The virtual press conference for the 2017 release of the Adobe Technical Communication Suite introduced significant updates to its flagship authoring tool, Adobe FrameMaker. The 2017 release of Adobe FrameMaker includes big improvements in the user interface and a list of various productivity and publishing enhancements.
The biggest changes since the last version are the improvements in the user interface. These changes include a more intuitive and user-friendly welcome screen, a command search feature, and a new project manager.
The new welcome screen makes commonly used tasks immediately available after launching FrameMaker. The welcome screen has a Recent Items section that makes it easier for users to access recent documents. The Browse field lets users search and access files quickly, navigate to a folder, connect to a CMS repository, and restore your last working session. Shortcuts to common document templates are prominently displayed on the new welcome screen, allowing users to easily create new documents. Helpful topics available in Adobe Resources are displayed as links in the resources area of the welcome screen. You can customize the appearance, organization, and contents of the welcome screen by updating the HTML and CSS files located in your user directory.
The new command search feature makes it easier for beginning and experienced users to find different features, commands, and shortcut keys in FrameMaker. From the command search icon, type part of the command name and a list of matching commands is displayed. Users can click the command from the search results to execute the command directly from the command search.
More command shortcuts are displayed with the menu options for easy recall of shortcut key sequences.
The new project manager allows users to manage and organize project files easier and faster. After creating a project from the File menu or from the welcome screen, you can add links to resources, such as documents and graphics, to your project. You can easily drag and drop images, links, and contents from the project manager to your documents. Users can create projects for a specific book or multiple books, and reference those books inside the project.
Adobe FrameMaker 2017 comes with the latest HTML and HTML5 publishing layouts that adopt the latest practices in responsive content.
The Ocean layout includes predictive search, dynamic content filtering by DITA attribute values, integrated TOCs on each page, and HD-optimized icons. Predictive search completes the search phrase as the user types in the search field. Matching search results are also displayed as the user types. The basic HTML layout lets users create output without the extra files for responsive content and other features. This results in a lightweight HTML output that is appropriate for organizations that use their own CSS and template files. Layouts are customizable. You can turn off unneeded widgets, configure content filtering, and change the icons.
For DITA users, the new HTML5 layouts support dynamic content filtering that lets you filter content that is displayed in your output by DITA attribute value.
Adobe FrameMaker 2017 gives you more comprehensive search results with the ability to search for text within SVG graphic files.
The support for higher graphic resolution up to the 4K standard allows the user to use FrameMaker in higher resolution monitor settings without the UI elements and text rendering uncomfortably small.
“The 2017 release of Adobe FrameMaker is more intuitive and user-friendly. Creating technical content is easier and faster because the user interface is much better organized. I’m amazed at how FrameMaker 2017 transformed my draft into an organized and well-structured document.”
“Adobe FrameMaker lets me work effortlessly, and improves my technical writing. Enhanced features and reorganized menus will save you time and effort when you work with FrameMaker 2017.”
– Barry Saiff
To learn more about FrameMaker 2017, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/framemaker.html or email customer support at tcssup@adobe.com.