Need Advice on Upgrade Strategies for FM and Acrobat

[Orly Zimmerman]

Hello Jasmine,
Our SME/Engineers are routinely given FM to draft documents.
We have set up a template for them to use (unstructured FM) and if they are so inclined to help, this usually works very nicely.
The template is firstly setup with the types of headings and some sort of general statement of how to populate the heading - eg - 1- unit name - 2- overview- 3 features  4- signal descriptions 5 theory of operation 6 programming 7 limitations  - etc.
Secondly, the FM template is setup for ease of use.

One thing we do - is use para tag names that the engineers will understand  - for example - BodyBeforeList which is exactly what it implies. And while this is an unstructured file, the next para is defined as a Bullet tag - so that they actually can get a bulleted list (should they need a numbered list, then we would explain to them to change that tag to Numbered1  whereby Numbered is the next tag - and so on.

Now, if I were creating the template for FM Tech Writers, the tag name would be  BBL or b4list or some shortened version whereby I could use shortcut keys - to format, but, from experience, I can tell you that the engineers don't like to remember keyboard shortcuts. F8/F9 are hard enough to get them to remember.

Tables are already setup in the template. There was some special table we used that already had some cells straddled with different para tags in the relevant places, so that we put on the reference page - they can copy from the ref page.

If you use conditional text, the other - very important thing I would make sure they know and understand, is to always work with **all** conditions showing - and give them a lengthy explanation on how to use conditions.

I could go on and on...

In other words, if you set up the template for easy use, it makes their and your job easier.

As far as upgrades and Acrobat - you'll probably have to get the latest FM for the engineers -they most likely don't need the TCS. In the past, I think that single FM licenses came with Acrobat Distiller installed, then the SMEs can create PDFs which is basically all they need from Acrobat. I don't know how Adobe sells the packs now.

Best of Luck,
Orly.
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Orly Zimmerman, Marvell Israel - Technical Communicator
Park Azorim, Kyriat Arie
Petah Tikva, 49527, Israel
Email: orlyz at marvell.com<mailto:orlyz at marvell.com>
Office: +972.3.9703440 - OnNet: 705.3440
Fax: +972.3.9704908
Web site: http://www.marvell.com<http://www.marvell.com/>

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