---
title: "Mike Hamilton Gives Flare Demo to the Suncoast Chapter"
date: 2007-01-05
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2007/01/05/mike-hamilton-gives-flare-demo-to-the-suncoast-chapter/
---
# Mike Hamilton Gives Flare Demo to the Suncoast Chapter
**Listen here:**

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/apple_podcasts.png)](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id-rather-be-writing-podcast/id277365275)

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/watchonyoutubeblack.png)](https://www.youtube.com/@idratherbewriting)

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/spotify.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/4HeOZfPGMMfViOhVS40QBD)

Mike Hamilton from [Madcap Software](http://www.madcapsoftware.com) visited the Suncoast chapter in Tampa, Florida, and presented on Flare. In this presentation, he talks about the real story behind RoboHelp and Macromedia/Adobe (this blew my mind). He also provides a lot of inside detail on Flare.

[![flare](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/flare_box.jpg)](http://www.madcapsoftware.com)Specific topics in the podcast include:

- Importing and exporting Flare projects (more impressive than you might think)

- One major limitation of Robohelp with single-sourcing when it comes to indexes (oh man, I wish I knew this earlier)

- Flare's visual XML editor (nice)

- Modifying lists and tables by manipulating structure bars with Flare's editor (the technical writer's dream)

- Flare's undockable panes and customization of the workspace (potentially very powerful, especially if you have two monitors)

- The powerful and robust style editor in Flare (truly awesome in scope)

- Madcap Mimic and its purpose, especially in comparison to Captivate (intriguing about the file sizes)

- Madcap Capture and its special layering of images (interesting feature)

Music from [Podshow](http://podshow.com)