Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2 Integration Jumpstart

Adobe Technical

Communication Suite 2

Integration Jumpstart Presented by Biff BiffersonSouth River Technologies

www.southrivertechnologies.com | [email protected]

http://www.southrivertechnologies.com/

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

The Production Lines: Blurring

Instructional Designers, Technical Writers and Help Authors

Print Publishers Technical Trainers eLearning Developers Redundancy: A Major Frustration

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.

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).

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

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.

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.

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

http://www.iconlogic.com/studdat/TechCom2Data.exe


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.


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


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

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...”


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.


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


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

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

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

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

Create a New RoboHelp Project

Using RoboHelp, create a new Blank project that matches the screen below:

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

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

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

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

Control Topic Pagination andIgnore Numbering


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 Autonumber

for both

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

Exclude from Output


settings for FrameMaker documents Select SideHead from the list of styles Select Exclude from output Right-click the book file

and choose Update > Update

Any FrameMaker content using the excluded style was not imported into the RoboHelp project

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 file

or chapter and choose Update > Update Current FrameMaker content in RoboHelp has a

green icon; content needing updating in RoboHelp has a yellow icon

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

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

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.


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.


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.

Adobe Technical

Communication Suite 2 Integration Jumpstart Presented by Biff BiffersonSouth River Technologies

www.southrivertechnologies.com | [email protected]

http://www.southrivertechnologies.com/

Documents

Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2 Integration Jumpstart