Generating Quality Print Output from MadCap Flare

Flare is best known as a tool for creating Help systems. However, one of its key strengths is its capability to produce a range of output formats including PDF, Word, and FrameMaker from a single source. Flare offers the possibility of customizing the content, structure, format and layout of these print-based outputs independently from the help outputs. For example, you can add chapter and heading numbering, running headers and footers, different layouts for odd and even pages, and cross-references that include page or section numbers. Flare achieves all this through a range of sophisticated features including condition tags, chapter and section breaks, medium-specific formatting properties, proxies, and page layouts.

This webinar introduces you to the most important features you'll need in order to maximize the quality of your print output from Flare. It explains how to set up a style sheet to support effective single-sourcing for on-screen and print presentation, and provides a checklist of action items you'll need to follow each time you prepare a project for print output.

An Introduction to MadCap Flare

This webinar will introduce the concepts and success factors behind using MadCap Flare. The demonstration will include live examples of importing existing content into the Flare environment, use of the Flare visual editor to create and/or edit content, and also the publishing techniques for creating various kinds of output documents from a single collection of source material.

Information Anytime, Anywhere - HTML5, Mobile, and ePub Output

In this webinar we’ll be reviewing the new HTML5 output in addition to general mobile, cross-platform, multi-device publishing from new Flare 8. With Flare 8 we will show you how you can ensure your users get access and can view your content on any device - whether connected or not connected to the internet- all from a single source. We’ll review steps on how to maximize Search Engine Optimization, modern CSS styling, and the many other advantages of “frameless” HTML5 Help. We’ll also show how easy it is to customize and modernize the look and feel of your content specifically as it relates to the navigation in touch screen environments.

Using MadCap Flare as a Content Management System

Content management systems (CMSs) are a hot topic these days and you may be thinking about adopting one for use in your doc group. But it’s not a simple task… Cultural issues can delay or derail implementation. Defining whether and how a CMS might fit into your workflow isn’t easy. And getting it wrong can waste a lot of money since even a simple commercial CMS is far more expensive than a help authoring tool.

Help authoring tools (HATs) like Flare seem unrelated to CMSs, but HATs have gone far beyond help authoring. They now offer features like repositories, review support, content customization, flexible input and output, and more. In effect, today HATs are lightweight CMSs. Which means?

If you’re thinking about adopting a CMS, you can use Flare to build a simulated CMS to try to spot problems before buying a “real” CMS. You might even be able to use Flare as a CMS, reducing disruption and saving a lot of money. This webinar looks at how Flare can be used to create “pseudo-CMSs” for testing purposes, and how it might be used as lightweight but functional “true” CMS.

Importing Microsoft Word Files into MadCap Flare Projects

Need to import Word files into a Flare project but you’re not sure what Flare’s Word import options do? Or why old and, apparently, well-behaved Word files give odd results when imported into Flare? This webinar addresses both questions.

Flare has a powerful set of Word import features that let you automatically break Word files into topics on import, specify style equivalents between Word and Flare (called “mapping”), and more.

Join Neil Perlin, MadCap-Certified Flare and Mimic instructor and consultant, in this webinar that walks through the process of importing Word files into Flare. We’ll look at the mechanics of the process and discuss the kinds of problems that occur in Word files and what to do to fix them.

How to Migrate from FrameMaker to Flare

Join Flare expert Scott DeLoach as he discusses best practices for importing FrameMaker files and demonstrates an end-to-end process from importing FM documents to building WebHelp, PDF, and other target types from Flare.

Moving thousands of pages of documentation to a new application can be an intimidating and sometimes difficult process. Fortunately, Flare provides a wide-range of import options, features, and tools for importing FrameMaker documents. Scott will explain how the import process works and how he has used it to import numerous FrameMaker projects for his clients.

We will discuss best practices for preparing your files for importing, setting the importing options, and correcting common importing issues. Once the files are imported, we will explore how you can use Flare to enhance your project. Lastly, we will use Flare’s single sourcing features to create a PDF, WebHelp, and other targets based on our imported FrameMaker book.

What’s New in Flare 8

This one hour demonstration will provide an overview of the new functionality and capabilities that have been added to MadCap Flare version 8.0.

Making Your Content Mobile

Looking to gain a better understating of making your content accessible to users on any mobile device? This webinar will provide an industry overview of moving different types of content to the mobile environment. Specifically, it will cover developing the following for the mobile environment: (1) HTML content, (2) PDF documents, (3) WebHelp Mobile, (4) e-books, and (5) e-learning courses.

Moving from FrameMaker to Flare: A Comparison

Are you using FrameMaker as your primary authoring tool? While Frame is great for book publishing, it requires separate tools and plug-ins to single source content for the web. If you are tired of the expense and the headache of using multiple tools, consider switching to MadCap Flare.

Flare matches and exceeds FrameMaker’s best features, including variables, snippets (equivalent to text insets), conditions, and versatile cross-referencing formats. And Flare doesn’t restrict you to a linear, book-based model. You can manage content at the topic level and build multi-sectioned, double-sided books or websites and knowledge bases. Your choice.

Ten Tips for Importing FrameMaker Content Into Flare

Looking to import FrameMaker content into MadCap Flare? Eddie VanArsdall, Managing Editor and Content Strategist at Ironworks Consulting, provides a comprehensive list of tips and best practices for importing your FrameMaker content into Flare.

Strategies for Building and Managing Large Online Libraries

In this webinar, learn some key methodologies for starting a large project, gaining client/employer consensus, and making your way from ground zero to useable, accessible procedures. These solid practices will help you regardless of the help authoring tool you have selected.

Best Practices for Indexing Online Help

While the basic concepts for indexing online help are the same as any other types of indexing, there are also distinct differences. The thought processes are different and can vary by tool. In this webinar, veteran technical writer and indexer Cheryl Landes will cover the methods she has developed to streamline online help indexing and ensure consistency in entries and subentries (keywords and subkeywords). She will also demonstrate her process using Flare.

Advanced use of Condition Tags and Single Sourcing in MadCap Flare

Condition tags allow you to customize your content by displaying or hiding text when a condition that you define is met. In this webinar, Sr. Technical Writer Patti Short will cover the methods she has used in Flare to develop a number of different online help systems, training guides, and a quick start guide using condition tags and single sourcing from one TOC. Note: this webinar covers advanced topics.

Going Mobile With Flare -- Part 2: So How Do I Use Flare To Go Mobile?

This webinar will look at the specifics of creating mobile output with Flare. We’ll review the overall process of converting a Flare project to the WebHelp Mobile output and look at typical results – what features convert well, poorly, or not at all, and the effect on workflows and project planning. Finally, we’ll do a live demo to see the process in action.

Going Mobile With Flare -- Part 1: An Overview of the Mobile Ecology

This webinar will review the rationales for and benefits of using mobile, some basic terms (feature phones vs. smartphones), delivery “mechanisms” (apps vs. sites vs. ebooks, etc.), major platforms (Android, Apple, etc.), the effect of device differences (such as how differences between smartphones and tablets may affect your choice of delivery mechanism), and suggestions on developing content strategy and standards, and market research to determine your direction.

MadCap Flare V7 - What's New Demo

This one hour demonstration will provide an overview of the new functionality and capabilities that have been added to MadCap Flare.

MadCap Flare V7 - What's New Demo

This one hour demonstration will provide an overview of the new functionality and capabilities that have been added to MadCap Flare.

Madcap Flare: Managing Content and Form for Translation

Scott Bass discusses how choosing the right authoring tool can not only make the translation process more efficient, but also faster and cheaper.
Read More >

Flare Single-Sourcing: My Ten Best Practices

Watch this MadNewz webinar presented by Chris Sullivan, Director of Technical Communication and Social Media at AVST, and learn about his 10 best practices for single-sourcing in MadCap Flare.

MadCap Flare V6 - What's New Demo

Attend this live and interactive demo to see what’s new in the latest version of MadCap Flare. This is the perfect opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the Flare application and its rich features.

MadCap Flare Overview

This demonstration provides a general overview of Flare’s features and capabilities including single-sourcing, topic-based authoring and multi-channel publishing.

Exploring Contributor 4 Workflows & New Features

This one-hour demonstration will focus on covering the steps involved when utilizing MadCap Contributor in your review and contribution workflow. We’ll highlight new features and interface improvements in both MadCap Flare v8.0 and MadCap Contributor v4.0. Plus we’ll review what is required from the Flare author, and what the Contributor user can expect when reviewing or contributing to a Flare project.

MadCap Contributor - Introduction and Overview

This one hour demonstration will provide an overview of MadCap Contributor, its capabilities, and integrated workflow with MadCap Flare.

MadCap Contributor - Introduction and Overview

This one hour demonstration will provide an overview of MadCap Contributor, its capabilities, and integrated workflow with MadCap Flare.

MadCap Contributor - What's New Demo

This one hour demonstration will provide an overview of the new functionality and capabilities that have been added to MadCap Contributor. Discover how MadCap Contributor can fit in to your organization's content creation and review workflow.

MadCap Analyzer Overview

This overview demo shows how Analyzer can improve your workflow by finding issues in your projects, such as broken likes and missing files, and by making suggestions on items such as frequently appearing text that could be converted to snippets.

Extending the Authoring Process: Using MadCap Lingo to Manage Your Company’s Translation Assets

The authoring process doesn't have to stop once the Help is written. With Lingo, a unique tool that bridges technical writing and translation, you now have more control over the translation process. In this webinar, localization manager Jennifer Schudel will demonstrate the different ways you can use Lingo to prepare your Flare projects for translation, manage your company’s translation memories, and leverage your company’s translation assets.

MadCap Lingo V5 - What's New Demo

This demo will provide an overview of MadCap Lingo, how it can be used to manage a translation project and how it can be used as a full translation memory system.

MadCap Lingo V5 - What's New Demo

This demo will provide an overview of MadCap Lingo, how it can be used to manage a translation project and how it can be used as a full translation memory system.

Madcap Flare: Managing Content and Form for Translation

Scott Bass discusses how choosing the right authoring tool can not only make the translation process more efficient, but also faster and cheaper.
Read More >

MadCap Lingo V4 - What's New Demo

The latest release of MadCap Lingo builds on the localization capabilities of the previous versions and adds support for synchronized and incremental translation and localization of Flare project content. Now you can send topics for translation as they are ready...no need to complete the entire project first. This demo will also show new improvements to the MadCap Lingo user interface to improve ease of use and usability.

MadCap Lingo Overview

This demonstration will show the typical work flow models for using MadCap Lingo as either a translation memory tool or for using it as a management tool to support an external translation memory tool chain.

What's New in MadCap Mimic 6

This one hour demonstration will provide an overview of the new functionality and capabilities that have been added to MadCap Mimic. Come find out what's new and different in the latest release of MadCap's software simulation tool.

MadCap Mimic V5 - What's New Demo

This demonstration will show the capabilities of the MadCap Mimic software for creating animated tutorials and demos. Special focus will be placed on new functionality in the V5 release including

• Embedding navigation controls automatically
• Adding Full-Motion Video
• Skin Enhancements
• Command Line capabilities
• and more

MadCap Mimic Overview

This overview demo provides a high-level look at Mimic, including the recording process, how to add images and interactivity, as well as the publishing process.

Strategies for Building and Managing Large Online Libraries

In this webinar, learn some key methodologies for starting a large project, gaining client/employer consensus, and making your way from ground zero to useable, accessible procedures. These solid practices will help you regardless of the help authoring tool you have selected.

Best Practices for Indexing Online Help

While the basic concepts for indexing online help are the same as any other types of indexing, there are also distinct differences. The thought processes are different and can vary by tool. In this webinar, veteran technical writer and indexer Cheryl Landes will cover the methods she has developed to streamline online help indexing and ensure consistency in entries and subentries (keywords and subkeywords). She will also demonstrate her process using Flare.

Cascading Style Sheets (Part 3): Images

In this free tools-neutral webinar, you’ll learn about specifying and using images and image controls in Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).

The CSS specification allows for the sort of fine image control you expect from the highest end desktop publishing systems. But the mysteries of what to set and how are usually beyond most mortals. If you want to learn the darkest secrets of working with images in CSS, this webinar is for you.

DITA: 10 Things To Know (Part 2)

During this 2nd part of a 2 part webinar, Bernard Aschwanden guides people who are new to DITA through the top 10 things they should know to get a grounding in DITA ideas, technology, and tools.

DITA: 10 Things To Know (Part 1)

During this 2 part webinar Bernard Aschwanden guides people who are new to DITA through the top 10 things they should know to get a grounding in DITA ideas, technology, and tools.

Task Analysis for Developing Policies & Procedures Content Your Users Need and Prefer

In this tools-neutral webinar filled with anecdotes and examples, Raymond Urgo presents the principles and techniques for analyzing business processes and tasks that enable you to design policies and procedures topics and content that are performance-, not subject-, based.

APIs and SDKs — Breaking into and Succeeding in a Specialty Market

In this tools-neutral webinar, you'll learn what APIs and SDKs are and the similarities and differences between them, who uses APIs and SDKs and why, the benefits and drawbacks of API/SDK writing, and more.

Indexing Boot Camp: How to Take Control of Your Index and Still Meet Your Deadline

In this free webinar, indexing expert Sue Heim covers tips for indexing online documents. Included is an overview of an index — what it is and what it isn't, the different types and styles of indexes, and why an index is important. Learn how to improve your online documents in one hour!

Topic-based Authoring

This short overview webinar introduces you to topic-based content development and explains the advantages such as content reuse.

Topic-based Authoring: Doing More with Less

Regardless of the tool you use to develop content, this webinar introduces you to topic-based content development, shows you how to plan, and explains how to leverage the content you develop. You’ll leave this event with vocabulary, planning ideas, and knowledge to help you move to the next level.

Cascading Style Sheets (Part 2): Fonts and beyond

In this free tools-neutral webinar, you’ll learn about specifying and using fonts and font controls in Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). If you want to learn the darkest secrets of working with fonts in CSS, this webinar is for you.

Cascading Style Sheets (Part 1): Introduction and Overview

In this tools-neutral webinar, you'll learn the basics of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). As more tools are moving to HTML, XHTML, and XML, it's important to know what goes on under the hood to solve issues, make the changes you want, and understand why your content looks the way it looks.

Users: Who are These People and What do They Want?

This tool-independent webinar discusses creating the wrong content for the wrong user is as bad as creating nothing at all. Learn to identify your users and decide how to support them. Reduce costs and schedules by providing the right information.

Controlling Costs by Controlling Language

This tool-independent webinar shows how simplified language options can reduce page count, decrease translation expense, and improve comprehension among non-English audiences. But is it appropriate for you? Find out.

Can your HAT be a Content Management System?

This tool-independent webinar discusses how you might use the hidden features in your existing HAT tools as a Content Management System.