PDF doc set with inter-book x-refs

Subject: PDF doc set with inter-book x-refs
From: Michael Cenedella <ropes -at- TELEPORT -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 12:15:19 -0800

Hello Techwhirlers!

(I always thought we were more technical writhers than whirlers.)

We plan to distribute our documentation set in print and as PDF on a
CD-ROM.
We'll have full-text search for each of the 17 books in the doc set.
The books are in Frame 5.5 and Word 7 under Windows 95.

I'm writing the procedure for authors to follow in writing their books. My
questions concern maintainence of inter-book cross-references and PDF
distillation to maintain these cross-references.

I think we should copy all the Frame, Word, and associated graphics files
into a hard drive with the folder structure to be used on the CD-ROM. Next,
make a single PostScript for each Frame publication (being certain all Frame
documents referred to are open) or Word publication, then distill the PDFs.
When done (and I know at least one PDF must be distilled twice), use
Exchange to create inter-book links in PDFs distilled from Word documents.
Is there a way to simplify this or to guard it from errors? Is there a
better overall approach?

1. We'd like to avoid moving the source files. Could we distill directly
from our orignal locations to the CD-ROM folder structure, then open the
PDFs with Exchange to make the PDFs with links? If not, could we print
PostScript from our original locations to the CD-ROM folder structure, then
distill the PDFs in place?

2. Frame generates a list of external cross-references; can this be done in
Word? We won't use the Master Document view.

3. Has anyone done this? What tips do you have for making the final PDFs
have all cross-references? Or other tips. I already know that I must
Optimize for CD-ROM and set the Cross-Platform File Naming to Windows 95/NT.

Thank you very much,

Michael Cenedella, contract tecnical writer (www.teleport.com/~ropes)
with
MedicaLogic (www.medicalogic.com)




Previous by Author: Make .pdf bookmarks in Word .doc? (3.5/3 on .pdf)
Next by Author: Re: Information Mapping - Good
Previous by Thread: Re: Framemaker vs. Interleaf
Next by Thread: Trying to enter the "Tech Writer market"


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads