc. So you may be able to have a
single book, but exclude components as appropriate for a particular output.
I am not exactly sure, though, if this is how it works.

Since books are just pointers to their components anyway, it may be less
complicated to have separate books or each output. Please let me know if you
have any questions or comments. Thank you very much.

Rick

Rick Quatro
Carmen Publishing Inc.
585-659-8267
rick at frameexpert.com

*** Frame Automation blog at http://frameautomation.com

Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 2:18 PM
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Books and List of...

FM 9 Version: 9.0p255
Unstructured
OS: XP Pro with SP3
FM Experience: 15 months
Writing Team: 1 (me)

I'm working on an addition to my Service Manual (SM) suite. At the moment, I
have one Book with all the same files and I use conditional text and
variable files to create two different SMs for four different products
(three products share one SM). Currently, I copy in the appropriate Cover
file to suit the particular product I am creating at any given time.

At this point, I am adding a series of drawings to the manual(s). These
drawings will be created by the Mechanical department (to my specs) in a CAD
program and saved as AI files so I can have my way with them. Some drawings
will be universal and others will be specific to one of the two SMs. Each
drawing will be a separate, single-sided document on 11x17 paper.

I have the template for the Master Page down, I think (many thanks to Rick
Quatro) but now I'm trying to figure out the best way to include them in the
Book. I thought I'd run my idea by the List before proceeding to make sure I
haven't missed any big holes.

My thought is to create two Books as I can't see a way to add a condition to
an entire file. All Chapters and Appendices would be exactly the same files
(as would the Title Page and TOC), but the Drawings could then be included
on a product basis. This way I could also have Cover files relevant to
specific products (so I don't have to handle this manually any more).

Does this seem like the most straightforward approach?

I would also like to create a Drawing TOC or List of Drawings to fall after
the regular TOC. My first guess is to create the Marker Type "Drawing", then
create a List of Drawings based on that Marker Type (I would use the Drawing
title as the text for the Marker). Does this make sense, or is there a
better way?

Alison

Alison Craig, Technical Writer
Ultrasonix Medical Corporation
Tel: (604) 279-8550, ext 127
E-mail: alison.craig at ultrasonix.com<mailto:alison.craig at ultrasonix.com>