frame import: PDF file is taking a long time to create

[JaneB]

I have a multi-chapter frame document I am converting into dotnet help. Everytime I reimport the file I get the message "A PDF file is taking a long time to create. Do you want to abort the operation?" What is causing this? I have turned off the option to create a pdf version of the help file.

[RickHenkel]

Do you have graphics with callouts in your Frame docs? Flare tries to convert those to PDFs. And it seldom seems to work, no matter what setting you use for that callouts option.

[JaneB]

Sorry, it has been awhile since I posted this (never received an email that it was replied to).

Still having this problem. Yes some of the graphics do have callouts but I have selected "generate images for anchored frames when needed". Shouldn't this take care of it? Also the error messages continue to keep popping up on my machine long after I close Flare. What a PITA.

I recently upgraded to 4.0 and am continuing to have the same problem.

[LTinker68]

You might want to contact MadCap Support and see if you can send them your Frame document so that they can try it themselves.

[GregStenhouse]

Flare uses distiller to generate graphics with callouts. What version of acrobat/distller are you using? And is it the full version, or the cut down "PDF Maker" that comes with frame? A few thoughts:
1. With version 3, I had a similar problem (Acrobat 7 and FrameMaker 8), and reinstalling acrobat did the trick. I also read in the forums that the version of distiller needs to be the same as the version of FrameMaker, but for us this doesn't hold true. It may help in your situation though (i.e. install only the PDF Maker that comes with FrameMaker and see how you go).
2. Not sure if you are compiling from the command line, but I have found distiller stalls when re-importing the FrameMaker docs. I have to reimport and build using the Flare UI. I haven't raised a bug for this yet, but plan to.

Cheers
Greg

[JaneB]

Here it is two years later and I am back with a new project. I am now on Flare 6.1, Framemaker 9 and Acrobat 8 Standard. Still have the same issue with the message "A PDF file is taking a long time to create. Do you want to abort the operation?"

I have tracked down which graphics are not importing correctly this time and they do not have any callouts associated with them, just single graphics, typically png format.

Any ideas how to resolve this?