[Framers] PDFs in a FM book file

[David Artman]

   You can use Acrobat Pro to append a PDF file to another PDF file, in
   whole or in part, and (IIRC) at any location using Document > Insert
   Pages.

   Yes, this adds a step (or more!) to workflow. Yes, the inserted PDF
   will have its own footers, etc; and thus, you might have to do some
   fancy footwork with page numbering in the two source files to get it
   all to align. Yes, any other autonumbering will be similarly
   problematic, requiring you to force it to start with a specific value
   (e.g., n=25). But you'll have a PDF "in" another PDF.

   As for "is [it] recommended", I think it's a good practice if you get
   content from a business partner, legal, or some other entity that would
   not want you to have any chance of editing it. (Hmm... but such a
   locked-down PDF might not be appendable, in part or in whole, to
   another one? And you can always use Advanced Text Tools on unlocked
   PDFs, so maybe this use case ISN'T a good one! You'd probably have to
   insert into FrameMaker as full-page "images" if locked down.)

   OK, another use case is a PDF created in another editor, for example a
   dynamic form made in LiveCycle Designer. VERY hard to do such things in
   FrameMaker, but easy in LCD. I've never tried that workflow, but it
   seems kosher.

   Finally, you could have an 'example' PDF that is a sample of output
   resulting from a process that is documented in the earlier PDF. That
   would avoid you having to setup several master pages in the same book
   to show the variations. OR, if you are, say, making a training manual
   for using your publishing environment, and you want to show a sample of
   all the output types, but Help won't append: make the Help output save
   as PDF and then append tot he "how to" main PDF:

   * How To Run Output (1 PDF with 'internal style')

   ** PDF Output Example (1 PDF of single-sourced sample book with
   'external style')

   ** Help Output Example (1 PDF of single-sourced sample book rendered as
   Help then exported/saved as PDF)

   ** (etc.)

   So, sure! It's recommended in cases where sourcing everything in
   FrameMaker is impossible, too time consuming, or a poor content-reuse
   scenario. Hope this helps;

   David

   -------- Original Message --------
   Subject: [Framers] PDFs in a FM book file
   From: lklane64 <[1]lklane64 at gmail.com>
   Date: Fri, March 17, 2017 9:35 am
   To: [2]framers at lists.frameusers.com
   I was wondering if anyone answered the question about adding PDFs to a
   FM book file.  Does anyone know if this is possible or even
   recommended?
   Thanks in advance,Laura

References

   1. mailto:lklane64 at gmail.com
   2. mailto:framers at lists.frameusers.com