Adobe/GPI FrameMaker DITA Case Study

No more "round tripping" from FrameMaker binary files to XML: chapters saved in native DITA format

Review the exciting case study and recorded webinar on adobe.com, which highlights a breakthrough solution for multilingual DITA projects using FrameMaker, developed by Globalization Partners International (GPI). Find out how processing instructions were combined with DITA element attributes and EDD format rules to create a publishing solution that includes:

• One structured template controls all language specific formatting for 27 target languages, including Russian, Greek, Chinese, Korean and Dutch.
• Notes, Warnings and other hanging indent paragraphs automatically substitute correct text and change indent values to accommodate text expansion, via logical format rules in the FrameMaker EDD.
• Page Header/Footer correctly displays localized heading and language specific part numbers, without manually importing templates or conditional text display values.
• Figure caption tables automatically reformat themselves with smaller point size when "drag n' drop" is used to place table immediate below a figure.
• Illegal format overrides outside of DITA structure are "washed away" when file is saved and closed. Authors invoke approved format overrides via special attributes in DITA elements, visible in FrameMaker's structure view window.
• XML DITA files open up in FrameMaker immediately after translation, with all external cross references working. Broken external cross references are a common problem with most other publishing solutions in post-translation DTP.
• All steps involved with converting XML source files to structured FrameMaker binary files have been eliminated.
• Training and support time were significantly reduced; powerful EDD and template rules are deliberately hidden from the publisher during authoring and post-translation DTP.

The client, a Major Medical Device Manufacturer, estimates that overall project costs were cut by nearly 50% due to FrameMaker's innovative features. GPI's development staff estimate that the overall time to develop the formatting solution for DITA in FrameMaker took about 10% of the time required for traditional DITA publishing tools that rely on XLST-FO style sheets. This is because FrameMaker repurposes pre-DITA formatting by enabling swift transformation of legacy document files into structured templates.

Case Study in PDF format:

Download the PDF case study file that gives full details on how GPI developed this solution, and the many project goals that were met with our development. Discover why GPI's DITA FrameMaker solution is ideal for multilingual publishing, especially in departments with a transient contractor workforce.

View the Recorded Webinar at www.adobe.com

Navigate to the registration page that will allow you to see the Case Study solution demonstrated in a recorded webinar. Use your existing adobe.com credentials, or simply create a new account. In addition to slides, the webinar includes over 25 minutes of "live" FrameMaker demo that shows actual tools, menus and techniques used to invoke powerful 27-language formatting with just one template.