How do we learn Frame?

[Richard Dimock <red -at- ELSEGUNDOCA -dot- ATTGIS -dot- COM>]

Bill Hartzer asked how his group should learn Frame.

Dick takes keyboard down from wall, tunes it for
esthetic prose, and responds thusly.
_____________________________________________________

We had good results here from a crash course. We have 15
writers, so we brought it in house. We found an independent
consultant, who (I think) was certified by frame, or who
had taught for Frame.

She knew her stuff, too!

If you do rent an instructor, be sure to require a special
alteration to the canned course to emphasize
specific topicsfor your needs, such as:

        Indexing
        Paragraph design (component styles)
        Book design
        Table of contents
        Cross references
        Multiple revision level docs (not sure of name)
        Revision Bars
        Graphics insertion
        FILE CONVERSION !!!!

        Etc.

You will probably need to set up your own components to fit
your official style. That is where the Paragraph Design comes
into use. And it ain't easy putting together a new catalog
of components. Start as simply as possible; frills be damned.

We designated one interested party to design the components
and then we had one central person to carp at.

We also used the book heavily individually. Some did not get
the class soon enough, and had to do it by the book with lots of
sneaker miles asking questions of others.

We were well familiar with our Sun platforms and knew the
component concepts from our previous Interleaf.

You might investigate to see if WP paragraph styles/components
can come across directly into Frame, thus saving big time on
the component catalog design.


Learning curve?

Hard to say. We also had to adopt a new corporate
style with insect-ridden Swiss cheese templates that just
would not work as advertised. Certainly within 6 months the dust
had settled. We produced the first set of books in 3 months, so
the extra time of learning came out of our collective hides.

Hints:

Get at least one person pretty expert at Frame, and

**allow time**

in that person's schedule for teaching others. You
need an in-house guru. Generally one expert surfaces, the person
that learns fastest or is interested enough to learn it
on off hours.

Get books for each user. I haven't seen 3rd party books on Frame.

******Frame's books are good.******

***Did you get that, Frame Person on List?**** (I looked over some
                                                mail, but couldn't
                                                find your name.)

But Frame's books cannot help you when a carelessy designed template
makes the line you are typing go blank and have to be refreshed. You
are on your own with home-designed templates.


Snotty Remarks:

I don't have to make any. You will receive plenty of those during
your conversion process. Any conversion process.


May Lady Luck, the Force, and Rambo be with you!

Dick Dimock,            Artfully Senior Tech Writer hanging on at

AT&T GIS                Where the RIF axe is poised to strike in

El Segundo, CA          Sheep's blood on the office door has been
                        a successful action in avoiding the RIF
                        axe. Also working is a good idea.

                        Think I will...