20 Free Plugins for Adobe FrameMaker

Name: Book2PDF

Type: Freeware

OS: Windows

FM Versions Supported:5.5.6 and 6.0

Company Name: Mekon

Download link: http://www.structured-publishing.com/Software/A-Z/Book2PDF/index.jsp

Description:

1. List generation for FrameMaker 5.5.6—This free Mekon plugin enables Adobe FrameMaker to successfully generate lists in the form of a Table of Contents from a FrameMaker book.
2. Printing to PDF for FrameMaker versions 5.5.6 and 6.0—When a book is printing to PDF as individual files, any cross-references or links going to other folders will be lost. This free Mekon plugin allows you to print directly to PDF without losing any of the links.

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Name: Book-level Conditional Text

Type: Freeware

OS: Windows

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6

Company Name: ElectroPubs

Download link: http://www.electropubs.com/downloads.html

Description: Conditional text is one of FrameMaker's best features when it comes to single-source authoring. Unfortunately, before the release of Version 6, FrameMaker only allowed you to control conditional text at the file level. With 50 separate files in a Book, changing Conditional Text settings can be a tedious and error-prone business.

This utility displays the familiar Conditional Text dialog box on a .BK (book) file's menu. Change the Show/Hide settings, and the settings of all files in the book are automatically updated!

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Name: BookLooker Plugin

Type:Freeware

OS: Win

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6 and 6.0

Company Name: Cudspan Tools

Download link: http://www.freeframers.org/freeware/cud/personales/cud/cssIndex.htm

Description:

Part of Cudspan Tools. Searches across books and performs other book-wide actions.

1. Locks and unlocks files
2. Turns changebars on and off and clears changebars in entire book
3. Bookwide finds of strings, marker text, marker types, cross-references, unresolved cross-references, and document- and book-level hunt for paragraph overrides; creates hypertext linked document of results

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Name: DITA FMx

Type: Freeware

OS: Windows

FM Versions Supported: 7.2

Company Name: Leximation

Download Link: http://www.leximation.com/dita-fmx/

Description: Lets you create and edit DITA XML files in FrameMaker.

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Name: DoBatch

Type: Freeware

OS: Windows

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0 and 7.0

Company Name: Cudspan

Download Link: http://www.freeframers.org/freeware/cud/personales/cud/cssIndex.htm

Description: Part of Cudspan Tools. Runs batch processing in documents and books. Save as
MIF, Filtered, ViewOnly, or document; Update a book or document; Import formats; Run another plugin on a book or document.

1. Requires the CudLog plugin.
2. DoBatch can now use your installed export filters to save as other file types.
3. This includes HTML and XML. See the updated docs for more information. (5/23/01)
4. NEW: DoBatch now saves as PostScript. (9/14/01)

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Name: DZbatcher

Type: Freeware

OS: Windows

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0 and 7.0

Company Name: Datazone

Download Link: http://www.datazone.com/english/overview/download.html

Description:

1. Print documents using a `print settings' document to control how the documents will be printed.
2. Convert files from Frame document (binary) format to Frame MIF (Maker Interchange Format) or vice versa. You can also batch-convert files to FrameViewer or FrameMaker locked format.
3. Convert files to Acrobat PDF format.
4. Import formats from one document into many other documents.
5. Automate conversion of MS Word, and many other external document types, to FrameMaker.
6. Automate the updating of variables, cross-references and text insets across a large collection of documents.

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Name: CudLog

Type: Freeware

OS: Windows

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0 and 7.0

Company Name: Cudspan

Download Link: http://www.freeframers.org/freeware/cud/personales/cud/cssIndex.htm

Description: Part of Cudspan Tools. A logging utility that is used by many of these other
plugins.

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Name: DoBatch

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0, 7.0

Company Name: Cudspan

Download Link: http://www.freeframers.org/freeware/cud/personales/cud/cssIndex.htm

Description: Part of Cudspan Tools. Runs batch processing in documents and books. Save as
MIF, Filtered, ViewOnly, or document; Update a book or document; Import formats; Run another plugin on a book or document.

1. Requires the CudLog plugin.
2. DoBatch can now use your installed export filters to save as other file types.
3. This includes HTML and XML. See the updated docs for more information. (5/23/01)
4. NEW: DoBatch now saves as PostScript. (9/14/01)

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Name: FreeWheel

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win 9x or Windows NT

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0

Company Name: FreeWheel

Download Link: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2060/freewheel.html

Description: Here is a utility to get away from FrameMaker's annoying habit of NOT letting you use the scroll wheel on your mouse. Freewheel provides mouse wheel support for applications that do not directly support the IntelliPoint mouse wheel.

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Name: Hunt Overrides

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0, 7.0

Company Name: Cudspan

Download Link: http://www.freeframers.org/freeware/cud/personales/cud/cssIndex.htm

Description: Part of Cudspan Tools. Lists instances of paragraph format overrides,separating overrides that are only due to page-breaks from other overrides. The list is a hypertext document you can use to navigate to the override instance.

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Name: Import Formatted Tables

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win 9x

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6

Company Name: ElectroPubs

Download Link: http://www.electropubs.com/downloads.htm

Description: Use this DLL to import comma-delimited text into pre-formatted table definitions.

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Name: Leximation

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win

FM Versions Supported: 5, 6, 7

Company Name: Leximation

Download Link: http://www.leximation.com/tools/

Description: There are several free plugins for FramMaker@Leximation.

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Name: MarkerWorker

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6, 7

Company Name: Cudspan

Download Link: http://www.telecable.es/personales/cud/cssIndex.htm

Description: Part of Cudspan Tools. Generates a list to represent all markers of a specified type in a book or document. Once you generate the list, you can modify the marker text and then rebuild all the listed markers with your new marker text.

Obvious uses include:

1. Globally editing index markers
2. Translating marker content
3. Checking and correcting hypertext markers.

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Name: MIFBrowser

Type: Application/Freeware

OS: Win

Company Name: Graham Wideman

Download Link: http://www.wideman-one.com/gw/tech/framemaker/mifbrowse.htm

Description: Provides a tree view of MIF contents.

Name: MIFMuncher

Type: Application/Freeware

OS: Win

Company Name: HyText Consulting

Download Link: http://stc-carolina.org/tiki-index.php?page=MIF%20Muncher

Description: MIF Muncher massages a FrameMaker MIF (Maker Interchange Format) file to extract information. This version extracts stylesheet (paragraph tag) information from the MIF file and generates a tab-delimited ASCII text file that can be pulled into your favorite word processor and easily formatted into a table.

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Name: PgfWhopper

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0,7.0

Company Name: Cudspan

Download Link: http://www.freeframers.org/freeware/cud/

Description: Part of Cudspan Tools. Lists and deletes unused paragraph formats, character formats, and conditional text tags.

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Name: RefIcons

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0,7.0

Company Name: Cudspan

Download Link: http://www.freeframers.org/freeware/cud/

Description: Part of Cudspan Tools. Inserts icons next to paragraphs. Just design a format/icon pair in your document, then use a single command to save the pair in the RefIcons palette. You can then use the format/icon pair in any document.

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Name: Remove Local Formatting

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win 9x

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0

Company Name: ElectroPubs

Download Link: http://www.electropubs.com/downloads.html

Description: This DLL removes "local" formatting from FrameMaker documents. Local
formatting can be defined as formatting that does not match the definition of the text in the Paragraph Catalog.

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Name: TocBreaker

Type: Plugin/Freeware

OS: Win

FM Versions Supported: 5.5.6, 6.0, 7.0

Company Name: Cudspan

Download Link: http://www.freeframers.org/freeware/cud/

Description: Part of Cudspan Tools. Remembers page breaks and line breaks in your generated lists. Very useful in the later stages of a project when you have decided on custom breaks in the generated files, but you need to regenerate from time to time.

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Name: TOOLBOX Basic

Type: Plugin/Free

OS: Win, Mac

FM Versions Supported: 5.x, 6.0, 7.0

Company Name: System Gmbh

Download Link: http://www.systec-gmbh.com/en/sites/downloads_epub.php

Description: Paragraph/Character Formats

1. Delete all or unused paragraph, character, cross-reference, variables, and table formats with one click.

2. Add paragraph & character formats to catalogs.

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Disclaimer: This list was compiled for the advantage of my fellow technical writers all over the globe. The list includes all the latest information as on the date on posting. For more information on the product, you can always check the developer's website.

I researched the internet and complied all the information. I did not develop this information and do not consider this to be a copyrighted document. In many cases, descriptions have been copied directly from the creator’s web site.

Happy FrameMaking!
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Top Ten Tips for a Better Performance Appraisal

Appraisal is the process when your yearly performance is under microscope. Your work achievements in the last one year are examined and investigated. It is the time when the organization evaluates your contribution, initiatives, training needs (informal and formal), deadlines you met or missed out and so on.

If you got a bad performance appraisal, don’t worry. There is always next time provided you like your work, the organization and plan to stay a bit longer.


Get on with the job mate: It does not matter whether you are experienced or inexperienced just get on with the job and start contributing to the company immediately.

To quote Guy Kawasaki (Software Evangelist and Venture Capitalist), “Think Plug and Play. You should always be answering the question: How can I immediately help this company? For example, someone straight out of college (or high school) can help by testing software, answering the phone, answering tech. support questions, whatever. But don’t expect the luxury of a long training program before you start contributing to the bottom line.”

Your manager is sure to notice the time you took for the royal ramp-up. The time you take to get acquainted with your work costs huge money to the company. For example, the cost of the trainer, the cost of the training programs itself and the cost of your time. At the end of the day, the biggest loser is none other than you. So make sure you shorten the ramp-up time or better still get on with the job mate.

Start early: Make a plan how you are going to ‘grab’ that stellar performance appraisal. Keep aside time to evaluate yourself, as if you were your own boss. Document every work you do with date, time and other important details. Be honest with yourself. If you have not met any deadline, please include the same. Also, mention the extra time you took to complete the work. Honesty is not always rewarded, but it is still the best policy to have. When in doubt, tell the truth.

Bring in all the printouts of appreciation mails, notes or any documents that show the work that you have done in a brighter light. Make a file of all printouts of important mails regarding the work you have done till date.

Make an email folder specifically for Appraisal mails. Set aside those appreciation mails from your boss, counterparts outside India, peers or from anybody for that matter who has appreciated your work or your contribution.

Figures and Numbers: Managers are like number-crunching bots. They love their math. Figures and Numbers conveys the exact message to them. Write tangible statements. Do not write ‘Trained a large group’ instead write, ‘I trained a group of 30 technical support executives’.

Alternatively, state specifically how long you have managed it. You have recently copy-edited a huge document, many presentation files, write the page numbers or the number of slides. Moreover, if you managed to do this all well within the given time, make sure you write that too.

Involve yourself: Actively involve yourself throughout the year in projects of repute and high-visibility. Get to know yourself and the skills you posses. Find where, when and how you can contribute to the organization.

My technical writer friend Harshala states, “My Company was going through a huge program of revamping the ‘User Experience’ of one our many software products. I convinced my Manager that being a technical writer I would be able to contribute to the User Experience project. He included me in the project and it was one of the most successful projects. Needless to say it paid rich dividends to me when the time for performance appraisal came up.”

Be Specific: In most companies, self-appraisals have specific categories like communications skills, teamwork, problem-solving skills and so on. Make sure to give specific examples that match the category; otherwise, they lose their power. Be detailed in writing your self-evaluation. If you saved the company money by suggesting and implementing a ‘Download Center Usage Guide’, add the fact to your list.

Start something new: Keep a close eye on things at your work place. Discuss with your colleagues, peers or seniors about the work they do, the challenges they face. Find out a way to ease their work.

Anil says, “I work for Technical Support group and while working we have to follow ‘n’ number of processes. We used to get regular mails from our Manager about process defaulters and replies of the so-called process defaulters that how they did know the process existed or what was to be followed. I found out an easy way out both for my manager and my peers. I documented all the processes with their individual importance, contact numbers if in trouble and so on. My Manager and my teammates appreciated my efforts; the same reflected in my appraisal.

Let the world know: Believe me, no one’s ever going to know what the heck you are doing in your cubicle. So when you do the good work, make sure that your manager knows that as well. It is definitely not crazy to blow your own horn; it is crazy to think that someone else will do it for you.

Also, make an effort to spread the good word about your work or accomplishments in the technical writing fraternity. For example, spread the good word if you are being interviewed, your article is published, your technical writing blog is being applauded and so on. Your manager is surely going to notice that spark in you and give you more responsibilities and projects.

Be the SME: Try to shed the over-dependence on Subject Matter Experts (SME). Get to know the product you are documenting as much as possible.

Arvind says, “I started off as a technical writer for one our software products. I went deep into it and studied it very carefully. Today, there is no wasting time in asking for the appointments of the SMEs and running after them for information. I have become ‘A’ level user and subject matter expert in the software.”

The bottom line is, the more time you take to learn the product; the less is your manager impressed. Moreover, you never know when the senior members in the company, the so-called SME leave the company.

Future Perfect: Gerard Rego (MSC Software, VP and GM India Product Development) has this wonderful theory. He says, “The future belongs to those who would be able to save or earn money for the organization. If you are able to do that, you will stand out from the crowd.”

As Technical writers, we can make sure that we have clearer documentation, which means fewer support calls. In addition, if the documentation is translated, the consistent documentation means fewer billed hours spent translating.

Do not think that your manager is going to miss these points, if you are going to put them forth.

Show Your Value: Align your yearly achievements to that of your company goals. For example, as a lone technical writer you prepared an ISO- standard technical writing process. It fact sounds impressive, but what does it mean? Is there any connection between your ISO-standard technical writing process and a reduction in time for editing or improved quality in documentation?
Make sure that you show your value of handwork into results your manager will value.

When the self-appraisal is complete, ask your friend to review it for you. You would not want to slip in a typo or grammatical error. In addition, your friend might be able to suggest you a few points you might have missed out.

Appraisals come every year and we wait for them anxiously. However, I am sure the next time it comes; we would be well prepared for it.

Best of Luck for your next Appraisals!


~ Vijayendra Darode

Top 10 Proofreading Tips

Proofreading is a very essential skill to have to make you the complete writer. Proofreading is a specialist job. It is not everybody’s cuppa of chai. It is a "good-to-acquire and hard-to-have" skill. A word of caution: It might increasingly give you a feeling of a thankless job. Occupational hazard, you might say. To quote Richa, my technical editor "Alas, the technical editor never gets direct credit for the job done."

Most of the time, your peers, senior members, or the one who has build up a reputation of being an 'eagle eye' takes over the task of proofreading. Oh wait… did I tell you that nobody, I repeat nobody likes their work to be edited and proofread? If at all you come across any writer who tells you he/she likes that his/her work is being edited or proofread, he/she is lying.

Proofreading can be categorized into three types:

a) Comparison proofread: As the name suggests, it is where you need to compare the original document with the new one. The original document could be handwritten notes, a typed document that needs to be re-typed because it was lost, a document with changes, or documents that change according to the products, especially for finance, banking and mortgage companies.

For example: XYX Mortgage Company has 25 different mortgage products for 25 different states of the US. Now, imagine a scenario where each product document changes (a few lines and paragraphs) according to the laws of each state. That is one huge task, and for one, risky, simply because miss one line or paragraph and the company might suffer huge losses.

As Mark Twain said in a different context, “Be careful about reading medical books. You could die of a misprint. So also, you could lose your job of proofreading inaccurately.

b) Content: Content proofreading is your everyday proofreading. It includes the usual spotting errors in grammar, spelling, structure, consistency and so on.

c) Format: The most difficult of the three – simply because you are looking for formatting mistakes. First of all you must know the document you are checking, whether it is the release notes, user's guide, or even a business letter. Formatting rules change for different documents. You also have to look for the alignment mistakes, spaces/double spaces, numbers, and footnotes and so on.

Top 10 Proofreading Tips

Understand the Human body: The brain, mind and the eyes have to be trained to see things others can not see. A keen eye for details is the need of the hour. Start the proofreading work at a time when you are being the most alert and attentive. Also, take short breaks when needed and come back fresh. A fresh look at the document and you could find mistakes you missed out.

Switch it off: Switch off your mobile phones, pagers or PDAs. Log-off from the chat client, mail client, social networking sites or any other communication tool. Isolate yourself in a room with your proofreading work. Silence will work its wonders.

Print the document: Proofreading works better on a hard copy. It is so much easy to catch the mistakes on paper, but make sure you get the latest printout of the work you want to proofread. At times, we end up precious time wasting in proofreading the document, which is not the latest copy. Online, on the other hand, might work for a few, but with a printed copy the percentage of finding mistakes goes up.

Get to know the rules of the game: No space before comma, no double spaces, single space after comma and the list goes on and on.

Proofreading group: Let your peers review your work and vice versa. No matter how good a writer you are, when it comes to proofreading your, own work typos and other errors slip out.

Double filter: The first filter of proofreading should be yourself; the second should be your critic, the eagle eye from your group. Add one or more filters of proofreading as per your needs and criticality of the project.

List of mistakes: Make a list of errors/mistakes you want to find out while proofreading. If you are starting with "typos”, make sure you look for typos right through. Run a spelling check first.

Do not try and find everything at one go. Your list of proofreading mistakes might include:

a) Typos
b) Confusing words (e.g., "except" for "expect" and "your" for "you're").
c) Ambiguity
d) Inconsistencies
e) Formatting problems
g) Missing words
h) Contractions

The Old trick in the book: Read backwards, as it makes you concentrate on words and not the meaning.

The last nail in the coffin: When you are done with the proofread. Ask someone to correct the mistakes in the document, referring your hand written or marked copy. When the mistakes are corrected, take a printout and cross-check the new document with your hand written or marked copy with it. Compare it carefully; remember if the mistakes are not corrected, all your hard work will be wasted. To repeat again, make sure you get the 'latest' printout of the document. Read the document for the last time, before it is ready to be delivered.


Proofreading is learning: Learning from your own and others’ mistakes. You can also get to know the proofreading marks/symbols which are used by editors.
Google for Proofreading marks to find innumerable sites.
http://www.journalismcareers.com/articles/downloads/proofreadingsymbols.pdf


References
Proofreading tips at http://www.clickz.com
Proofreading tips at http://ny.essortment.com/proofreadingtip_rvww.htm


~Vijayendra