Messages from Sponsors -- January 2012
Below are a few messages from my blog's sponsors. Check them out and see if any interest you. Many of them have upcoming webinars.
News from Madcap
MadCap Software is pleased to present free live webinars from industry experts covering a variety of topics essential for today's technical writers. Sign up today to advance your professional skills and learn about the latest trends in technical communication.
Moving from FrameMaker to Flare | Feb 7, 10:00-11:00 am (Pacific Time)
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.
Join Eddie VanArsdall as he demonstrates how you can adapt your FrameMaker workflow to a full-on, single-sourcing solution with one tool: MadCap Flare.
Presenter: Eddie VanArsdall, Content Strategist / Technical Writer
Sign up: https://www.madcapsoftware.
Making Your Content Mobile | Feb 23, 10:00-11:00 am (Pacific Time)
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, (4) e-books, and (5) e-learning courses.
Join Nad Rosenberg as she discuss technical issues, usability, and legibility as well as unique problems and solutions.
Presenter: Nad Rosenberg, President, TechWRITE, Inc.
Sign up: https://www.madcapsoftware.
Importing Microsoft Word Files into MadCap Flare Projects | Mar 19, 11:00-12:00 pm (Pacific Time)
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.
Presenter: Neil Perlin, Flare Consultant, Content Strategist, Mobile Developer, Hyper/Word Services
Sign up: https://www.madcapsoftware.
For more information on our live and recorded webinars, please visit:
http://www.madcapsoftware.com/
News from Dr. Explain
Dr.Explain 4.5 Automates Help File Creation
Unique to Dr.Explain is its innovative approach to creating help documentation much quicker than with other tools. The program parses a live application and automatically produces screenshots of its windows along with a sequence of explanatory callouts for each control.
Watch the video press release about new features of Dr.Explain 4.5:
Annotation Template Editor is one of the coolest new features of the new release. It allows to create callouts of any design, complexity & style. Now you can prepare amazing annotated screenshots and graphics and insert it into your help documentation in a single tool. Dr.Explain produces documentation in the HTML (on-line manuals), CHM (MS Windows® help files), RTF, and PDF formats from a single source.
More information on Dr.Explain: http://www.drexplain.com.
Download a free trial: http://www.drexplain.com/download/. A free license for reviewers, editors and bloggers is provided on request.
News from Scriptorium
Thinking about content strategy? Check out Scriptorium's latest webcast recording:
http://www.scriptorium.com/2012/01/webcast-content-strategy-in-technical-communication/
Coming attractions:
- January 31: Webcast on trends in technical communication with special guest Char James-Tanny
- February 15: Webcast on HTML5 with guest presenter Peter Lubbers
- Week of February 22: Simon Bate presents at tcworld India; Sarah O'Keefe presents at Intelligent Content
News from Tedopres
We are doing a few webinars in the next few weeks.
Join our FREE webinar on Simplified Technical English
Clear & consistent content can help you save cost & improve your customer experience
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST
Visit Tedopres.com or register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/
Join us for a Free Webinar to learn about STE Tools
Reaping the benefits from your Simplified Technical English implementation.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
4:00 – 5:00 PM EST
Visit Tedopres.com or register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/
Provide your end user with the right information at the right time.
How you can use Augmented Reality and make your product information interactively available on an iPad. Read more at http://tedopres.com/HyperSIS-
News from Adobe
Switch from MadCap Flare, Author-it, or Doc-To-Help Enterprise, or Doc-To-Help for Word and save 40% off Adobe RoboHelp 9!
Struggling with you current Help Authoring Tool? Looking to “switch” to a tried-and-tested tool that has been the professional standard in the user assistance space for the last 20 years? Adobe has the answer … and the perfect reasons too!
Adobe celebrates the 20th anniversary of RoboHelp with a limited period 40% off “switcher” promotion. Switch from MadCap Flare, Author-it, or Doc-To-Help Enterprise or Doc-To-Help for Word and save 40% off Adobe RoboHelp 9!
Time frame: October 17th 2011 through February 16th 2012
Scope: US only
For more details (top reasons to switch, testimonials, switching resources) about the RoboHelp 40% off “switcher” promotion, see the following:
- Read the Adobe webpage.
- Watch a recording of the webinar.
- Read a blog about the campaign.
Contact us:
Saibal Bhattacharjee
Product Marketing Manager
Adobe Systems Inc.,
[email protected]
Tom Deem
Business Development Manager
Adobe Systems Inc.,
[email protected]
About Tom Johnson
I'm an API technical writer based in the Seattle area. On this blog, I write about topics related to technical writing and communication — such as software documentation, API documentation, AI, information architecture, content strategy, writing processes, plain language, tech comm careers, and more. Check out my API documentation course if you're looking for more info about documenting APIs. Or see my posts on AI and AI course section for more on the latest in AI and tech comm.
If you're a technical writer and want to keep on top of the latest trends in the tech comm, be sure to subscribe to email updates below. You can also learn more about me or contact me. Finally, note that the opinions I express on my blog are my own points of view, not that of my employer.