DMP?

[ptc-953343]

Is anyone using this? I'm not sure I understand exactly what this is
and how it is supposed to work.

My company was sold a copy of Web Wireless composer with the idea
that this generated a help system that has search capability (that
was what we wanted anyway and we believe this was supposed to be DMP).

Anyway, I get to the compose menu and the following options are available:

For Web
For DMP
For HTML Help
HTML File
Using XSL

For web gets me a Frameset document with a Javascript managed left
pan for a TOC and no search.

For DMP gets me a set of HTML files and what looks like the project
and index information for MS help compiler, at least windows
recognizes them as such.

For HTML Help gets me a completely compiled MS HTML Help file - has search

HTML File gets me one long HTML file with all the content - no search

According to the Help info on "Composing for DMP", it says you can
compose for DMP without DMP being installed. It looks like I get the
files this step is supposed to create (.hhc, .hhk files and the
HTML). This also indicates DMP is for "publishing large sets of
documents to CD, DVD, the web and other media. DMP supports multiple
volumes, password security, data compression, multiple languages,
link validation and other capabilities."

First is DMP providing anything more than MS Compiled Help? I see
there is a set variable that I need to check, do I need another
license to finalize the DMP collection even though I have Web
Wireless? Where does this appear in the editor when its available -
what menu item? What's the process of using DMP as there is nothing
in the help file when I search for DMP other than the info for the
Compose menu.

..dan

[naglists]

We are using it. It is much more than HTML Help. It builds a Tomcat
hostable webapp AND/OR a standalone java application (that runs a thin
Tomcat) that provides robust searching of your XML (transformed into HTML).

If you can, search adepters for this thread, it will tell you more:
Arbortext Help Center now available on the webWeb Wireless is a prerequisite
for DMP (Digital Media Publisher), but it is not the only one. You also need
Microsoft's Help Compiler (Free and downloadable). The help somewhere
describes the steps to install (and run, don't forget to RUN the help
compiler, at least once). You need it on the machine where the composition
occurs, so thsi may be Editor and/or PE.

You are at least one version ahead of us, as we don't yet have Compose to
DMP.

I can post more later, but have to run out (it's quittin' time here 😉

[ptc-953343]

Thanks.

If you have an exact help topic that would help 😉 I've searched
help and the only thing that comes up is the compose information when
I look for DMP or Digital Media Publisher. Also it looks like Web
Wireless might not have all the stuff we need to do the final
composition. At least I don't find a menu option for it. Monday I'll
poke around the directories to see if something installed to be used
outside of Epic. My other concern is this doesn't show up in the
optional components when I did the initial install, so I really think
we are missing some software.

..dan

[naglists]

What Arbortext version are you using? You mentioned the Compose to DMP menu
pick. I don't have that and as a result DMP Composer is a separate piece of
software. The version I'm using doesn't have an installer. You essentially
have to configure a build directory and a make file. I think the latest does
have an installer for DMP Composer, though. (DMP Consumer is the second
"half" of DMP, essentially the webapp or standalone java/thin-tomcat/webapp
application you create to distribute on CD, DVD, or on the web.)

Web wireless, as far as I know, is only the license. I'm not aware of
software related to that. Without the license, you won't be able to compose
to the various HTML outputs. I compose to HTML Help (which requires the
download, install, and one-time launch of Microsoft's Help Project or
whatever) and feed that output to DMP Composer via batch, but I am working
with late-beta of the initial DMP 5.x release.

And SORRY ... head-fake. I was remembering the help page for HTML Help.
Search for Compose HTML Help in the Editor help system. There isn't DMP help
in Editor yet.

To get Digital Media Publisher, you have to download the application through
the "Order or Download Software Updates" link at ptc.com/support. If your
licenses are in order, you should be able (once through the top layers of
PTC's software pages) choose:
ARBORTEXT DIGITAL MEDIA PUBLISHER

I see two choices: 5.3 m030 (DMP's 5.x F000 release, practically speaking)
and 5.3 m040.

At the top level of ptc.com/support, you can choose Download Reference
Documents. At the next page, choose:
Arbortext Digital Media Publisher
All Releases
All Document Types
All User Roles

Now you have to read carefully ... no matter which mXXX you download, you
will need documents from both the m030 and m040 sets as not all documents
are available in both versions (whether delayed, not written at the time of
initial release, or not updated for second release, I don't know).

Anyhow, that will get you a lot further along (assuming your licenses are in
order).

Again: I am uncertain about what version implications exist since you are
seeing Compose to DMP. For some reason I was thinking that was still to
come. This option, by the way, may require use of PE and therefore
connecting PE to Microsoft's HTML Help compiler AND DMP Composer (unless
this has been integrated in the PE install).

Once you get far enough along, if you are interested in my batch "make" file
strategy, let me know, I'll write something up.