FrameMaker 12 Feature Focus 4): QR codes and Equations

FrameMaker 12 gives you several ways to enrich content, but two features are of particular interest: QR codes and MathML equations. This video covers highlights from a brief “how to” webinar we recently presented on this topic. You will find a link to the Webinar Recording at the end of this blog.

Benefits of QR codes

QR codes give your users a quick visual way to capture information. The addition of QR codes in FrameMaker 12 is especially useful because many FrameMaker customers have to publish multiple versions of their projects to both Print or PDF as well as to online formats like WebHelp and ePub.

Many online formats like HTML5 responsive layout work quite well for allowing motion video to function within the frame of the content. But what can you do with a video if you are publishing to paper? Now you can simply paste a QR cover over the poster of the video to cue your readers into a path to find a URL that will display a dynamic video in motion.

Different types of QR codes

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https://blogsimages.adobe.com/techcomm/files/2014/04/01-QR-code-types.jpg
rameMaker 12 enables you t create 5 types of QR codes:

• SMS
• URL
• Phone
• Email
• Text

As you enter the QR code parameters, you will see a preview of your new QR code to the right, as in the screen capture above. You can build up a library of QR codes for reuse. Time and experience will determine the dimensions and dpi values that you use for your QR codes.

MathML equations; how do they differ from “Traditional” FrameMaker equations?

Many of us know that FrameMaker has had the ability to create and edit equations for well over 20 years. The “traditional” equation editor is proprietary, and can only be modified with FrameMaker software. Although users could create powerful and sophisticated, multi-level equations in FrameMaker, the “bones” of the equations could not be edited in another XML environment.

The screen shot below captures what the “old”, proprietary FrameMaker equation editor looks like:

MathML equations are based on XML standards, and the values and structure of the equations can be edited directly in XML. To make FrameMaker’s XML editing more up-to-date, FrameMaker 12 introduces full integration with the Math Flow MathML editor from Design Science. You will note in the screen capture below that the user interface looks quite different:

In FrameMaker 12, MathML equations may be edited in the friendly “design” view (shown above) or in the “code view” in that same editor.

There is another way that MathML equations may be edited or modified in XML files w/in FrameMaker 12: the user may directly manipulate the code in the XML Code View of FrameMaker. In the screen capture below, the portions of the equation that have yellow highlighter in the previous screen shot are also delineated with yellow highlights. The user can manipulate this text directly:

Each FrameMaker 12 license includes a 30-day trial of Design Science’s MathFlow editor. The user can choose to purchase and activate a full license for this optional math capability for a modest fee.

See all the details in the recorded webinar

This brief webinar recording is less than 35 minutes long. You go to the link for the recording by clicking on the following text: FrameMaker 12 Feature Focus 4): QR codes and Equations