Breadcrumbs and mini-TOC ARGH

[srnowlin]

I would like to format my masterpage with:
breadcrumbs
mini-toc
topic body

I would also like to have the breadcrumbs start over with each book they are in,
and have the mini-toc essentially be a non-expanding Toc for my online and program-embedded help. We won't be using the accordion style frames and traditional TOC that Flare produces now.

We are trying to emulate the 'look-and-feel' of vista/office2007 help-style with just the simplest of navigation and search above and the meat and potatoes within the body of the topic.

I've been trying to get this to work for the last two days, we have a release date of June 30th, so any help you can throw at me or point me to would be GREATLY appreciated!! I still have content to produce but the powers that be want to see my prototype ASAP.

**EDIT**
Wouldn't you know 10 minutes after I submit this post, I found some of what I was needing.
Apparently, in order to have the mini-toc above the topic body you have to have a <P> tag there and then insert (for lack of a better description) the mini-toc into it.

I've also found where to adjust the style of the mini-toc, with luck I can get the look and feel down.

The breadcrumbs are not behaving as hoped but, maybe with luck....

**Edit**
Well my dilemma with the mini-toc is it doesn't provide a link to the next section...Or perhaps I'm just not doing something right.

I can actually navigate myself into a dead page with no links on it.
I took the breadcrumbs out because it was like having a double toc. It would be only a little useful in at least getting back to a page with other toc links on it.

argh. Am I trying to make it do something it can't?

** Last edit until I hopefully hear from someone **
I think what I'm going to have to do to achieve what I'm needing is to create two TOCs...one for Online documentation and One for webhelp/embedded documentation. Then in the Online version arrange my books linearly in the way I want the toc navigated. The breadcrumbs are going to serve as my browse sequence. I know I'm not making myself clear but perhaps if I posted a picture of what I'm trying to do. It will make more sense.

[LTinker68]

I would also like to have the breadcrumbs start over with each book they are in...

What do you mean by that?

By default, if you're in BookA and then click on BookB, the breadcrumb will switch from
"You are here: BookA > TopicTitle"
to
"You are here: BookB > TopicTitle".

Or are you saying that if you have a book inside of a book, then only the second book is at the beginning of the breadcrumbs? So instead of
"You are here: BookA > BookAA > TopicTitle"
you get
"You are here: BookAA > TopicTitle".

[srnowlin]

Ah, I was in the process of editing my post when you snuck in on me. I think I know what I need to do to get this working. I'm just struggling really hard with the learning curve on Flare. I bought it because I was told it was intuitive...maybe for brainiacs..


*droolz and stares blankly at the screen*

[forfear]

you got nice help project

[srnowlin]

you got nice help project

Thanks very much for that! I finally figured out what the breadcrumbs were doing. The mini-toc is going to be the "main" source of navigation. That is a booger to figure out, but I think I had an "epiphany" and hopefully will have something working there soon!

[srnowlin]

Can the breadcrumbs be placed at the top AND bottom of a document?

We are using it as a major part of our navigation system and it would be great if a person didn't HAVE to return to the top of a page to go back a topic.

[RamonS]

You can try and add the proxy to both the header and the footer of the MasterPage. One can reasonably expect that it will add the breadcrumbs in at both places then.

[srnowlin]

Thanks for the reminder, some days I just stare at my work and this program and go blank!