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Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2 Integration Jumpstart

Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2 Integration Jumpstart. Presented by Biff Bifferson South River Technologies www.southrivertechnologies.com | bbiff@srt.com. What is the TCS?.

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Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2 Integration Jumpstart

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  1. Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2Integration Jumpstart Presented by Biff BiffersonSouth River Technologieswww.southrivertechnologies.com | bbiff@srt.com

  2. What is the TCS? • A complete solution for authoring, managing and publishing technical information and training content in multiple formats and languages. The suite combines five powerful programs: • Acrobat 9 • FrameMaker 9 • RoboHelp 8 • Captivate 4 • PhotoShop CS4

  3. The Production Lines: Blurring • Instructional Designers, Technical Writers and Help Authors • Print Publishers • Technical Trainers • eLearning Developers • Redundancy: A Major Frustration

  4. Why is the TCS Important? • TCS applications are enhanced so they “communicate” with each other. • Technical content is authored in FrameMaker (instead of MS Word). • eLearning content authored in Captivate. • Collaborate with team members via PDF review. • Help Systems created in RoboHelp. • Single Source Layouts. • On the Fly Updates.

  5. The TCS Workflow • Create FrameMaker templates, chapters and books. • “Clean” and import Word documents into FrameMaker via Copy into Document. • Won’t completely eliminate Microsoft Word from the workflow. • “Clean” Word documents import nicely into FrameMaker (and FrameMaker).

  6. The TCS Workflow • Import images into FrameMaker by Reference. • Create the Captivate lessons (projects). • Publish and then import the Captivate lessons into FrameMaker by Reference. • You’d publish your Captivate projects as Flash SWFs and import them into FrameMaker

  7. The TCS Workflow • The FrameMaker books will be imported into a RoboHelp by Reference. • Import the FrameMaker files into RoboHelp by Reference • Map styles, set up pagination and image quality • Update the Captivate content from within a FrameMaker document. • Update FrameMaker book files and generate the book. • Update the references to the FrameMaker content within the RoboHelp project.

  8. RoboHelp • A Help authoring tool (HAT) • Most Web-based and desktop applications are complex enough to warrant a comprehensive Help system • One of the most common reasons people choose to deliver online Help is because it provides navigational benefits to end users and project management and organizational features for authors.

  9. RoboHelp • When it comes to integrating the applications found in the suite, RoboHelp’s role is important but minimal when compared to FrameMaker • All you’ll need to do in RoboHelp is create or open an existing project • Then you’ll import the FrameMaker content into the RoboHelp project by Reference

  10. Captivate • Using Adobe Captivate, you can create computer-based or soft-skills simulations from anything you can access from your computer • The simulations you create can be interactive—you can add captions, rollovers, clickable areas, typing areas and sound effects • The finished Captivate lessons you publish will be small • They can be exported to either a Flash file format (SWF), executable files or Word documents • The SWFs are cross-platform and can be viewed via a Web browser (Internet Explorer or FireFox)

  11. PhotoShop • Powerful image editing application used to manipulate images and photographs • Often referred to as a digital darkroom • You can import native PSD files into RoboHelp • Screen captures and images imported into FrameMaker can be edited using PhotoShop • Import by Reference results in an instant update in FrameMaker

  12. FrameMaker • FrameMaker is the authoring and publishing solution for technical communicators that combines word processing and XML-based structured authoring with template-based publishing • FrameMaker is the first choice for long or graphics-intensive books that contain tables, cross-references and complex numbering schemes

  13. FrameMaker • FrameMaker serves the largest role in the integration process • Create the individual documents • Content typically created in Word in imported into FrameMaker via “Copy into Document” • Add Images and Multimedia Assets • Add Cross References and Conditions • Create the book • Add a TOC and Index

  14. Acrobat • Allows you to designed to view, create, manipulate and manage PDFs • Using FrameMaker, you can choose “Save for PDF review” • Comments are added to the PDF by team members • Reviewers do not FrameMaker or Acrobat to add comments to the PDF (they only need the free Adobe Reader) • Comments can be aggregated into one PDF

  15. Acrobat • Changes are literally imported into the FrameMaker documents • Use FrameMaker’s Track Changes feature to Accept/Reject changes • Acrobat is also used to generate standard PDFs (the PDFs can contain multimedia such as Captivate published SWFs)

  16. The Integration Process • Publish a Captivate Project • Import a Published Captivate SWF Into FrameMaker • Edit a Captivate Project Through FrameMaker • Create an Interactive PDF • Create a New RoboHelp Project • Attach a CSS to a Topic

  17. The Integration Process, continued • Link a FrameMaker Book Into a RoboHelp Project • Map Styles • Control Topic Pagination • Edit FrameMaker Content • Add an Associated TOC and Index • Assign a TOC and Index to a RoboHelp Layout

  18. Publish a Captivate Project • Download the data files to complete these steps from: • www.iconlogic.com/studdat/TechCom2Data.exe • Install the files to C:\ • Start Captivate and open UseCharMap.cp from C:\TechComData\CaptivateFiles • Save the file to C:\TechCom2Data as MyCharMap

  19. Publish a Captivate Project • Choose Edit > Preferences > Project > Start and End • From the Preloader area, browse to C:\TechComData\CaptivateFiles and open TechComLogo.jpg • Users will see this image in the PDF prior to starting the lesson.

  20. Publish a Captivate Project • Choose File > Publish • From the list of options at the left of the dialog box, select Flash (SWF) • Ensure the Project Title is MyCharMap • Ensure the publish Folder is C:\TechComData • Ensure the remaining options match the picture at the right • Click Publish

  21. Publish a Captivate Project • A new folder called MyCharMap Should have been created in the TechCom2Data folder • The folder should contain just one SWF: MyCharMap.swf • Save and close the Captivate project • Exit Captivate

  22. Import a Published Captivate SWF Into FrameMaker • Using FrameMaker, open the TechnicalCommunications.book • The book file is located within C:\TechCom2Data\FrameMakerFiles\ FMBook_ForRoboHelp • Open eLearning.fm from the list of files within the book • Scroll down to page 35 of the eLearning.fm file • At the bottom of page 35, click at the end of the line: “Here is an example of a simulation created in Adobe Captivate...”

  23. Import a Published Captivate SWF Into FrameMaker • Choose File > Import > File • Navigate to C:\TechCom2Data • Open the MyCharMap folder, and select MyCharMap.swf • This is the Captivate project you published during the previous activity • Ensure Import by Reference is selected, and then click Import • select 150 dpi and click Set • This 150 dpi setting makes the SWF you are importing smaller so it fits a bit better on the page.

  24. Import a Published Captivate SWF Into FrameMaker • Ensure the frame containing the imported SWF is selected • You can select the thin dashed line at the top of the SWF to ensure the frame is selected • Choose Special > Anchored Frame • From the Anchored Position drop-down menu, select Below Current Line

  25. Import a Published Captivate SWF Into FrameMaker • From the Alignment drop-down menu, select Right • Deselect Cropped • Click Edit Frame • Double-click the SWF you imported • The SWF will preview in its own Flash Player window. This is exactly what users can do when you create a PDF out of this file • Close the Flash window to close the simulation

  26. Edit a Captivate Project Through FrameMaker • Right-click the SWF and choose Edit with Adobe Captivate • The SWF will find the project used to create it and open in Captivate • Edit the Captivate project, save and exit • The updated SWF will be re-published and automatically replace the existing SWF in the FrameMaker document

  27. Create an Interactive PDF • Choose File > Save as PDF • Confirm the file name is eLearning.pdf and the Save destination is the FMBook_forRoboHelp folder • click Save • Select the appropriate job settings • Ensure View Generated PDF in Acrobat is selected and click Set

  28. Create an Interactive PDF • Scroll to page 18 of the PDF • Click the SWF to start the simulation (click Play the multimedia content this one time when prompted) • Back in FrameMaker, save alldocuments andExit

  29. Create a New RoboHelp Project • Using RoboHelp, create a new Blank project that matches the screen below:

  30. Attach a CSS to a Topic • Right-click within the Welcome topic and choose Topic Properties • On the Appearance tab, select RHStyleMapping.css from the list of Style Sheets • When linking FrameMaker files to your RoboHelp project, you will use the CSS to control how the FrameMaker content appears in RoboHelp • Click OK • Save the Project

  31. Edit the CSS • On the Project Manager pod, open the Project Files folder and double-click open RHStyleMapping.css • Edit the styles within the CSS to taste • Click OK

  32. Link a FrameMaker Book Into a RoboHelp Project • On the Project Manager pod, right-click the Project Files folder, and select Link > FrameMaker document • Navigate to C:\TechCom2Data\FrameMakerFiles\ FMBook_ForRoboHelp • Ensure the Files of type (at the bottom of the dialog box) is set to FrameMaker Book (.book) • Open TechnicalCommunications.book

  33. Map Styles • Choose File > Project Settings • Click the Edit button to the right of Edit Conversion settings for FrameMaker documents • Map styles by selecting Heading 1 from the list of styles and then select Heading 1 from the RoboHelp Style drop-downmenu • Map Heading 2 to Heading 2, Body to Normal and Bulleted to Normal • Generate the topics • Right-click TechnicalCommunications.book and choose Update > Generate

  34. Control Topic Pagination andIgnore Numbering • Choose File > Project Settings • Click the Edit button to the right of Edit Conversion settings for FrameMaker documents • Select Heading 1 from the list of styles and select Pagination • Select Ignore Autonumber • Select Heading 1 and then Title from the list of styles and select Pagination • Select Ignore Autonumberfor both

  35. Convert Bulleted Content • Select Bulleted from the list of styles • From the Autonumber area, select Convert Autonumber to and select HTML List from the drop-down menu • Right-click the book fileand choose Update > Update • The topics have been split (paginated) into small chunks • The bulleted lists have been converted to html bullets

  36. Exclude from Output • Choose File > Project Settings • Click the Edit button to the right of Edit Conversion settings for FrameMaker documents • Select SideHead from the list of styles • Select Exclude from output • Right-click the book fileand choose Update > Update • Any FrameMaker content using the excluded style was not imported into the RoboHelp project

  37. Edit FrameMaker Content • Right-click the FrameMaker book or individual chapters and choose Edit • Make edits in FrameMaker and exit • In RoboHelp, right-click the edited book fileor chapter and choose Update > Update • Current FrameMaker content in RoboHelp has a green icon; content needing updating in RoboHelp has a yellow icon

  38. Add an Associated TOC and Index • Right-click the FrameMaker book on the RoboHelp Project Manager pod and choose Properties • Select both Convert FrameMaker Table of Contents and Convert Index • Give both appropriatenames and click OK • Update to book • The project now has a TOC and Index that match the FrameMaker book

  39. Assign a TOC and Index to a RoboHelp Layout • Show the Properties of a Single Source Layout • Select the new TOC and Index from the appropriate drop-down menus located in the Content area • Generate and View the results

  40. Recover from CorruptRoboHelp Project • The Symptom: Upon restarting RoboHelp and attempting to reopen a project, RoboHelp crashes again, and again and again. • Or maybe the project will open but you are presented with a message about a corrupt CPD file.

  41. Recover from CorruptRoboHelp Project • The Cure: Prior to opening the RoboHelp project, navigate to the project folder and delete the CPD file (the file will likely have the same name as your project file) • Note: Prior to deleting it, you might want to make a backup copy of the CPD file and keep it in safe place. By deleting the CPD file, much of your project structure will be lost when you reopen the project.

  42. Recover from CorruptRoboHelp Project • Start RoboHelp and open the project. • This time you should not see the message about the CPD file since you deleted it. • When you open the project, a new CPD file will be created. • On the Project Manager pod, delete the reference to the FrameMaker book file. • Reimport the FrameMaker book file by reference. • You will likely need to redo your import settings and maps for the FrameMaker file.

  43. "That's All Folks..." Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2 Integration Jumpstart Presented by Biff BiffersonSouth River Technologieswww.southrivertechnologies.com | bbiff@srt.com

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