[Framers] Table of Contents issue in FM-generated PDF

[Harrington, Matthew (Contractor)]

Hi Framers,

I'm having a little FrameMaker-generated PDF issue with the table of contents (TOC) and wondered if anyone might know a solution? Maybe this is the way PDFs have always worked when generated from Adobe FrameMaker, but my use of FM is intermittent, so I don't remember. I have been scouring the Internet on and off over several days seeking a solution, but coming up empty.

So, an example in contrast first: when I convert a Word document to a PDF using 'Save As PDF', the TOC automatically converts all of its entries into hyperlinks to those headings throughout the document (much as bookmarks generated by FrameMaker do in a PDF). In both Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and in Foxit PhantomPDF I can then go to Edit [PDF] > Link and click the 'Add/Edit Web or Document Link' function, which highlights every entry in the TOC with a nice bounding box. I can then modify where they link by making changes in right-click > Properties.

A few months ago I was upgraded from FrameMaker version 12.0.4.445 to FrameMaker version 16.0.0.754 and still running on a Windows 10 laptop in both cases (FM 12 is still on my laptop, but I do not use it). Even under FM 12, I don't believe the generated PDF would let me to do what I described above with its generated PDF opened in Adobe Acrobat. Instead, it seemed like I was only able to do those things with Foxit PhantomPDF. For a large document, containing hundreds of headings this is a HUGE timesaver.

However, under FM 16, it appears I can't get the TOC bounding boxes even with Foxit PhantomPDF. None of the settings under the 'PDF' option under the FM Publish function jump out as the issue-though I do not know if clicking either "Create Tagged PDF" (section 508 stuff) or "Use Acrobat Distiller for PDF generation" would fix this. Oddly, when I click that 'Edit > Link' function in either Adobe Acrobat Pro DC or in Foxit PhantomPDF, I do get the bounding boxes in my List of Figures, List of Tables, and Index. This makes me inclined to think it may be more of a TOC setting in FrameMaker, but I don't know. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm stumped.

Thank you,
Matt