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Thanks for all your responses. I tried some mind-mapping tools and wasn't happy with the way they worked. I also took a day and set up Word styles according to Shauna Kelly's "How to create numbered headings or outline numbering." Using Word for a day worked fine, but when I started working on the same outline the next day, I wound up with numbering problems.
I stumbled on Enhance for FrameMaker by Sandybrook Software. I'm using FrameMaker 7.2, and the Enhance plug-in is fantastic! (I'm using the trial version.) It does exactly what I need it to; it creates outlines with stable numbering up to nine levels which I can collapse and expand.
Our company is looking to upgrade to FrameMaker 10, and Enhance is only supported through FrameMaker 7.2. I've looked, and I can't find anything that says the outline functionality of Enhance is going to be native to FrameMaker 10. Do you know of any software that will do what Enhance does and is compatible with Frame 10?
I'm a lone writer using unstructured FrameMaker.
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From: techwr-l-bounces+deanna -dot- korth=wausaufs -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [techwr-l-bounces+deanna -dot- korth=wausaufs -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Rick_Bishop [rickbishop -at- austin -dot- rr -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 8:25 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Outlining tool recommendations
Deanna: Word does this easily in outline view. You can collapse and expand,
drag and drop paragraphs or sections. Modify the built-in heading styles and
apply them to your topic headings. To " promote or demote levels of groups
of topics" just click the Indent button on the toolbar.
I've been assigned an extremely large project (compared to what I usually
do). I estimate that there will easily be over 1000 topics and maybe many
more, and I need to write an outline. I want to be able to move topics
around easily as groups and promote or demote levels of groups of topics. I
want to be able to expand or collapse topics.
Can you recommend any powerful outlining tools that feature these
capabilities? I'm open as to cost--Ill write a business case for the
purchase of a new tool if necessary.
Word scares me in that I've heard horror stories about it ?helpfully?
renumbering outlines in some way other than you intended when you move
content around.
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