I got a chance to attend the Adobe TechComm 2017 Release Virtual Press Conference to view the pre-release of Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2017. Certainly, I was looking forward to lots of enhancements in the latest version of Adobe FrameMaker 2017.

One basic issue I noticed after installation is completed, that launch screen did not prompt the user for setting authoring preferences, and instead displayed the following screen.

Message on this screen is too long and wait, this message talks about some other preference.

Important! The user must read this message properly before clicking on “click here”, as it could be misleading. FrameMaker veterans can understand what I mean here.

Enhancements to notice!

I noticed few great improvements and enhancements in Adobe FrameMaker 2017, particularly during first launch that takes the user directly to Structured FrameMaker view. This is good for the users who would be writing in DITA-XML, or any other structured authoring formats.

But, it may confuse the unstructured FrameMaker users for a while. I think old method of selecting the authoring preferences will be missed a lot.

Still no need to worry! Just like the old times, user can still go to Edit > Preferences and change the authoring preference, and start using unstructured FrameMaker authoring mode.

New welcome screen is really welcoming with great user-experience, and it provides quick access to templates for both structured and unstructured authoring.

Adobe FrameMaker still holds its fort by offering one of the most easy authoring/editing tools to its users. FrameMaker 2017 is introduced with easy to use styles and new features or enhancements like:

• Project Manager,
• Insert Images Workflow,
• Creating Table of Contents,
• Improved Conditional Tags panel,
• Redesigned Catalog panels,
• Page Break
• Indexes and
• Command Search is very appealing.

Enabling great learning experience!

The new Ads window on the right top gives access to Webinars and YouTube Channels adding vital value to the product. This feature would be a great tool for the users who are new to Adobe  FrameMaker and would want to learn about the tool while using it.

Positively, the new features and enhancements will speed up the workflow and authoring experience. Adobe has improvised the FrameMaker 2017 a lot in terms of user-experience and with simplified user-interface, user has more control.

But, upgrading to the latest version of FrameMaker 2017 still depends on the user. Upgrade cost is more, but it also provides you with the Project Manager and new features that can make technical writing process more fun.

The improvements in new Adobe FrameMaker 2017 are worth considering, and you can reach out to us if you need more details on why to upgrade to the Adobe FrameMaker 2017.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]