[Framers] Equations and font sizes of different components in Framemaker 2019

[tammyvb at spectrumwritingllc.com]

OK,

 

If anyone has used the Equations pod and can provide insight in how to solve
this problem, I would be forever grateful. Here's the story:

 

I have a very equation dense manual that I am producing in Framemaker 2019
for all the text, imported graphics, etc. I have a sub-contractor who is
working in an equation editor to define and develop all the necessary
equations. These equations are organized in a Word document. I take a screen
capture of the full equation and import it into an anchored frame in my
document. I am doing it this way because each equation must be used in two
separate manuals (the manual that I am currently writing and a manual that
consists of only the equations - nothing more). As a result, after I take a
screen capture and store the capture in a central location, I can import the
equation into each document. If the equation must be edited/updated, then
the equation is updated in the Word document, I retake the screen capture w/
the same name and save it to the original location to simultaneously update
the two docs. This part has worked flawlessly.

 

What I MUST do in the manual that I am currently writing is tabulate each
equation variable in a two column table. The left column is the variable,
and the right column is the variable definition. For the left column of the
table, I have a paragraph tag defined as TableEquationVariable, and this tag
is set to Times New Roman, 12 point, Italic.  I also have two character tags
with everything set to As-is - Superscript and Subscript - and as the name
implies the ONLY property that I have set for these tags is Superscript or
Subscript.  For variables that require a single superscript or subscript,
this works just fine, for example, Clumen,t.  However, the one thing that I
have noticed is that after applying either of these tags, the subscript or
superscript visually appear smaller in font size but I have confirmed that
they are indeed 12pt in size. I guess it's just the way that FM applies this
scripting property falsely makes the font appear smaller than it is.

 

The rub is that the vast majority of these variables contain both subscripts
and superscripts. For example, Cj,lumen,t would be a C with a "j" subscript
and perfectly aligned underneath the "j" would be the "lumen, t" subscript.
For such a variable,  I insert a new Medium Equation, and w/ the ? mark
selected, I enter a capital C.  Under symbols, I then Start String, enter a
"j" and then End String. I then position the selected string of "j" as
needed for a superscript. I then place the cursor after the "j", and then
Start String, enter "lumen, t" and then End String. I then position the
selected string appropriately as a subscript. The problem is that the font
size of these subscripts and superscripts visually appears MUCH larger than
the font of the superscript or subscripts for which I manually applied the
character tag. So, I created an additional Character Tag called
EquationVariables_SuperSubScript and set everything to as-is OTHER than the
font size and set that to a font size of 8 pt - something in an attempt to
get these strings to look like the free-handed subscript/superscripts in
other variables. In the Equation Fonts dialog box, I mapped Strings to this
new tag, but. . . .  this doesn't seem to make one darned bit of difference.
The strings appear to remain noticeably larger in font size than I want.  

 

I have tried the other route w/ Small Equation size but then the C is MUCH
smaller than the required font. .  etc. I am just going in circles but from
the other direction.

 

So I tried a third approach where the C was just freely entered text, and
then I entered each string as independent equation and that solved the font
size issue for whatever reason, but positioning one string as a subscript
and one as a superscript is simply not feasible. 

 

If anyone can point me in the right direction to resolving this dilemma, I
would be most appreciative. It is definitely a visual issue that my SMEs
have flagged and they want it resolved (understandably) before the final
publication of this manual and I am just bonkers at this point.

 

TIA,

 

TVB

 

Tammy Van Boening

Tammy dot vanboening at spectrumwritingllc dot com

www.spectrumwritingllc.com

 


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