What’s new in Update 3 of Adobe FrameMaker

Learn what is new in Update 3 release of Adobe FrameMaker.

Update 3 of FrameMaker Summer 2020 release has many improvements around handling of images in HTML5 output.

Note: For more details on the issues fixed in this release, see the Fixed issues article.

Let’s take a look at the new and enhanced features in Update 3 of FrameMaker:

HTML5 output enhancements

HTML5 output is a key publishing format for FrameMaker documentation and publishing images is an integral part of this output generation process. Many new enhancements have been done in Update 3 for publishing images in the HTML5 output.

FrameMaker now further improves the feature of referencing images in your unstructured documents while you generate the HTML5 output for them. FrameMaker also maintains the quality of images in the HTML5 output of your documents.

Original image referencing

Retaining proper filenames of images is important while generating the HTML5 output for your documents. Now, the following naming convention is followed for the various images imported in your unstructured documents, as you generate the HTML5 output for them:

The original names of the images, referenced in the document are retained as-is.
If there are multiple referenced images with the same names (files with the same name existing in different locations), then their image ID is added as a suffix to maintain the uniqueness of the images. For example, ImageName_imageID.
For the images which have been copied in the document, a new name with the convention DocumentName_imageID is assigned. For example, if you copy two .png images in your document 'mydoc.fm', they will be given new names like 'mydoc_1.png' and 'mydoc_2.png'.

Note: For a proper conversion of images, avoid using special characters in the image names like hashtag(#), apostrophe('), and ampersand (&).

Image formats supported on web pages

In the previous versions of FrameMaker, images went through a conversion process while they were published into the HMTL5 output. In this conversion process, the images were resized, and the quality was reduced. Also, the .gif images were published as static images.

In Update 3 of FrameMaker, all image formats supported on web pages (like the .png, .svg, .jpg, or .gif), are imported in your unstructured documents, maintained as-is in the HTML5 output, and do not undergo the conversion process. The scaling of the images is rendered by the browser, and the quality and specified size of the images is maintained. With Update 3, you can also play .gif animations in your HTML5 output and make your content more engaging.

Other image formats

In the previous versions of FrameMaker, other image formats that are not supported on web pages like .bmp and .tiff went through a conversion process while they were published into the HMTL5 output. In this conversion process, they were converted to. gifs which resulted in the loss of quality.

In Update 3 of FrameMaker, other image formats are converted to .jpg. During this conversion process, the quality of the images is improved in comparison to the previous versions.

To learn more about the settings when publishing to HTML5 output see, Output settings.

Figure 1. HTML5 output of a sample (.png) image in Update 2

Figure 2. HTML5 output of a sample (.png) image in Update 3

Deprecated feature

The following feature has been deprecated in FrameMaker:

Password-protected PDF

The feature to password-protect your PDF file has been deprecated from Update 2 of FrameMaker Summer release of 2020. As the password was being stored in the .sts file, which could have resulted in a security issue. However, you can generate the PDF output from FrameMaker, open it in Adobe Acrobat, and then set a password. In Acrobat, you can choose File > Protect Using Password or you can choose Tools > Protect > Protect Using Password. For more details see, Securing PDFs with passwords in Adobe Acrobat documentation.

Note: If you publish a document saved with the older setting (.sts) file (older than FrameMaker Update 3) and having the security password, you will see a console logging error. You need to upgrade to the latest setting (.sts) file through the upgrade prompt that is displayed. The console logging error will not occur after you upgrade the settings (.sts) file. For more details on PDF settings, see PDF settings.