Adobe ® FrameMaker ®

FrameMaker software delivers an enterprise-class authoring and publishing solution that combines the simplicity of word processing with the power of XML. Adobe FrameMaker 8 supports Unicode text encoding to author and publish technical documentation in many languages (CKJ included). Our solutions include the creation, authoring, publishing and printing of Adobe FrameMaker documents, as well as the translation of pre-existing documents preserving their original layout. In the former case, our services focus on analysing, structuring and creating brand new documentation - including graphics - and, upon request, involve typographical or digital printing (including activities aimed at optimising and validating PDFs). Document content can be structured using XML schema as an alternative to DTDs. Our products include image-related documents, brochures and leaflets; manuals and instruction booklets; catalogues, presentations, educational and training literature, e-books and monitor display products. In the second case, we translate new documents and update existing ones. The use of the most modern CAT (Computer Aided Translation) technologies allows us to translate manuals, catalogues and other documents directly in MIF, Adobe FrameMaker's interchange format, avoiding the need to re-paginate each language version produced. We manage FrameMaker- and MIF-based projects through: Across Language server (including CrossGrid) SDL Trados Star Transit and all standard TMX based Translation Memory systems. We translate and paginate in all the main languages managed by FrameMaker 7.x and 8. Furthermore, we offer numerous solutions to convert texts between different operating systems and to migrate corporate documentation from one format to another (e.g. from Interleaf to FrameMaker or from QuarkXPress to FrameMaker). We produce layouts in both Windows and Macintosh. Following Adobe's decision not to develop FrameMaker versions for Macintosh beyond version 7.0, we have extended our migration solutions from FrameMaker for Macintosh to other Macintosh applications and, in particular, to OSX version based programs. Soget uses all the latest DTP programs, guaranteeing full compatibility with the two previous releases. Compatibility extends to FrameMaker for Macintosh and Windows. As an Adobe authorised printing services provider, we can obtain an in depth understanding of applications before their official release, guaranteeing customers utmost know how and efficiency. Below is our analysis on the latest version of Adobe FrameMaker, focussing on aspects relating to managing foreign language documentation, in which we highlight the program's main characteristics.

Analysis of Adobe FrameMaker v. 8

Adobe FrameMaker 8 software is a powerful tool for technical communicators that combines word processing and XML-based structured authoring with template-based publishing.
FrameMaker 8 is available for Windows and UNIX® (no Macintosh!).

FrameMaker 8 improves the capabilities of FrameMaker 7.2 with the following new or enhanced features: support for Unicode and enhanced multilingual authoring, DITA, 3D workflows, and rich media (including Adobe Flash® Player compatible content created using Adobe Captivate™ software); enhanced conditional output; output generation based on attribute values; improved XML roundtripping; text edit tracking; and Microsoft® Windows Vista™ and Office 2007 support.

Users:
Those responsible for documentation in large companies, technical editors and maker-ups handling large volumes of information through multimedia channels: internet, press, CD-ROM and PDA.

Production:
Technical manuals and highly organised, indexed and structured corporate documents; multiplatform documentation; exportations in a vast range of formats, including HTML, XML, SGML, Adobe PDF and PDF files with live 3D models.

What it offers:
Thorough text controls (similar to those offered by advanced word processors) and a hierarchical document organisation (SGML and XML), have turned this program into the direct competitor of Interleaf QuickSilver.
The program supports long documents, including as it does management functions capable of managing entire publications (books), as well as containing sophisticated templates and numerous formatting options. It provides in-built support for high resolution printing and PDF creation.
FrameMaker 8 imports content from many other formats, including Microsoft Word and Excel (Office 2007), QuarkXPress and Adobe PageMaker® software.
It supports TrueType, OpenType, and Type 1 fonts

Language management:
Exports to: Adobe PDF, HTML, XML, SGML, MIF and RTF (XSLT support is also available).
This version includes Unicode support to edit and create content in multiple languages (including Chinese, Korean and Japanese), and author content for global audiences with dictionary and hyphenation support for the following languages:
Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Nynorsk, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.
Unfortunately Arabic, Hebrew and right-to-left languages are not supported (see Adobe InDesign).
Note: FrameMaker 7.2 and earlier does not support Unicode text. If a document in FrameMaker 8 includes Unicode text in languages that are not supported in 7.x, then the characters are lost when the file is saved as 7.x compliant. If the file is re-opened in Framemaker 8, then that character information is gone.

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