Using Flare outputs in InDesign

[AndyG]

Hi:

Our tech pubs content -- admin PDF, user PDF and on-line help -- is all single sourced by MadCap Flare. We do have other corporate needs, however. I am wondering whether InDesign can 'pick up' MadCap Flare outputs. Obviously, it's too much to expect that InDesign will read Flare projects so I assume you generate output that is readable by InDesign.

The InDesign doc will not be using all of the content from our help, but bits and bobs and certain screen shots. I just don't want stuff that has been perfected and approved re-written elsewhere. The idea is that some portions of the help text will be 'glossed'. It's not necessary (for now), that the additional text written in InDesign be read back into MadCap Flare.

Obviously, we still want too be working in Flare which means that the InDesign projects will occasionally require re-synching.

So, what's your process for getting content from Flare into InDesign?

Please and thanks and have a great day!

[lacastle]

I do not think there is an easy way to import flare content into InDesign. i just tried placing an html file in indesign and got all the html tags with it. there may be some ideas in the indesign help/forum community, but i don't think they would stay linked to be able to re-sync.

why do you have to use indesign? can you recreate your indesign format in a flare page layout and keep all the content in one place?

if you still want to be able to export to indesign, you can submit a feature request - https://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx

[AndyG]

The object here is not to be producing on-line help per se, but allied documentation that will only very occasionally need to be updated.

I guess I'll experiment and get back to you nice people!

It will have a strong design element and that is where InDesign is parsecs ahead of Flare as the project will be using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop elements which operate transparently in InDesign. Moreover, the layout is expected to be very complex and use both layer and vector formatting in addition to clipping masks.

[lindseyrix]

Did you ever figure out an output to InDesign? We are interested in doing the same thing. I know Flare is great at what it does, but for what I need to do with visual layout of textual and graphical information, I need InDesign.

We're in the same situation as you. Want to pull from Flare into InDesign but never the other way. Only need to update content from time to time.

Thanks!

[fowlesp]

Was there every a conclusion/answer to this question ? we too are looking for a suitable path from Flare into InDesign

Any help would be appreciated?

[delling]

I'm also interested in doing this soon... any updates over these years?

[sjsmith001]

Anyone figure this out? What about:
Generate PDF from Flare
Use Acrobat to save to Word (File\Save as Other\MS Word)
Use InDesign Place to add the Word doc to a text frame (File\Place)

Seemed to work for me...

-steve