FM8 DITA -- What can I expect to generate from a DITAMAP file?

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4 total messages Started by R._VanDyke Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:20

#592

Author: R._VanDyke
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:20

15 lines
1391 bytes

For FM8 and DITA.

IF I choose NOT to use DITA > Build FM DITABook from DITA map file OR DITA > Build FM Document from DITA map, THEN what can I generate:


  * Directly from FrameMaker using that DITAMAP file?
  * Indirectly using one or another third-party process or tool (DITA-OT,
  Adobe RoboHelp for FrameMaker, etc.?

I'm slowly assembling topics of various standard types (concept, task, reference) into a FrameMaker DITAMAP file. I've already figured out how to turn these XML-based topics back into a FrameMaker book or DITABook and thus a PDF, but I'm hoping my options are a bit broader than that.

Or am I missing the point of the DITAMAP file, entirely? (Which I'll at this point may be the case...)

Cheers & thanks,
Riley

Re: FM8 DITA -- What can I expect to generate from a DITAMAP file?

#594

Author: Scott_Prentice
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:20

29 lines
2034 bytes

Hi Riley...

The only think that FM can do directly with a ditamap is to convert it into a book. All other processing would need to be done with the DITA-OT or other third party tools.

If you're using FM8 DITA, you'll need to install the OT plugin to allow you to process your ditamap with the OT ..

 <http://www.adobe.com/devnet/framemaker/fm8_opentoolkit.html>

It can be very difficult to get this to actually work. Some information that may be helpful is available here ..

 <http://kb.leximation.com/dfm/?kbid=7>

Once you get it installed, you may have trouble connecting properly to the OT itself. The key is to have the environment variables defined globally. This topic is also useful in getting the OT set up, but is only valid for FM8 DITA up to step #4 (the rest only applies to DITA-FMx)

 <http://kb.leximation.com/dfm/?kbid=1>

(DITA-FMx includes the OT connector and is much easier to get working with the OT.)

Once this is set up and functional, you can generate many types of output through the DITA-OT. Of course .. then you need to customize the OT to get your output to look the way you want. :)

If you've got TCS, you can import the generated FM book into RoboHelp then generate online output through its UI.

Cheers,

...scott

Scott Prentice
Leximation, Inc.
www.leximation.com

Re: FM8 DITA -- What can I expect to generate from a DITAMAP file?

#595

Author: R._VanDyke
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:34

12 lines
937 bytes

Scott:

Thanks much!

If it's not too much trouble, could you please describe what workflow you used to create this HTML system:

 <http://docs.leximation.com/dita-fmx/1.00/>

Was that through the DITA-OT, or...?

Cheers & thanks,
Riley

Re: FM8 DITA -- What can I expect to generate from a DITAMAP file?

#596

Author: Scott_Prentice
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:14

7 lines
891 bytes

Yup .. FM(7.2|8) > DITA-OT (custom XHTML target)

I use the same source to generate the CHM file included with DITA-FMx, but it's filtered slightly differently to exclude images.

Cheers,

...scott

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