Line end Styles

Thread View: adobe.framemaker

5 messages

[T] Back to Threads [V] Tree View [G] Group Articles

5 total messages Started by Trevor_Copage Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:18

#764

Author: Trevor_Copage
Date: Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:18

1 lines
1081 bytes

Does anyone know how I can modify the line end styles to change from an arrowhead to a bullet? This has frustrated me for years, however I now have a client who insists on this style for callouts in the graphics. If it was just a few, they could be individually fabricated but there will hundreds of figures in several manuals, each with several callout lines. Adding the callout lines to the graphics prior to importing them into FM is not an alternative option as their generation is specific to the authoring process.

Re: Line end Styles

#766

Author: Sheila_Carlisle
Date: Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:33

1 lines
780 bytes

Although in this case I doubt that there is much change from one version to another, it's always a Good Thing to let us know what version of FM you're using, including the "pxxx" numbers from Help > About.

Re: Line end Styles

#773

Author: Trevor_Copage
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:44

1 lines
802 bytes

Sorry Sheila, Currently using 7.2 (p158), and trialing 9. The request has been the source of frustration since I started using FM 4 many years ago (progressing thro' 5,6,7), but is only now that it has become a serious production issue for me.

Re: Line end Styles

#774

Author: Michael_Mueller-Hillebrand
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:54

7 lines
1085 bytes

If this is a "serious production issue" it is definitely worth an automated process that does the "individual fabrication" for you.

The task would be to use a defined line-end and then have a script (or API plug-in) run through all line graphics, detecting that line-end and placing a circle in the correct position. Such a solution would fo course tag all auto-added circles, so they can be easily deleted as well.

This would be better than waiting for a FrameMaker version with that feature.

- Michael

Re: Line end Styles

#776

Author: Art Campbell
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:02

7 lines
1260 bytes

I agree that Michael's programmatic solution would be the best solution (bar one) if you can find a Framescript coder to do it. I'd contact Rick Quatro at frameexpert.com.... he's done a number of great custom scrips and he may be able to help.

That said, this type of call-out has fallen way out of favor in many parts of the tech writing community because it's time intensive and actually gets in the way of translation and modification because the graphic itself has to change.

A more adaptable and easier-to-implement solution is to label the parts of the drawing with numbers or letters in a circle and have a key describing the parts outside the graphic in the text flow.

Art

Thread Navigation

This is a paginated view of messages in the thread with full content displayed inline.

Messages are displayed in chronological order, with the original post highlighted in green.

Use pagination controls to navigate through all messages in large threads.

Back to All Threads