Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!ogicse!cs.uoregon.edu!scavo From: scavo@cs.uoregon.edu (Tom Scavo) Newsgroups: comp.text.desktop Subject: Re: FrameMaker (summary) Keywords: desktop publishing equation typesetting Message-ID: <1990Sep26.035438.21423@cs.uoregon.edu> Date: 26 Sep 90 03:54:38 GMT References: <1990Sep19.224520.9375@cs.uoregon.edu> Sender: news@cs.uoregon.edu (Netnews Owner) Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Oregon Lines: 119 Numerous comments received in the last week prompted this update. Again, thanks to all of you who contributed this new information. ------------------------------------------------------------ Here's an overview of FrameMaker as seen by its users: Strengths Weaknesses auto-referencing table generation integrated drawing tools limited drawing tools picture import by reference picture positioning auto-numbering (figs, etc.) super/subscripts textual cross-referencing hanging indents footnotes/endnotes footnotes/endnotes automatic TOC and indices non-adjustable overbars Book Building help system wysiwyg equation processing equation formatting multiple dictionaries user interface multiple platforms limited file export excellent tech support hardware hungry page layout capabilities customizability no outliner bibliography support ------------------------------------------------------------ As you can see, not everyone's in agreement when it comes to certain features. These and other points are discussed below: - FrameMaker's user interface is nearly identical across platforms, and this accounts for the complaints about the non-Mac interface. Also, some of the dialog boxes could be better designed. - The Mac version is supposedly a full implementation of, say, the Sun version (which has symbolic math capabilities, btw). All versions claim to be 100% file-compatible with each other. - Choice of file type when exporting documents is limited (there is no TeX filter, for example), and one user reported problems when porting a Frame document to a NeXT workstation. - Those who used Frame on a Mac had a IIcx or better. An SE probably wouldn't cut it, although one person mentioned that an SE/30 with a second monitor might be OK. In fact, a 19" monitor appeared to be the display of choice (even a full-page monitor is unable to accomodate all of Frame's floating windows). - From a practical point of view, 4MB of memory is probably minimum, and one person reported a noticeable increase in speed (when editing large files) on a Mac IIcx with 8MB. - Whereas Word for example, is stable, FrameMaker on the Mac is not. Several bugs were reported: 1) the drawing tools; 2) search/replace; 3) importation of Word files. - FrameMaker is generally more powerful than Word, but a good number of people commented on FrameMaker's inability to generate tables, a feature Word users typically boast about. One person remarked that PageMaker (on the Mac) was the closest thing there was to FrameMaker, but that PageMaker had nothing like FrameMath (the name given to FrameMaker's equation typesetting facility). - Some users find Frame's built-in drawing tools adequate; others find them lacking. - FrameMaker's footnote/endnote capability was praised in a few instances, but at least one person had the need for additional formatting options (e.g., [19-21]). Frame also has problems creating an accurate list of figures (or list of anything, for that matter). - How does FrameMath (equations, etc.) measure up? In terms of output, the following inequality holds: TeX > FrameMaker > Expressionist Interestingly, reversing the sense of the inequality gives a fairly accurate description of the ease with which mathematical text is created in each program. (Does anyone know how MathType fits into these equations?) - Super/subscripts are not properly positioned. While manual positioning on an individual basis is possible, global adjustments are not. Horizontal spacing (kerning) between the characters of mathematical expressions must be manually applied in many instances. Multiple levels of super/subscripts are not supported. - Editing of mathematical expressions is difficult since there are no visual cues (like the box outlines in Expressionist) that would aid the selection of subexpressions. - Frame Technologies can be reached by email at comments@frame.com and demo versions of FrameMaker are available. Although this offer does NOT include the Mac, a timed-out Mac version IS available (at least for those in the educational community) if you're willing to send the company seven (count em!) blank diskettes. - Supposedly, there is a review article in a recent issue (sometime in the last couple of months?) of _Desktop_ _Publishing_ (or something like that). ------------------------------------------------------------ -- Tom Scavo ---------