TimeSavers: FrameMaker-to-Acrobat | Custom Shortcuts | Assistants: Form, Navigation, Multimedia, 3D, Presentation

TimeSavers Assistants

Assistants -- Form, Multimedia, 3D, Navigation and Presentation -- are TimeSavers add-ons. User guides are available upon request.
Order Form (Fillable PDF: 247K; Acrobat/Reader 5 or higher required).

Form Assistant enables you to include the definitions of Acrobat fields in FrameMaker through hypertext markers, so that they are automatically present in the PDF file (FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers required during distilling): buttons, check boxes, menus, radio buttons, text fields and digital signatures, with complete control over field properties (including active field highlighting and field calculation order). Also included: an AutoPopUp function, which defines automatically-sized variable width/depth popups.

Feature demos (distilled with TimeSavers+Form Assistant)

"... To make fillable PDFs, we use a FrameMaker plug-in from Shlomo Perets (www.microtype.com) which allows us to define fields in the FrameMaker design file rather than the PDF it creates. This is no faster for the first iteration/proof of a form, but it saves huge amounts of time/cost as a form evolves and gets modified. ..." -- Mark Barratt, Text Matters, England [in "Five factors for choosing software" (PDF: 122K / 10 pages) by Caroline Jarrett]

Multimedia Assistant enables you to embed or link (local or web-based files) multimedia files -- all formats supported by Acrobat/Reader -- in FrameMaker through hypertext markers, so that the defined features are automatically present in the PDF file.

Feature demos (Acrobat/Reader 6 or higher required; distilled with TimeSavers+Multimedia Assistant)

FrameMaker 8.0 introduced the option of referencing or including SWF files, that are embedded in the PDF when the FrameMaker files are saved as PDF. Following is a comparison of FrameMaker 8/9 capabilities vs. TimeSavers + Multimedia Assistant (regardless of the FrameMaker version used):

FrameMaker 8/9
+ "Save as PDF" Any FrameMaker version + TimeSavers + Multimedia Assistant 3.0

Insertion in FrameMaker File > Import > File Through a hypertext marker

Supported formats SWF only All formats supported by Acrobat/Reader including FLV, SWF, MPEG, AVI, QuickTime, WAV, AIFF, MP3, JPEG

Embed/link in PDF Embed only Embed / link to a local file / link to a web-based file

Playback location in PDF In Document* only

In Document*
Floating Window
Full Screen
Hidden (useful for sound-only)

Media-related actions Play, Stop Play, Stop, Pause, Resume, Restart;
can also show movie segments

Media properties None All movie properties can be controlled by individual links, including title (floating window), movie size, rate, controller, repeat, starting/ending point, back and forth display

Media-related interactivity None Bookmarks/links to media items, page actions;
form fields (with Form Assistant)

Native viewing in Reader 9 SWF can be embedded in the PDF file only as "legacy multimedia content", which relies on external viewers Optionally, SWF and FLV** can be embedded in the PDF file as native Flash format (Rich Media Annotation), ensuring consistent playback across multiple platforms when displayed in Adobe Reader 9 (built-in player; does not rely on external viewers), and enhancing annotation-PDF communication.

*With software demonstration movies, the In Document and Full Screen placements typically distort the display, as the variable magnification in Acrobat causes movie resizing. Displaying such movies at their native dimensions in a Floating Window is recommended -- see a comparison (PDF: 990K).
** Other movie formats can be converted to FLV using Acrobat, and then processed by TimeSavers+Multimedia Assistant.

3D Assistant enables you to embed U3D files and define related views/links/bookmarks/JavaScript through hypertext markers or referenced files, so that interactive 3D models, together with their specified features, are automatically present in the PDF file upon distilling.

Feature demos (distilled with TimeSavers+3D Assistant; Acrobat/Reader 7 or higher required)

FrameMaker 8.0 introduced the option of referencing or including U3D files, that are embedded in the PDF when the FrameMaker file is saved as PDF. Following is a comparison of FrameMaker 8.0 capabilities vs. 3D Assistant (with any FrameMaker version):

FrameMaker 8 or 9
+ "Save as PDF" Any FrameMaker version + TimeSavers + 3D Assistant

Insertion in FrameMaker File > Import > File Through a hypertext marker

Supported 3D formats U3D-ECMA1 U3D-ECMA1; U3D-ECMA3 (features mesh compression; requires Acrobat/Reader 8 or higher)

Define background color, highlighting, render mode Available Available

Control 3D annotation N/A 3D annotation can be active by default
(when visible or when the page is opened)

Add 3D-related interactivity N/A Optionally add links/bookmarks to 3D models, 3D views, model/part properties

Control model tree N/A Model tree can be opened by default

Define 3D views N/A Optionally define views via a views file, specifying lighting, render mode, background color, zoom, field of view, node visibility, and cross-section views

Control 3D toolbar N/A Can show or suppress toolbar interactivity

Specify model-specific 3D JavaScript N/A Can include model-specific 3D JavaScript

Add 3D JavaScript-based interactivity N/A Includes built-in/customized 3D JavaScript links/bookmarks (which may also apply to 3D models inserted in FM8.0 through File > Import > File)

Control 3D animation N/A Can specify animation style, speed

Navigation Assistant enables you to include the following features once in your FrameMaker files so that they are automatically present in Acrobat:

Chapter Tabs
Automatically-generated Chapter Tabs through a project-wide definition placed on master pages. Tab-like, rectangles or rounded rectangles; control over fill/line properties, optional expansion of current tab. [demo]

Chapter tabs can also be used to create dynamic document maps, automatically highlighting the currently-viewed PDF and linked to all other PDFs [demo]
Next/Previous File
Insert generic Next File or Previous File buttons in your template, and these will link automatically to the correct files, as defined in a centralized list of all files participating in your project. When the file location in the list is changed, the link sequence is automatically updated.
Chapter Title Bookmarks
Chapter title bookmarks are automatically generated in the correct order. When clicked, these bookmarks open the relevant files. The resulting list of bookmarks for each of the files in your project is similar, with the appropriate bookmarks open under the current chapter title; optional custom bookmark properties.
Super Next/Previous Page (cross-file)
Currently, Next/Previous Page buttons can only be defined within the current file, a grave limitation when you want the user to be able to browse through the entire book without being aware that it is composed of separate files.
The Super Next/Previous Page function can be designed to look exactly the same as typical Next/Previous buttons, but when pressed will take you seamlessly from the last page of a document to the next file in sequence, and vice versa, based on a listing of files participating in your project.
Drop-Down Menus
Easily add drop-down menus to common destinations or variable related topics in your PDFs, web-based files, quick searches, JavaScript functions (Acrobat/Reader 5.0 required). Optional menu titles (standard or custom), submenus, separators, standard starting and/or ending entries. [demo]
Next/Previous Topic buttons
Automatically inserts Next/Previous Topic buttons for designated headings. The selected headings are chain-linked throughout the PDF file, without necessitating a per-link coding or definition. When a topic is moved (or removed), the link sequence is automatically updated. You can also have a Home button leading back to the beginning of the file.

Feature demos (distilled with TimeSavers+Navigation Assistant)

Presentation Assistant includes an interactive progress bar and shortcuts for page-based transition effects, together with Layer definition and display bookmarks/links.

Layers (text, graphic shapes, or image) can be defined through hypertext markers or through custom colors.

Feature demos (distilled with TimeSavers & Presentation Assistant)