[Framers] Frame vs InDesign

[Peter Gold]

Hi, Frank!

Gillian's suggestion is great, but for the fact that it has been asked and
responded to often already. I suggest that you begin by searching for
"compare framemaker and indesign" on the Internet and on this forum as well
as Adobe's FrameMaker and Indesign forums, and Indesignsecrets and
indesigmagazine

I once had the brilliant idea to write "InDesign for FrameMaker Users"
training materials, but gave it up after a little research revealed that
the audience was a niche of a niche. I made a few responses to your
specific questions below, and added a note or two.

> On Nov 18, 2021, at 3:28 PM, Frank Ripp <fripp at pacificbiosciences.com>
wrote:

> >
> > New management is pushing for the overall use of InDesign for marketing
> collateral and technical documentation at my company.
> > I'm a long time Frame user, producing a set of software documentation
> ranging from release notes, installation guides, API guides, and a 160-page
> user guide. All are delivered as PDF files.
> >
> > I've been asked to figure out whether or not InDesign will fit my
> documentation needs, and have many questions.
> >
> >
> >  *   Most importantly: Can InDesign generate good PDF files, with
> working links?
>

YES! If this is your only requirement, you're home free.

> >  *   Is InDesign good for large documents (100-160 pages), with TOCs,
> and lots of internal and external cross-references?
>

InDesign's long-tech-doc tools are nearly equal to FM.

>  *   Can I transfer my existing paragraph and character styles from Frame
> to InDesign?
>

Sort-of. Scripted export, or exporting to MS Word or RTF can probably
preserve most of your named formats names, but not properties not supported
by InDesign.

>  *   Can I import a Frame book into InDesign?
>

Yes, but not directly.

>
> > Has anyone out there successfully switched from Frame to Indesign?
>

Some of us stick with both. If you mean "converted publications from FM to
ID?" yes. If you mean "round-trip documents seamlessly and ongoing," not
exactly. If you mean "never went back to FM after migrating legacy docs to
ID?" not sure.

> > Is this a non-starter for the type of documents I produce?
>

If you mean converting or exporting content to DITA, ?ML, that's a problem.

> >
> > Any advice, thoughts or pointers are greatly appreciated!
>

dtptools.com's mif filter conversion is helpful, but the converted docs
employ crude implementations to emulate some of FM's unique features like
anchored frames, run-in paragraphs. I reviewed it in InDesign Magazine
around 2008. dtptools cross-reference tool is fabulous, smarter than FM's.
I reviewed it in 2007 IIRC for InDesign Magazine.

You can probably find or get Rick to write some custom scripts for some
conversion issues you encounter.


Briefly, if you love FrameMaker and are really good at using all its
long-doc features, you'll love the adjustment period to meeting challenges
of moving to InDesign.

(I used to live in Mountain View.)

HTH


>
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Frank Ripp
> > SR. Technical Writer
> > Pacific Biosciences
> > 1305 O'Brien Drive,
> > Menlo Park, CA 94025
> > (650) 521-8315
>



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