FrameMaker-to-Acrobat: TimeSavers | Assistants | Custom Shortcuts | Webinars | Improve Your PDFs
TimeSavers/Assistants Webinars & Presentations
Free webinars are half-hour or 1-hour long, recordings available on request:
Enable and encourage user input in PDFs (viewed with Adobe Reader)
Enabling PDFs for various types of user input can strengthen the interaction between users and the content, and improve satisfaction due to greater user involvement/control.
In addition, designated avenues for user input can contribute to documentation quality and provide outlet for frustration, for example by sending inputs regarding the documentation or the product directly from within the PDF.
Techniques demonstrated in this webinar include features that are all embedded in PDFs that are viewed with the free Adobe Reader: text fields where users can record data values and options / checkboxes to track progress (e.g. in procedures) / page marks and notes (also useful for user-defined navigation, optionally e-mailed) / embedded grading/feedback forms / storing useful search queries in the PDF file for future use
The focus of the webinar is the additional interactivity in PDF files, available to users with the free Adobe Reader.
Although the webinar also describes how such elements can be incorporated in source files using FrameMaker with custom markers (available with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers + Form Assistant), if you use other tools these features can be defined manually in Acrobat, so that the webinar can still benefit you substantially by demonstrating the abilities that are available with PDFs. Presentation (PDF: 1276K)
Techniques demonstrated in this webinar include features that are all embedded in PDFs that are viewed with the free Adobe Reader: text fields where users can record data values and options / checkboxes to track progress (e.g. in procedures) / page marks and notes (also useful for user-defined navigation, optionally e-mailed) / embedded grading/feedback forms / storing useful search queries in the PDF file for future use
The focus of the webinar is the additional interactivity in PDF files, available to users with the free Adobe Reader.
Although the webinar also describes how such elements can be incorporated in source files using FrameMaker with custom markers (available with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers + Form Assistant), if you use other tools these features can be defined manually in Acrobat, so that the webinar can still benefit you substantially by demonstrating the abilities that are available with PDFs. Presentation (PDF: 1276K)
Popup menus in PDFs (with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers + Navigation Asst)
Pop-up menus in PDFs can display additional, context-related choices, such as related topics, search queries, web sites. This is an effective way to reduce the "noise" associated with too many options and minimize disturbances to reading, while enabling easy navigation.
This webinar demonstrates how on-demand popup menus can be defined in source FrameMaker files using custom hypertext markers, so that the PDFs have the popup menus present automatically upon distilling.
Presentation (PDF: 1306K)
Liven up your PDFs with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers/Assistants
Liven up static documentation (software/hardware) and engage
readers through multimedia (such as video simulations and demonstrations
of software processes and functions), interactive 3D, information
displayed on demand (popups/rollovers/layers) and more. All features
demonstrated in the webinar are specified in FrameMaker and are
present automatically in the resulting PDFs, with no post-creation
actions in Acrobat. Presentation (PDF: 838K)
Better PDFs with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers
Demonstration/discussion of techniques for improving and enriching
PDFs authored in FrameMaker, and how to achieve these goals automatically
and consistently, using TimeSavers general settings and/or TimeSavers
hypertext markers placed in individual FrameMaker files. Presentation
(PDF: 703K)
Effective PDF Bookmarks with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers
How to Improve bookmark hierarchy and visibility of FrameMaker-generated
bookmarks, and how to easily add useful bookmarks through hypertext
markers (with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers) -- pointing to
other PDFs or web pages, instantly providing e-mail feedback,
launching external files, starting Acrobat/Reader actions (e.g.
common search phrases) and much more. Presentation (PDF: 344K)
Form Assistant
PDF form fields are typically associated with forms as a data
collection tool (e.g. purchase orders or registration forms).
However, form fields can serve as an underlying mechanism for
other interactive features.
Form Assistant (FM-to-Acrobat TimeSavers add-on) enables you to include the definitions of PDF fields in FrameMaker through hypertext markers, so that they are automatically present in the PDF file: text fields, check boxes, buttons, lists and digital signatures, with complete control over field properties. Presentation (PDF: 530K)
Form Assistant (FM-to-Acrobat TimeSavers add-on) enables you to include the definitions of PDF fields in FrameMaker through hypertext markers, so that they are automatically present in the PDF file: text fields, check boxes, buttons, lists and digital signatures, with complete control over field properties. Presentation (PDF: 530K)
Multimedia Assistant
Learn how you can embed/link to audio or video files (filmed
or software demos) from PDFs created in FM, without the tedious
work of inserting the link/file and defining playback properties
every time the PDF is updated.
With Multimedia Assistant, you use hypertext markers to define access (embed or link) to local/web-based multimedia files in all formats supported by Acrobat/Reader, so that the defined features are automatically present in the PDF file. Presentation (PDF: 575K)
With Multimedia Assistant, you use hypertext markers to define access (embed or link) to local/web-based multimedia files in all formats supported by Acrobat/Reader, so that the defined features are automatically present in the PDF file. Presentation (PDF: 575K)
3D Assistant
Learn how U3D files (ECMA1/ECMA3) can be referenced in FrameMaker
(using hypertext markers) with related views, links, bookmarks
& JavaScripts, so that interactive 3D models, together with
their specified features, are automatically present in the PDF
file upon distilling with TimeSavers + 3D Assistant. Presentation (PDF: 666K)
Navigation Assistant
Navigation Assistant (FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers add-on)
enables you to enhance PDFs and PDF collections in several ways,
such as effective cross-document navigation, automatic next/previous
topic links, popup menus and more. Presentation (PDF: 360K)
Presentation Assistant
Author your presentations in FrameMaker and convert to PDF format
with TimeSavers+Presentation/Layer Assistant. Presentation features
include page transitions, default timing, on-demand display through
layers. Presentation (PDF: 670K)
Embedding Files in PDFs
A PDF file can contain additional files as attachments. Such files can for instance be spreadsheets, code files, graphic files, or even other PDFs (e.g. a feedback form).
When embedding PDFs, you can add links or bookmarks in the container PDF that open the embedded PDF at a specified destination or page number, in a new window or in the same window.
Files can be attached manually to an existing PDF in Acrobat, but you can automate the embedding process using FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers add-on. This webinar includes a demonstration of the process and a discussion of related aspects.
Presentation (PDF: 1.6M)
Creation of an Interactive PDF Checklist
Interactive checklists provide the functionality of paper-based checklists, with the added benefit of automation, validation, export to a database, and electronic access/archiving.
Creating a PDF that uses form fields does not mean that the checklist is designed purely for on-screen use. The same document can serve both for print and online purposes.
In the interactive checklist, form fields are used to create check boxes which can be standalone or dependent on the status of other checkboxes/items in the list, validation buttons and input text fields.
Although it is possible to create forms in Acrobat, adding form fields manually is labor-intensive. Using FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers & Form Assistant, you can take advantage of all of FrameMaker capabilities to author documents that, upon conversion to PDF, will automatically contain text fields, check boxes, radio buttons and additional controls.
Creating a PDF that uses form fields does not mean that the checklist is designed purely for on-screen use. The same document can serve both for print and online purposes.
In the interactive checklist, form fields are used to create check boxes which can be standalone or dependent on the status of other checkboxes/items in the list, validation buttons and input text fields.
Although it is possible to create forms in Acrobat, adding form fields manually is labor-intensive. Using FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers & Form Assistant, you can take advantage of all of FrameMaker capabilities to author documents that, upon conversion to PDF, will automatically contain text fields, check boxes, radio buttons and additional controls.
Enhancing Acrobat search
PDF Search (Adobe Acrobat/Reader) is a very powerful tool that
is much neglected. This webinar will demonstrate how to use FrameMaker-to-Acrobat
TimeSavers to maximize search across one or more documents, gives
you tips on how to encourage your users to use Search (and not
Find), and shows you how to create pre-defined search phrases
and a customized search form. Presentation (PDF: 554K)
Walkthrough: from static PDF to rich interactive PDF using FM-to-Acrobat TimeSavers/Assistants
Walkthrough of the creation
of a screen-friendly PDF, with enhanced bookmarks and navigation
(internal and cross-file), form fields and rich media, starting
from scratch and all the way to a model PDF. All features demonstrated
are specified in FrameMaker and are present automatically in
the resulting PDFs, distilled with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers/Assistants,
with no post-creation actions in Acrobat.
Metadata in PDFs authored with FrameMaker
Metadata is descriptive information that
can be searched and processed by programs or systems - making PDFs easier to track, manage,
or retrieve (web searches or Acrobat/Reader searches).
In this webinar, I discuss the importance of PDF metadata and demonstrate how to specify
PDF metadata in Acrobat, and at the source level -- using FrameMaker built-in features
and additional metadata features available with the FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers
add-on. Presentation (PDF: 1212K)
Integrating web-based videos in PDFs (with FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers + Multimedia Asst)
Learn how to use custom hypertext markers to define access
to web-based multimedia files, so that the defined features -- including media settings
(eg in-document or floating window playback) and bookmarks to media -- are automatically present in the PDF file.
Movies defined this way will be served on-demand from your company's site, or from video hosting services such as Screencast, Vimeo, CloudFront or Youtube.
Note: webinar topics apply to all versions of FrameMaker Presentation (PDF: 1240K)
Movies defined this way will be served on-demand from your company's site, or from video hosting services such as Screencast, Vimeo, CloudFront or Youtube.
Note: webinar topics apply to all versions of FrameMaker Presentation (PDF: 1240K)