Re: Master Page/Delete File issues with PDFs created with scripts

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I assume you're using Frame 6, and that by "script" you mean FrameScript. I 
gather that, for producing PDF, you're deleting all empty last pages no 
matter whether they're odd or even, which means that your book file setup 
should specify Next Available Page and Delete Empty Pages for each file in 
each book.  If, after making all these settings, you're still getting empty 
pages, you could probably get rid of them by adding the appropriate actions 
to your FrameScript.

As for automating the application of non-default master pages (i.e., master 
pages having names other than Left or Right), it might be possible to 
automate this in a FrameScript based on what tag is used in the first 
paragraph on each page, or, perhaps, more flexibly, based on the text in a 
special marker type which is used to specify the non-default master page 
type that is to be applied. FrameScript would interpret the marker and 
apply the specified master page type to that page and all subsequent pages 
that do not have a marker. To switch back to the default Left/Right page 
pair, you'd insert a special marker that contains the word "Default."
But, to implement this approach, you'd have to establish a consistent 
master page naming convention. For example, suppose you have left and right 
versions of a master page named TOC. In that case, the naming convention 
might be as follows: TOC.Left and TOC.Right, where the descriptive name is 
the stemname preceding the period, and the period is always followed by the 
word Left or Right.
Now, after establishing that master page naming convention, when a special 
marker containing the stemname "TOC" is found, FrameScript would apply the 
appropriate master page (TOC.Left or TOC.Right) from the TOC master page 
pair to the page beginning where the special marker is found, and would 
continue to apply that master page type (TOC.Left or TOC.Right as 
appropriate) to all subsequent pages until it encounters another special 
marker specifying a different master page type.
At 06:37 PM 2/13/02 -0800, Becky Raymond wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I'd like to verify that I've exhausted all of my options before I rip 
>apart my current setup and make big changes. Currently, I've got about 250 
>.fm files in about 25 books. I use conditional text, variables, and 
>various master pages to get the books the way I want them for our 
>different products/delivery mechanisms. I've got a script set up to create 
>a PDF file for each of the books automatically, using FrameScript to 
>import templates, set variables, print, etc. Everything is working well, 
>except the deletion of blank pages and the application of master pages.
>
>A while ago, when I was doing a lot of the final document generation by 
>hand, I started down the path of having many different master pages all in 
>one template so that I'd only have to import the template once into all 
>documents (I had different master page constructs for different types of 
>pages -- e.g., chapters, indices, title pages, etc. -- and I had different 
>sets of master pages for different delivery mechanisms -- e.g., print vs. 
>pdf). The two problems with this approach are that 1) FrameMaker doesn't 
>automatically delete empty pages when custom master pages are used even 
>though Delete Empty Pages is on (this appears to be a feature, but I don't 
>get it -- to me, blank is blank regardless of the master page used), and 
>2) FrameMaker by default applies the right and left master pages when a 
>new page is created (although for my needs, it would be really cool if it 
>would alternate between the last two master pages when applying master 
>pages to new pages in a file). Before, I used to finalize page breaks, 
>etc. manually before delivery, so I was able to delete empty pages and fix 
>any incorrect master pages myself. But, now that it's all automated, I 
>need to have these things work without my intervention.
>
>I'm now thinking that I have no other option but to 1) change all of my 
>documents to use only default right/left master pages, 2) use various 
>templates to specify the different types of information I want on the 
>like-named master pages (e.g., one for regular chapters, one for indices, 
>etc.), and 3) change my scripts so that different master pages are 
>imported into different files in each book. This should make FrameMaker 
>apply master pages properly to new pages and delete empty pages 
>automatically when the Delete Empty Pages option is on.
>
>Before I do this work, I'm just wondering if there's something I haven't 
>considered with my current setup -- if anybody else has a method that 
>works using a setup similar to mine.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Becky
>
>
>** To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@omsys.com **
>** with "unsubscribe framers" (no quotes) in the body.   **

====================
| Nullius in Verba |
====================
Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory@primenet.com
177 Riverside Ave., STE F, #1151, Newport Beach, CA 92663
---Subscribe to the "Free Framers" list by sending a message to
majordomo@omsys.com with "subscribe framers" (no quotes) in the body.



** To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@omsys.com **
** with "unsubscribe framers" (no quotes) in the body.   **