Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
(OP)
I hope I've found an appropriate forum for this question.
We make basic IO&M manuals in Microsoft Word. These range from 1 to 100 pages, and given the complexity of Word's formatting capability and the size of the documents, can be unproductive and extremely frustrating. Our users are not desktop publishers either - I would describe this as a graphics-laden word processing application. The final output is a PDF file or print copy of the manual (we're not into those fancy hyperlinked digital manuals I've seen in some industries). A feature for handling multiple languages would be nice but not a priority. We need to keep the editing of these documents easy enough that multiple users in the company can be competent to work with these documents.
Instead of Word, here are some options:
- WordPerfect (same capabilities of Word, just 'better')
- Adobe Framemaker (more desktop publishing in nature, more training required)
- Madcap MadPac (seem geared directly toward technical manuals)
- Others?
I welcome your input, as we are not a big organization and we need this to work well.
We make basic IO&M manuals in Microsoft Word. These range from 1 to 100 pages, and given the complexity of Word's formatting capability and the size of the documents, can be unproductive and extremely frustrating. Our users are not desktop publishers either - I would describe this as a graphics-laden word processing application. The final output is a PDF file or print copy of the manual (we're not into those fancy hyperlinked digital manuals I've seen in some industries). A feature for handling multiple languages would be nice but not a priority. We need to keep the editing of these documents easy enough that multiple users in the company can be competent to work with these documents.
Instead of Word, here are some options:
- WordPerfect (same capabilities of Word, just 'better')
- Adobe Framemaker (more desktop publishing in nature, more training required)
- Madcap MadPac (seem geared directly toward technical manuals)
- Others?
I welcome your input, as we are not a big organization and we need this to work well.





RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
I'm pretty computer savvy and I've read some references that try to explain the Word formatting style and the complexity is simply bewildering. I'm halfway motivated to find another software simply out of spite because I'm offended that Microsoft would believe the Word formatting structure is what the world should conform to.
David
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
I've done stuff far larger and more complicated than a 100 page manual.
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
We use framemaker I believe, or did until we went to the fancy html semi imbedded docs or whatever we have now.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
Don't dismiss it out of turn: If you only need annotated graphics, then what is a CAD file after all?
Over the years I've moved back and forth on the subject. I produce documents on a pretty regular basis, and AutoCAD "almost" is convenient enough to use for this purpose, in my environment. Maybe it could be a bit more convenient for someone else. The current versions can be configured with templates to prepare numerous page layouts in advance; this can be done rather automatically. From the fundamental "model" space you can arrange the drawings and text there, within a series of border spaces that fit each of the page layouts. From there you use the "publish" command instead of "plot", and all of the pages get plotted together into one DWF output file, or sent to the printer as one batch. This DWF can be converted into a PDF in one step, too.
A lot of my documents lose some crispness when I swap graphics/drawings out of CAD and into Word. I can save that step by abandoning Word for some documents. From a revision control point of view, if ALL of the drawings and text are in ONE file, in this case the CAD file, then suddenly there is one tracked document per revision, not umpteen. YAY! Things you find in Word like headers and footers? In AutoCAD they can be attribute blocks. The ATA chapter and section numbers? Separate fields and change them at will.
Now there are some folks who can't even change the font style from TXT to SIMPLEX or something else nicer, but engineers do tend to get along with CAD jockeys.
STF
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
DOL
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of these Forums?
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
Dan
www.eltronresearch.com
Dan's Blog
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
Regards,
Mike
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
Word, and the very similar Open (Libre) Office actually are very powerful, and the overwhelming probability is that you don't know how they work. WordPerfect works the way you probably think Word does. This makes it more user friendly.
In Word, pull up and study the Styles and Formatting menu. In Word, you should not format text as you go. You should have a set of predefined formats which you apply to your text. Then, you can make style and formatting decisions, and quickly apply these to the whole document. You do not want to go through a hundred page document, changing the level two headers to 16pt Comic Sans, or any other font, for exmaple.
--
JHG
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
There are also "HELP" type software program that you use to make manuals and "HELP" sections for proprietary software. Best thing they do is allow indexing, table of content, etc
BUT again - you must learn how to use them. Google "Help Software"
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
If anyone has some links to a best practices resource, that would be appreciated. (I don't mind buying one of those 1-2" thick books if it covers this question really clearly).
If we fail we'll be searching for another program.
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
DOL
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
I use Help and Manual... It is a help authoring tool. Deals with graphic easily and can publish to paper, ebooks, as well as the web, and normal help files. VERY similar to instruction operation and maintenance manual requirements...
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
However, you aren't really just asking for something the writes documents, per se., you are trying to publish books. Here's a comparison of Adobe InDesign and Quark Xpress, which appear to be the two obvious choices for book publishing.
Also, there are lots of online resources for publishers: http://www.bookcatcher.com/index.php One option is to query actual publishers for their requirements for book submissions.
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
Word's default behaviour is to attach the graphic to a paragraph, and treat it like an enormous character. Right click on the graphic and look for menus. There are all sorts of options for determining what part of your document the graphic should be attached to, and how text should be formatted around it.
--
JHG
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
----------------------------------------
The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
Adobe 3D does some stuff to.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Software for Installation/Operation/Maintenance manuals
In full disclosure, I work for one of the software companies that provides such a solution but try to provide information on forums such as this in a noncommercial manner. The most commonly seen packages (in alphabetical order) can be found at
www.proplanner.com
www.proworksinfo.com
www.sequencesoftware.com
www.visualfactory.net
I would be happy to talk with you further.
Barry Lucas
www.sequencesoftware.com