Frame to Flare: TOC creation?

[cyeager]

What do I need to do to get Flare to create a TOC file based on the Frame TOC file? Anyone else puzzled on this? I have the TOC file in the list of FM docs to import, but it is blank in the resulting Flare files... Also - is there an instruction set on Frame to Flare import?

Thanks,

C

[pdenchfield]

Did you notice the \"Master TOC\" in the Project Organizer? (Project> TOCs> Master.) In my experience, Flare appears to generate this TOC based on my \"New Topic Styles\" selections. For example, if I select h1, h2, and h3 as \"New Topic Styles,\" then the master TOC includes TOC entries for each of these headings.

The FrameMaker TOC file can be excluded from the import operation - I just import the book file.

If .CHM or WebHelp is your output and you plan to use this Flare-generated \"master TOC,\" make sure the hierarchy and TOC entry labels are accurate. In my experience the first h1 of each section has been attached as a lower-level heading (the final heading) within the previous section, and TOC entry labels include spaces in place of punctuation and variables. Both of these errors are easy (though time-consuming) to fix. (If PDF is your output, you don't need to worry about the master TOC as it's not exposed to the audience of your deliverable.)

Please let me know if you have other questions about TOCs for FrameMaker imports, or if I have misinterpreted your question. I'm glad to help if I can.

[RickHenkel]

I've noticed that, for my book files, Flare doesn't seem to import the TOC unless I make the TOC the first file in the book.

[pdenchfield]

Can you tell me the reasons you have for importing the TOC? Are you referring to the TOC file in the FrameMaker book?

I haven't found any reason to import the TOC file. Flare automatically creates a \"master TOC\" based on the heading of each topic generated from the FrameMaker book, and when I output back to FrameMaker (for purposes of generating a PDF), Flare automatically creates corresponding TOC entries. Of course, the master TOC in the project and the TOC entries in the output need tweaking, but I don't see a way around that. (An imported TOC file would not be used in the output anyway, right?)

[RickHenkel]

Because we're using Flare as only a conversion tool and not an authoring tool, I don't want us to have to manipulate things in Flare any more than we have to. The TOC that Flare automatically created for my projects never displayed the headings correctly, making me adjust the TOC entries in Flare.

When I have my FrameMaker TOC set up correctly and import it into Flare, the WebHelp contents appear exactly the way that I want. It took me a while to figure out how to make it work, but now that it does, I don't want to change anything.

[pdenchfield]

Thank you. I had no idea this workflow could be achieved (thus removing the perennial tweaking) - how do you get the FrameMaker TOC to convert to WebHelp contents?

Do you think it might work for print output? I would like to try out your workflow and see.

[RickHenkel]

I created a FrameScript script to set up my TOC for me (as well as do a BUNCH of other things), so I don't have to do all this by hand every time. I run the script on a local copy of my files.

Following are the functions the script performs regarding the TOC.

* I'm converting guides to HTML using Flare. In FrameMaker, I don't have the guide title (cover page) in the TOC, but I want it to appear in my Flare TOC. So I add that to the TOC setup in FrameMaker.

* I'd noticed that FrameMaker variables weren't importing into Flare correctly. In most cases, Flare seemed to just ignore them and not import them at all.

On the cover of my guide, I use a variable for the guide title. As a result, the title never appeared in the Flare TOC. So I convert all my FrameMaker variables to text before importing into Flare.

* In FrameMaker, I use lowercase Roman numerals for front matter (cover page, TOC, update information chapter) and Arabic numbers for the rest. I discovered that things didn't import correctly when I had numbering set up like that, so I changed the numbering to be continuous Arabic numbers for the whole book file.

* As I said in an earlier message, the TOC import didn't seem to work until I moved the TOC to be the first file in my FrameMaker book file.


I think those are the only items in my script geared toward the TOC. It took me a bit of testing to come up with the results that I want. Some of the above steps may not be necessary, but I don't want to risk changing something and breaking my TOC.

[pdenchfield]

Thank you, Rick, for the information on your FrameScript workflow. Looks like I'll have to persuade my team to buy a copy if we want to get serious about removing the tweaking. :-)

Regarding issues with variables, see my posting here: http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... 6804#26804

[pdenchfield]

I looked back over my notes and I always did import the TOC. It appears that Flare derives its master TOC from the FrameMaker TOC file.

But I delete the FrameMaker TOC file from the project after the import is done (just to avoid clutter).

Here are my instructions for a one-way import from FrameMaker to Flare. http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... highlight=

[pdxwordsmith]

I have a Frame para style "Caption_tocHTML" that I want to split to a new topic AND show up in the TOC. My initial import did not split these to new topics, but subsequent re-imports have. So now I have topics with no link to the TOC.

I have mapped the Frame para style to an H1 Flare style. I am importing the book AND TOC files from Frame. The Frame TOC file includes the para style (formatted as an H1).

Re-import, re-import, but these topics still do not show up in the TOC.

Any ideas for me?

Thanks,
Hanna

[LTinker68]

In the stylesheet, see if that style has any value set for the mc-heading-level property. If it's set to "0", then it won't appear in the print output.

[pdxwordsmith]

I forgot to mention - other FM styles mapped to the same Flare style show up just fine in the TOC. Also forgot to mention that my output target is WebHelp (not print).

I checked the stylesheet and the value for mc-heading-level is "1".

[GregStenhouse]

A few thoughts:

• Clean the project (build>clean project)
• Delete all files (except the default topic) from the Content>...import folder (when you shift Frame files around or re-map often stale files get left behind)
• Are you using Flare 4? Frame import from v4 seems more robust (e.g. you only need to import the book for the TOC to convert, and don't need it as a separate file). Try importing just the .book
• Are the topics and TOC still linked to Frame? Make sure the "chain" icon appears as expected, some files may have been saved separately and lost their links.
• Check that your TOC levels are indented. Not sure if it is true, but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that Flare uses indents to decide levels in the TOC.
• Update the FrameMaker book to generate a new TOC and save the book to make sure the files are re-generated correctly.
• Are you using the "link to source" option or the Re-import button under the imports file? In my experience the latter is not very reliable.
• Check, double check, and triple check the paragraph and new topic style mappings in the imports file (using both the UI and by opening in a text editor). Somthing funny may be going on in there.

Hope this helps,

Cheers
Greg

[pdxwordsmith]

Delete all files (except the default topic) from the Content>...import folder (when you shift Frame files around or re-map often stale files get left behind)

Do you mean the HTML files that were imported? Delete them from Windows Explorer?

Are the topics and TOC still linked to Frame? Make sure the "chain" icon appears as expected, some files may have been saved separately and lost their links.

Where should I see the chain icon?


I'm using Flare 4.
My Frame TOC is nicely indented.
I'm using the Re-import button. (I'll try the link to source option.)

I hadn't tried opening the imports file in a text editor. I'll try that.

Thanks much for all these ideas.

[pdxwordsmith]

I did find the following scattered about my imports file (though not in the mapping area for the problem topic): 粑

[GregStenhouse]

Do you mean the HTML files that were imported? Delete them from Windows Explorer?

Yep, one or two files might give an error if deleted (e.g. the default file), so you may want to delete old files )i.e. sort by date and weed out anything older than your latest re-import date).

Where should I see the chain icon?

When you open a topic or the TOC, a little chain icon should appear on the actual tab itself, next to "x" (see below). If you are not linking to the Frame files though this won't appear

One other thing I thought of, check your Frame files for overrides (asterisk against the para of chter style in the FrameMaker status bar). Flare doesn't handle overrides well at all, and this may explain why some styles are working and some are not.

[pdxwordsmith]

Thanks Greg.

The little link icon is on the tabs. I have "Link Generated Files To Source Files" checked. Do I not have to reimport? Or is there another way to reimport?

The FM source is clean - I scrubbed the overrides before starting.

[GregStenhouse]

Save the Frame book (i.e. make sure there is a change in the time stamp), and build the output (e.g. Build Primary). Flare should automatically re-import before building.