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ptc-46599461-Visitor
1-Visitor
November 6, 2012
Question

FrameMaker files to Epic Editor

  • November 6, 2012
  • 3 replies
  • 2546 views

Need instructions on converting FrameMaker files into Epic Editor. Or link to instructions would work, too.

    3 replies

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    GarethOakes16-Pearl
    16-Pearl
    November 7, 2012

    Arbortext themselves have a tool to achieve that, it's called Arbortext Import/Export and it can take MIF files as input.

    Are you using unstructured FM? If so, the conversion is to a structured format (XML) so that will mean quite a lot of work in setting up the conversion maptemplate and also lots of QA for each file. Some organisations choose to use an offshore conversion vendor if they have a large enough volume of conversion work.

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    pnagai1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 7, 2012

    You will need an import/export license.

    You will need an Editor install with the import/export feature installed.
    You will export FrameMaker to MIF.
    You will create at least one map (links FrameMaker tags and formatting to XML elements and attributes).
    You will create at least one project (links MIF files, map files, and output files).
    You will run the project.
    Typically you run the project and develop your maps and scripts iteratively, perhaps against a representative subset of your complete library.
    You will finish with a celebratory beverage, preferably cold.

    If you have only a handful of documents and/or only a couple thousand pages, consider using cheap labor to do a copy/paste conversion.

    If you have thousands of documents and/or millions of pages, work with an experienced, referred vendor.
    If you fall in between, then figure out what resources are most scarce and make the most of what you've got. Don't forget to consider the organizational friction some resources represent in your evaluation.
    Conversions are street fights. Don't be pedantic about doing anything "the right way"! Results are all that matters.
    You will need to determine how much of your conversion will be:
    * FrameMaker pre-processing by hand
    * Arbortext mapping
    * Programmatic pre- and post-processing run by import/export
    * Text based post-processing (think Textpad find/replace for example)
    * Script based post-processing (perl, for example)
    * XSL/XSLT transformations
    * XML editor based post-processing (Arbortext Editor of course)
    Note: import/export has an intermediary XML format that can be accessed and processed.
    The step by step bits you'll want to look for should be in the help (or maybe documentation) for import/export. There may also be samples in the Editor install tree. Look for folders named import or export.
    Good luck!
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      pnagai1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      November 7, 2012

      You should also join and ask the Adepters mailing list where lots and lots of Arbortext users, admins, and developers hang out 24/7/366 (it is a leap year, you know!). Information on joining that list (as well as pointers to lots of other Arbortext resources) can be found here:

      http://blog.single-sourcing.com/top-arbortext-resources

      See also:

      http://www.single-sourcing.com/company/social.html

      K
      KarenWisne1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      November 7, 2012

      A little on topic, a little off topic, slightly rhetorical - why do these software companies make it so difficult? Isn't the utility of using XML that it can (should) be easily shared between users (software/ hardware/ vendors/ suppliers/ customers...). I guess XML is universal, but the software code to make it pretty is not. ugh

      G
      GarethOakes16-Pearl
      16-Pearl
      November 7, 2012

      Like any technology I think it is evolving. I'm pretty sure the first cars weren't cheap, reliable and easy to operate...

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