Is anyone using Flare and Contributor without Central?

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LorenaB
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Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:27 am

Is anyone using Flare and Contributor without Central?

Post by LorenaB »

I'm trying to figure out my approach to integrate Flare into an environment that's relied heavily on Word for a number of years.

I'm currently, and for the foreseeable future, the only author, using Flare. I'll be working with a rotating cast of SMEs (usually up to 5 at a time out of a pool of 100, so floating Contributor license should do for a couple of power users) who will need to make limited edits or (free) annotations using Contributor.

Our options for source control are on-premise TFS or cloud-based SharePoint. But if we start using Flare, the teams are certain that we do not want to use MadCap Central.

Is anyone successfully doing this (Contributor without Central)? I've read all of the information provided by MadCap but I'm not seeing if there are specific differences between using it with and without Central, aside from the obvious difference of "connecting to Central" vs "installing Contributor locally."
agracer
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Re: Is anyone using Flare and Contributor without Central?

Post by agracer »

We are using Contributor without Central.

Haven't developer a complex flow now, but I created a template for other authors to create new documents that they can share.
I also create review packages and post on a shared drive where SMEs can open in Contributor, edit, and save. I then reopen in Flare to accept the changes.

Very bare boned approach, but it's all we need right now and it works.
LorenaB
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Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:27 am

Re: Is anyone using Flare and Contributor without Central?

Post by LorenaB »

Thanks, agracer. I'm always worried I'd miss something when companies say offline installs and online installs are "identical enough" ... not looking for anything fancy, so it sounds like the basic functionality you've got going will cover my needs as well.

Thanks!
mattf
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Re: Is anyone using Flare and Contributor without Central?

Post by mattf »

@agracer,
I'm curious about your workflow for review packages. You say you're saving them to a shared directory and then... what next?...emailing the SME that they need to go and open it?
I'm trying to send the review packages direct-to-SME via email, and I've got that working but it's not clear to me how to import or review feedback once my devs send the package back to me in email. I'm really hoping it's simpler than I am imagining it to be right now.
-mdf
Matt F
You learn something new every day if you're not careful.
dorits
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Review Package - tracking reviewers

Post by dorits »

Am also trying to set up a workflow where SMEs would use Contributor to create new docs and edit existing docs.
I am in charge of producing the actual end documents from Flare.
Here's my question
Suppose I save a review package to SharePoint.
Multiple reviewers access the package in Contributor and make changes, saving them to the existing review package on SharePoint.
When I open the review package in Flare, how can I see who made the changes? For annotations, the initials of the user are displayed.
What about for changes to the text, additions, deletions? Supposedly, the color is different for each user but is there a way to see which user it was? I tried hovering over the change but there was no pop-up. I tried right-clicking, but that didn’t help either.
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