Next Framemaker release
G'day folks:
Just in case anyone here is interested in Framemaker but isn't already subscribed to frameusers, here's the poop from Adobe about the next version of Framemaker:
--------------
- There is no specific date of an announcement, actual release of a
new version or pricing available
- next FM release will import NATIVE Photoshop & Illustrator graphics
- SVG handling in FM is improved (apparently will still display as a
rasterized image in FM, but will preserve vector data output to XML
(and acrobat? -that's my personal speculation NOT Karl's information)
- opening an XML file (.xml) in Frame, editing, then saving will
default to .xml format not .fm binary file format
- in general, XML features will be improved, but no full Unicode support
---------------
(I'm not the author of these comments, just passing them on, BTW.)
I'll reserve judgement for now about the worth of these new features. On the face of it they seem to be far from compelling: perhaps I'll think differently when I see the actual implementation.
Just in case anyone here is interested in Framemaker but isn't already subscribed to frameusers, here's the poop from Adobe about the next version of Framemaker:
--------------
- There is no specific date of an announcement, actual release of a
new version or pricing available
- next FM release will import NATIVE Photoshop & Illustrator graphics
- SVG handling in FM is improved (apparently will still display as a
rasterized image in FM, but will preserve vector data output to XML
(and acrobat? -that's my personal speculation NOT Karl's information)
- opening an XML file (.xml) in Frame, editing, then saving will
default to .xml format not .fm binary file format
- in general, XML features will be improved, but no full Unicode support
---------------
(I'm not the author of these comments, just passing them on, BTW.)
I'll reserve judgement for now about the worth of these new features. On the face of it they seem to be far from compelling: perhaps I'll think differently when I see the actual implementation.
Comments
Other Adobe products that are going nowhere (at least on our platform):
Atmospheres
Premiere
LiveMotion
Maybe even After Effects, given Apple's work with Shake. Although they're in different ballparks in many respects.
bringing in more and more long-document-specific features
Its going to take more than some long document features to give FM users an option. Conditional text, robust indexing, TOC for text and figures, flexible handling of footnotes and endnotes aren't even close to appearing in InDesign.
If I had a lot of money, I'd buy FM from Adobe and give it the treatment and updating it deserves.
Originally posted by Moogs
My understanding is, FrameMaker is dead. Their publishing will be focused on InDesign from now on, bringing in more and more long-document-specific features, so that FM users will have some options going forward.
Other Adobe products that are going nowhere (at least on our platform):
Atmospheres
Premiere
LiveMotion
Maybe even After Effects, given Apple's work with Shake. Although they're in different ballparks in many respects.
FrameMaker isn't dead - they are currently working on a new version.
We use FrameMaker for database publishing with our own grown app that sits in the middle of FM and an Oracle database.
No other app can do what FM can, but I wouldn't mind if they made all this possible in InDesign.
Originally posted by Moogs
My understanding is, FrameMaker is dead. Their publishing will be focused on InDesign from now on, bringing in more and more long-document-specific features, so that FM users will have some options going forward.
Other Adobe products that are going nowhere (at least on our platform):
Atmospheres
Premiere
LiveMotion
Maybe even After Effects, given Apple's work with Shake. Although they're in different ballparks in many respects.
From what I know FM isn't dead. I personally don't use so it isn't much interest to me. This is for the rest of the apps.
Atmosphere...don't care about it. I don't see it as a good enough contender to Shockwave. I see that as its main competition, someone correct me if I am wrong.
Premiere...I use FCP and anyone in their right mind would too. Adove prorpietary DV format is crap. They were stupid and made a Windows MEdia dependent application that blows. It can't even load a freakin quicktime from what I hear. Most of the post industry lives off of QT and for them to not even import it is rediculous.
LiveMotion...is dead. This is according to Adobe'sexecutive VP of worldwide products in a interview in Digit Issue 067. He said he doesn't see a future for it. That is his way of saying it is dead without saying it's dead.
it just lacks resources sometimes because it doesn't have the glamour of photoshop et al.
these new features are in line with what i've heard, but the lack of full unicode support in xml is shockingly bad. especially as they have given support to native xml files. very poor IMHO.
i am still hearing its going to be carbon (the next version of frame i mean). frame is the only app i still open classic for...
Originally posted by boy_analog
- in general, XML features will be improved, but no full Unicode support
This stinks big time.
Framemaker is treated so poorly by Adobe, it's a shame, because it is a truely fine application.
Another person who was at this same presentation has since chimed in (on the frameusers list) with his own interpretation ... please take the following remarks with a big dose of salt:
-------------------
As for what Lester noted Karl (FrameMaker's P.M.) had
said, I would add the following:
[snip]
4) PageMaker and Quark import will be added.
5) Apparently, there are some bug fixes that were not
listed.
Am not looking at my notes right now, I might have
missed an item or two.
Now, what was not said but that seemed clear to me,
based on MY PERSONAL INTERPRETATIONS and OBSERVATIONS.
1) Mac users need to go to plan B. Karl said he was
forbidden from making announcements about OSes, but I
sense the time has come for a petition--Windows users,
you too can benefit from having Mac OSX supported
because it expands your ability to share content!
However, I now personally do not expect an OSX-native
version of FrameMaker .... Remember, nobody "said"
that, this is "my take."
2) I did not hear Unicode mentioned (nor did I ask
about it). Since it was clear that the upcoming
release would be incremental, I personally do not
expect unicode.
3) I don't need multiple undo in FrameMaker--I work
with designers to test designs and the program is not
unstable enough to require multiple undos--and, I care
about not increasing the resource needs for FrameMaker
and I care about not slowing FrameMaker down. But, for
those of you who do care about multiple undo, it was
not mentioned at all by anyone. I personally would not
expect it.
Please note, the preceding three items are my guesses
based on what I interpreted ... these three items are
not at all factual or based on fact. I might be wrong
on all three counts, and would be happy to be wrong on
at least two.
-------------------
I haven't met either of these respondents, but the first one seemed more cogent to me. All the same, you should be aware that there is a conflicting report about the unicode implementation.
Moreover, I find the suggestion that Adobe might be EOLing Mac Frame to be quite incredible. Since Frame already has a strong Unix presence, one would think that Adobe would be able to effect a substantial unification of the Mac & Unix code trees, and thereby cutting costs substantially. I can only think that if Adobe was planning to cut Frame on the Mac, it must be planning to do the same to other unix flavours.
And I would be astonished if Frame were to become a windows-only product. Its cross-platform presence is a major part of its appeal: reducing the number of platforms available for Frame would be a huge shot in the arm for its competitors.
Originally posted by boy_analog
Moreover, I find the suggestion that Adobe might be EOLing Mac Frame to be quite incredible. Since Frame already has a strong Unix presence, one would think that Adobe would be able to effect a substantial unification of the Mac & Unix code trees, and thereby cutting costs substantially. I can only think that if Adobe was planning to cut Frame on the Mac, it must be planning to do the same to other unix flavours.
The last thing I heard from a contact at Adobe was that they are still making the Mac version.
But since FM isn't that Mac like (it has plenty of Unix shortcuts), they could perhaps release an X11 version for Panther? Would that be a terrible thing?
Originally posted by JLL
The last thing I heard from a contact at Adobe was that they are still making the Mac version.
But since FM isn't that Mac like (it has plenty of Unix shortcuts), they could perhaps release an X11 version for Panther? Would that be a terrible thing?
I haven't played with X11 on the Mac, so I can't comment on how robust it is. But you're certainly right about Frame not being particularly Mac-like.
I would imagine that the biggest gripes about such a strategy would come from people that have invested substantially in Applescripting Frame. I don't know if there's stuff that Applescript can do that fmbatch can't, or vice versa.
...fonts
hence the place where i work sticking with windows and mac licences.
i remember we tested a vast government reportwe were on the unix version once. the windows version very very slow handling the files (and they were split in a book into multiple, multiple sub files). the mac version wouldn't even run it properly. the unix version just whizzed through it.
so a os x native version would rule.
and i can't believe adobe would bin it (and i knwo they are not going to at the moment), especially the corporate clients who buy server licences and corporate licences (especially software publishers)
Framemaker marries document processing with DTP precision typography. If your document is more than 100 pages and you want typographic control, you better use it.
Apple, Sun, Oracle etc... all use it, they must know something. The alternative is Latex, good but not very user friendly :-(
More generally, everyone seems to think that the future of documentation is spelt X-M-L. A really big player in the XML doco sphere is arbortext, who unfortunately don't support the Mac. Nor do Corel, who have bought XMetal. (Great name, BTW.)
But there's a really promising newcomer from Korea (of all places), developing a next-gen modular XML-based publishing system for OSX: softmagic. So I'm really not losing any sleep about the future of tech publishing on the Mac!
( BW)(CA-ADOBE-SYSTEMS)(ADBE) New Version of Adobe FrameMaker Extends
Powerful XML Capabilities
Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 1, 2003--
Upgrade Includes New Migration, Import Features and Support for
Popular Graphics Formats to Capitalize on Existing Assets
Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe(R)
FrameMaker(R) 7.1, an upgrade to its award winning, enterprise-class
authoring and publishing solution. FrameMaker combines the simplicity
of word processing with the power of Extensible Markup Language (XML),
making it easier to repurpose content and publish to multiple
channels, including print, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and
the Web.
FrameMaker 7.1 includes new features for cross-referencing between
documents and allows multiple variations of a document to be stored as
a single file. With FrameMaker 7.1 users can now migrate legacy
technical documents and assets from Quark XPress and Adobe
PageMaker(R) formats, while expanded support for popular graphics file
formats means Adobe Photoshop(R) files can be imported directly into
FrameMaker, saving valuable time.
Making XML Easier to Use
FrameMaker gives corporate users the ability to easily create,
edit and import valid XML content in full WYSIWYG (What You See Is
What You Get) mode when authoring documents. FrameMaker 7.1 introduces
conditional text support for XML to allow multiple variations of an
XML document to be stored in a single file. This greatly streamlines
the production of documentation with subtle content variations, such
as region-specific information for different electrical requirements
or warranty and customer service details.
FrameMaker 7.1 extends its cross-referencing features to allow
links between XML documents. For example, a product installation guide
in XML can now reference and provide a direct link to a specific
section in a user manual that is also in XML format. Based on user
feedback, an automatic save to XML feature was added so that users
don't have to remember to select a special "save as" function when
editing XML documents -- a simple save or file close will
automatically save the document to the correct format.
"FrameMaker's support for open standards such as XML is testament
to Adobe's leadership in the technical information space," said Stefan
Wess, chief technical officer for empolis. "We've integrated
FrameMaker with sigmalink, our content lifecycle management system, to
make it easy and quick for structured content to be managed and
re-used across multiple documents and delivery platforms, such as user
and training manuals both on the Web and in paper format. This results
in a rapid return on the investment in structured information."
Additional Enhancements
New filters enable PageMaker and Quark XPress files to be easily
migrated into FrameMaker. Users with legacy files in these formats can
now take advantage of FrameMaker's superior long document handling and
multi-channel support to publish directly to print, Adobe PDF, HTML,
XML and other formats.
Corporate publishers can work more efficiently by importing
Photoshop files directly into FrameMaker 7.1, eliminating the need to
save files to an intermediate format. Other additions include support
for the JPEG 2000 graphics format and improved filters for handling
artwork in Adobe PDF, including native files from Adobe
Illustrator(R). Expanded support for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
means a single graphics file can be the source for both high quality
vector graphics in print and PDF as well as an interactive, high
quality vector graphic on the Web.
Pricing and Availability
Adobe FrameMaker 7.1 for Windows and Sun(R) Solaris(TM) will be
available in January 2004 in the United States, Europe and Canada at
the Adobe store at www.adobe.com. FrameMaker 7.1, desktop version, for
Microsoft(R) Windows(R) has an estimated street price of US$799 for
the full version and $199 for the upgrade. On Sun Solaris, the full
version has an estimated street price of $1,329 and $279 for the
upgrade. For more detailed information about new features and upgrade
policies for Adobe FrameMaker, please visit:
www.adobe.com/products/framemaker.
About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe helps people and businesses communicate better through its
world-leading digital imaging, design and document technology
platforms for consumers, creative professionals and enterprises.
Adobe's revenue in the last fiscal year exceeded $1 billion. For more
information about Adobe, visit www.adobe.com.
Adobe, the Adobe logo, FrameMaker, Illustrator, PageMaker and
Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe
Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. SVG
is a trademark of the World Wide Web Consortium; marks of the W3C are
registered and held by its host institutions MIT, INRIA and Keio.
Microsoft and Windows are ether registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Sun
and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Originally posted by othello
note *no* mac support...
Not happy!
The frameusers list has gone berzerk about this, and the Adobe reps are keeping their lips tightly shut about the future of Frame on the Mac.
Adobe rep:
Adobe is fully committed to ongoing development and enhancement of
Macintosh versions of all products in the "Adobe Creative Professional Suite."
Frame user query:
Should I, reading between the lines, interpret your response as "Adobe is
fully committed to stop ongoing development and enhancement of Macintosh
versions of all products except the "Adobe Creative Professional Suite"?
Adobe rep:
No! I was responding DIRECTLY to the question posed about the future
of Macintosh support for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, GoLive, and
Acrobat, nothing more and nothing less! Please don't read anything
"between the lines" ...
Make of that what you will....
Originally posted by boy_analog
Make of that what you will....
well, yeah, he doesn't want to be nailed as the guy who started the rumors that frame for mac is dead (though if it doesn't end in "cs" these days, it might very well be).
So let's sketch some optimistic scenarios, and see which ones make the most sense.
1. Frame 8 will support OSX natively, and include all of 7.1's features and more; or
2. Frame users will be pushed towards a new version of InDesign that includes various long-doc enhancements, and Mac users might get pushed a little more brusquely than their Windoze or Solaris using brethren.
Regarding this second scenario, if memory serves then Pagemaker was continued on Windoze for some time after the Mac version was terminated. If so, then perhaps Adobe is following a similar pattern with Frame.
Originally posted by boy_analog
1. Frame 8 will support OSX natively, and include all of 7.1's features and more; or
while i would love this to happen, i just can't see it...
what is going to screw things up is if you work in a mixed platform environment (as i do). do you upgrade to 7.1 on the pcs (we do a lot of xml work, so 7.1 appeals a lot), but then have mac versions of 7 that can't deal with the new files?
ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr