Re: Frame, Word & Acrobat

[John Posada <John_Posada -at- NOTES -dot- CC -dot- BELLCORE -dot- COM>]

     I am the only tech writer at a small software  company and I'm looking
     for some advice.

     I recently completed a manual (about 125 pages) in FrameMaker 5.0. I
     just found out that our training department wants this manual
     converted to MS Word, because no one can see or print the document in
     Frame.

Oh no.

Alot of how easy it is to convert is based on the following.  How much of the
document contains graphics that you created in Frame.

The company I work for does alot of material in Word and alot in Frame.

Text comes over fairly well
Tables come over less-well
Styles come over even less-well
Graphics does not come over at all (small disclaimer---we find that "some"
graphics can be brought over if you open a Frame document that you created in
Windows by opening the file in Frame ON A MAC. selecting it, pasting it into
Word on a MAC, then saving it and opening the Word document in Word for
Windows.  Don't ask why...I don't know

Other than that you're SOL.

I'm sure that others on this list will contribute some information on this.


     I suggested we purchase Adobe Acrobat. I explained the many uses and
     benefits of using the portable document files, but I think my
     suggestions are falling on deaf ears.

     I guess I have two questions:

     1) Has anyone successfully converted a Frame Document to a word
     document, and what do I need in order to do this (filters) ???

Successfully??  Not without alot of work

     2) How much work will be involved??

Alot


     3) Can anyone help me come up with a convincing argument for  going
     with Adobe Acrobat??

It works, it's done alot, it's common, it works for us.


John Posada
- Central New Jersey Employment Manager
Society for Technical Communication
http://stc.org/region2/njc/

- Technical Proposal Writer
Bell Communications Research
(908) 699-5839 (W)
jposada -at- notes -dot- cc -dot- bellcore -dot- com

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