Re: 4 FrameMaker questions...

["Thomas Michanek" <thomas.michanek@xxxxxxxxx>]

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From: "Brad Simmons" <BSIMMONS@labinterlink.com>
> My name is Brad, and I am a new tech doc writer in Omaha, NE. I've been
> working with FrameMaker for a few weeks now, and I've got a couple of
> projects due soon. Unfortunately, I've run into four vexing problems that
> are holding my projects up. Can anyone help me?

My first advice would be to take some time and read the FM manual,
or follow the guided tour in the introduction. Another advice is to
always state your FM version and platform; it often makes a difference.

> 1. For some reason, I have one or two extra pages left over in my documents.
> Also, all of my chapters seem to be set to "make page numbers even." This
> should be an easily-solved problem. I simply go to "Page Layout-Pagination,"
> and change the settings to "delete empty pages." But then, after I
> regenerate my book file, the old setting of "make page numbers even" comes
> back, along with the blank pages at the end of my chapters. 

The page settings in the book file always override the page settings in the
individual files. Your files are probably set up to start on a Right page,
and if the last file ends on a right page, a blank page must be added by FM.
If your files are set up to start on any page, then change the page settings
in the book file to "Next available page". The exact procedure varies
depending on your version of FM.

> 2. The front page of all of my chapters include a chapter number, which is
> tagged with an  automatic chapter number tag. Unfortunately, each front page
> says that each chapter is "Chapter 1." I've named my chapters with a chapter
> number in the title, and I've put them in that order in my book file.

If you're referring to file names, they have no impact on numbering.
FM takes care of all chapter numbering, if you've set up the numbering
in the paragraphs containing the chapter title/number. You either use
<$chapnum> or something like "C:<n+>" in the Numbering properties, again
depending on your version of FM. Also, numbering is controlled from the
book file, so you must make sure the files are set to Continue from the
previous file, not Restart. The exact procedure depends on... guess what? :-)

> 3. In various places in my TOC, I have a bunch of page numbers floating
> around, that are unattached to any headings. Unlike the page numbers in my
> TOC with headings, these page numbers are not indented, but appear directly
> under the headings . I don't understand why they are there. I can delete
> these annoying page numbers, but if I regenerate my TOC, they come back.
> What do I do? All of these page numbers are tagged with tags that are
> frequently used in all of my chapters. What am I doing wrong?

If you bring up the setup information for your TOC file in the book,
you'll see that you select which paragraph tags should be included in the
TOC list. You either have non-heading paragraph tags there, or your files
by mistake contain empty heading paragraphs.

> 4. I have imported pictures from a Word file into FrameMaker. In the old
> Word file, the pictures were shown with boxes of text, that was attached to
> arrows that were pointing to places in the pictures. Now that I'm working
> with Framemaker, how can I redraw those arrows and "anchor" these arrows to
> the pictures and caption boxes so that they will not move?

Bringing in Word graphics into FM will create a number of problems, depending
on how the pictures were created and how you "import" them. In FM, you put
the picture, captions and arrows inside an anchored frame, which you insert
at an appropriate place in the text. An anchored frame moves with the text,
and all of its contents with it. Captions are either made with the "A" textline
tool, or by adding small text frames (see the graphic tools palette).
Arrows are also drawn from the same palette. You can group object so that
they stay in place within the frame.

If you need further explanations or more detailed procedures, please come
back to us. It's hard to know how much guidance you need, and I don't want
to wear my keyboard down too much :-)


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Thomas Michanek, FrameMaker/UNIX/MIF expert
mailto:Thomas.Michanek@telia.com   (Sweden)
http://go.to/framers/
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