multiple languages, one PDF

[pdenchfield]

Do you all have tricks for creating a PDF user guide with multiple languages? I want a TOC that lists the localized title of the guide and page number, then mini-TOCs under each localized title that lists contents for that language.

It seems common to create separate Flare projects for each language. However, that approach does not seem to lend itself to a PDF listing page numbers for each language.

[techwriter31]

We create multi-language Quick Start Guides in PDF format. We accomplish this by generating each individual PDF from its own Flare project and then use Adobe Acrobat to manually combine them into a single PDF.

Each language has its PDF Bookmarks still in tact when combined, but the top-level Bookmark for each language is named based on the PDF file name.

One limitation in using this method is that the page numbering will start over for each language, but we were OK with this.

I'm assuming you could easily still use Mini-TOCs for each individual PDF and they'd work fine, but I haven't tried it.

[pdenchfield]

Thanks, Kellie.

The previous version of this guide was in FrameMaker, which easily produced a PDF with a continuous range of page numbers across the set of localized content.

I hope Flare has a way to replicate this output from FrameMaker!

[Msquared]

Firstly, I think you are right to use a separate Flare project for each language. You will need different filenames for the various translations otherwise, and it will get confusing. For example, the French target will need a French TOC that links to the French version of all the topics. It will need to use the French stylesheet and page layouts etc. That's easy if each language is in a separate project, as all the filenames can be the same across translations. If they're all in one project, you will need to use unique names for all the files for each language, for each language, so every time you add a topic you will have to add it to the TOC for each language. Every cross-reference will need to be edited for each language to link to the right topic etc etc.

So, given that you have multiple projects, one for each language, what I'd look at doing is creating a separate project just for the combined PDF. I'd have one Target, with one TOC, which contains any general topics (front pages etc.) then includes each of the other TOCs. These TOCs and the other required files (topics, stylesheets etc.) can be linked files, which can be auto-synchronised before build if required.

You have two ways of linking to files outside your project, either using Global Project Linking, or External Files. I admit I've not used either yet in anger, although I am about to do so. Someone else here may be better placed to advise which is more appropriate for you, and give you some tips (and I'll learn more in the process too!).

As far as I understand, Global Project Linking offers one way synchronisation, so is suitable for files that already exist outside your project, and you won't be changing in your project, just referencing (although note that Flare does put a copy of the file into the project that references it, so it's really "Global Project Copying"). If the referenced file changes, then you can choose to let Flare update your copy. I think the external file mechanism offers a two way synchronisation, so I think that you can change the referenced copy or the copy in your project, and let Flare synchronise either way, as required. if my understanding is right, then you probably want to look at Global Project Linking for your situation.

I'd be interested to know how you get on.

[pdenchfield]

Thanks, Marjorie! We have 14 languages to squeeze into one PDF, and unfortunately, the project was already sent out using the flat architecture (topics in Content, resources in Resources, images in Images). I'm thinking through the best approach to identify each language's project. For example, for the French project, prepend "FRE-" to each subfolder? I guess the best way to do this and automatically update links is to create new subfolders with the desired names and then move the files. That way Flare prompts you to update links. Does this approach sound reasonable?