Re: FrameMaker 7.1 announcement

["Chuck Martin" <cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com>]

<jsokohl -at- mac -dot- com> wrote in message news:221820 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
>
> I too lament Adobe's abandonment of FM on the Mac.
>
> That being said, I love InDesign--as a design tool, it rocks! Chuck, feel
> free to contact me off line to discuss any help I might be able to give
> you.

I've long used PageMaker, yet lamented its shortcomings (it's Table Editor
is horrid, for example.) I bought InDesign in version 1, and upgraded to
both 1.5 and 2.0.

>
> As far as story editing is concerned, I've never felt the need for
> it...although the latest version does use a PageMaker-like story editor
> (dare I say they imported PM 7's story editor? Maybe someone else knows).
> The great control over styles, the inheritance model you can use with
> styles, and the excellent placement control for frames and graphics all
> help me do my work. And it's OS X-native, too!

I've owned one Mac, a G3 I bought at a company auction thinking I could test
web apps on both platforms. Had a huge monitor too. Sold it a few months
later to raise cash for my condo purchase (which I had to sell a year
later), so I'm a Windows-only user at home again.

>
> As far as runarounds are concerned, clipping paths are probably your best
> friend. That means bringing your graphic up in Photoshop (or Canvas
> or...), creating the clipping paths, and placing into InDesign.

I'm so used to dropping in a graphic, the selecting it and selecting a
runaround type in the dialog. Then adding "corners" to the paths by simply
clicking, then dragging the new vertexes to create an irregular shape
runaround.

I was trying to do a new document "properly," that is, create a master page.
But the graphic I placed there, text wouldn't runaround on the actual pages.
Frustrating. I may just start the doc over. (BTW, Adobe oput its Classromm
in a Book series online in PDF, which has helped answer some of my
questions.)

>
> Yes, cross-referencing is the pits. Too, para numbering blows as well. Yet
> I understand the latest version fixes some of this.
>
> Bottom line: bring in FM's big document features, its cross-referencing
> and book building, and I'd be happy(er).

I've been wanting to move to InDesign for the Online Help Conference (BTW,
how many people are going; it's in Hollyweird next spring) newletter for a
couple of years now, by my fustration has stopped me. I wonder if I should
shell out the $170 for the CS upgrade?

-- 
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net          www.writeforyou.com

"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day
may come when the courage of Men fail, when we forsake our friends and break
all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day! This day, we fight!"
                    - Aragorn

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
                    - Gandalf



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