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Can anyone recommend tips and best practices for FrameMaker-to-RoboHelp migration ?

Participant ,
Jan 22, 2014 Jan 22, 2014

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Hi. I'm planning a migration from FM (unstructured) to RH. I'd appreciate any tips and best practices for the migration process. (Note that at the moment I plan to import the FM documents into, not link to them from, RH.)

For example, my current FM files are presently not optimally "chunked", so that autoconverting FM file sections (based on, say, Header 1 paragraph layout) won't always result in an optimal topic set. I'm thinking of going through the FM docs and inserting dummy paragraphs with a tag somethike like "topic_break", placed in more appropriate locations that the existing headers. Then, during import to RH, I'd use the topic_break paragraph to demark the topics. Is this a good technique? Beyond paragraph-based import delineation, do you know of any guidelines for redrafting FM chapter file content into RH topics?

Also, are there any considerations/gotchas in the areas of text review workflow, multiple authoring, etc. after the migration? (I've not managed an ongoing RH doc project before, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

-Kurt

BTW, the main reason for the migration: Info is presently scattered in various (and way to many) PDF files. There's no global index. I'd like to make a RoboHelp HTML interface (probably WebHelp layout) so it can be a one-stop documentation shop for users.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 23, 2014 Jan 23, 2014

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You can also use markers to bust up FM content into topics.

Multiple authors usually call for some sort of source control system – depends on if they are working on the same project at the same time or not.

You must not have any requirement for creating printed PDFs if you’re ditching FM to author totally in RH. FM’s PDF output is much superior & easier than RH’s workflow (which involves going through Word to PDF).

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Community Expert ,
Jan 23, 2014 Jan 23, 2014

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Jeff

Fm may produce better output for your requirements but for many what Rh produces works just fine. My recent finding re Word converting images to JPG before import will mean a better experience for many.

Once Rh is set up, and it's not difficult, for many its printed documents will do the job. I would say try it and then judge.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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Community Expert ,
Jan 23, 2014 Jan 23, 2014

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@Peter – I think it’s just the extra step of having to go through Word that’s distasteful to me. Whenever you have to depend on another product for your workflow, you just open yourself up for version issues. I’m not sure why, if they can produce Review PDFs directly, they still need to go through Word. There must be some sort of structural impediment, otherwise it would have been done long ago IMHO ;>)

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Participant ,
Feb 10, 2014 Feb 10, 2014

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Petar, Jeff - Have some people found that linking to FM docs from RH (rather than importing them), for the sake of nicer PDF printing, is more trouble that its worth? For example, if chapters are added/moved to the FM document, does one have to manually maitain the links to support the new material?

I addition:

  • I can see how the linked-to FM files might be optimally arranged for PDF, but maybe not optimally chunked for WebHelp use. Is this a limitation of the linking model?
  • Regarding the linked files: I would guess that it's not possible to embed pop-ups, snippets, and other online behaviors in linked material. True?

Thanks.

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Community Expert ,
Feb 10, 2014 Feb 10, 2014

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No you don’t have to manually maintain them in RH, you just tell it to Update All and your FM changes come over to the RH project. Import can work the same way by just creating a fresh RH project each time you import your FM content (which is what I do with one of my doc sets). I use conditional text in my FM content to alter print-only things vs. online help-only things. Although I don’t use them myself, I understand that it is possible to have some of those effects in your FM content for appearance in your RH help. In the TCS, there’s a RoboHelp menu added to FM where you can create them.

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Participant ,
Jan 24, 2014 Jan 24, 2014

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OK, thanks for the comments Jeff/Peter.

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