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XML – InDesign to be replaced by Framemaker?

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    • October 12, 2012 at 2:45 pm #63344
      John Kelsall
      Member

      Hi everyone

      I've recently received an email from Adobe, advertising the XML benefits of Framemaker 11. So I've decided to post this message to open a discussion about it.

      Does this mean that InDesign will not be greatly improving its XML features because Framemaker has been chosen as the vehicle for dealing with XML?

      I'm a typesetter working in the book publishing industry and more and more publishers are wanting their books to contain XML. Does this mean that Framemaker will have to replace InDesign as the software to create books due to its XML features?

      I've never used Framemaker – how easy is it to create pages with flowing text with this software? Is it a huge learning curve from InDesign?

      I thought I'd throw this message out there to see what you all thought.

      Cheers

    • October 12, 2012 at 10:37 pm #63345
      Gert Verrept
      Member

      I've been working for some time now with FM10 for a project. I get xml files and I have to insert some graphics in them, output is pdf.

      What I see is that it crashes a lot when using Find&Change.

      The xml implementation is better than in Indesign, but a good knowlidge of xml is a plus.

      I think is difficult to compare both programs. CS is more graphic minded than FM. FM has always been the “standard” for structured based books, technical references …

    • February 5, 2013 at 3:57 am #64065
      Claudio Marconato
      Member

      Interesting discussion I didn't see before.

      I think that ID and FM have two completly different apprach to XML, so they'll continue to go in different direction and for different kind of users.

      I mean that with FM you can build what you could call an “XML application” that can produce a PDF or a FM document as output.

      In ID you can use XML to import data into a structured template and it's very useful to buld catalogs, price lists and any kind of repetitive documents, but you need to build a lot of JavaScript code or a custom plug-in if you want to have a complete XML environment.

      I use a lot the ID structured templates for my customer that need to build documents with data, you don't need to know everything about XML, like you might do to build a custom app with FM.

      In conclusion I've noticed that ID support of XML data is very undestimated in the designer's world.

    • February 16, 2013 at 1:05 pm #64185
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      I think that ID and FM have two completly different apprach to XML, so they'll continue to go in different direction and for different kind of users.

      Agree completely. You don't need to switch to FM per se. Either way, FM cannot compete with ID's features. Moreover Adobe cannot abandon ID on XML. Maybe it may take some time to update ID.


    • February 22, 2013 at 2:46 pm #64266
      Missy
      Member

      Either way, FM cannot compete with ID's features.

      …depending on what you are producing. FrameMaker dominates ID when it comes to long document features such as xrefs and variables.

      Keep in mind that Adobe owns both ID and FM and are in the business of selling software…to anyone…for any reason. Producing XML is going to become more necessary for both.

      Missy

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