Last Updated: Oct 5, 2011

AH Formatter MIF Output Option

XSL Formatter INX Option works with AH Formatter and outputs MIF (Maker Interchange Format File).

Option Summary

MIF is a format to interchange information between Adobe FrameMaker® and other applications. MIF format keeps all of the FrameMaker® objects and properties. AH Formatter generates MIF file from the Area Tree that is the intermediate format of the formatting.

By outputting MIF files, you can edit the formatting result of AH Formatter using FrameMaker®8.

Product
• AH Formatter V6
• MIF Output Option
• PostScript Output Option
• XPS Output Option
• PANTONE Option
• INX Creator
• CGM Option
• SVG Output Option
• MathML Option (Lite version only)
• Plug-in for xmlspy®
• Barcode Generator Option

MIF output mode

In FrameMaker®, text is stored in ParaLine. The AH Formatter MIF output has three kinds of ParaLine generation methods that can be specified at output. To determine the correct output setting consider the FrmeMaker® task you wish to perform.

  1. Text area output mode

    This mode generates ParaLine from text area. The text area corresponds to the fo:inline in XSL-FO. This mode converts most closely to the formatting result of AH Formatter. Sometimes the different decorated successive inline areas are divided into multiple text frames in the MIF output. Thus, it is more difficult to edit usign FrameMaker with this mode.

  2. Line area output mode

    This mode generates ParaLine from line area. The line area corresponds to the each line generated from fo:block in XSL-FO. This mode enables line editing easier than Text area output mode. But the conversion accuracy can degrade.

  3. Block output mode

    This mode generates ParaLine from block area. The block area corresponds to the fo:block in XSL-FO. Editing in FrameMaker® is easiest using this mode. However the conversion precision is the least reliable of the three modes.

Comparing three conversion modes from the perspective of layout reproduction and easiness of edit are as follows:

Layout reproduction

Good          Limited
1   >   2  >  3

Easiness of edit

Good          Limited
3   >   2  >  1

Limitation

Following limitations exist in MIF output concerning XSL-FO elements and properties. These limitations concerning XSL also exist in the related CSS formatting.

Table

  • The conversion mode of texts and images in a table cell is restricted to the Line area output mode within the table cell.
  • A complex table like the one that images and character strings are allocated to the table cell at the same time or a nested table might not be reproduced correctly.
  • Due to the difference of character placement between AH Formatter and FrameMaker®, text in a cell can sometimes extend beyond the frame.
  • Rotation of a table and cell is not supported.

Border

  • Border styles other than double are assumed solid.
  • The border thickness of the table cell is outputted by the value of Thin, Medium, Thick, and Very Thin registered in RulingCatalog by default.
  • When the border style is specified in detail with a complex table, the border might not be reproduced correctly.
  • Border assignment for fo:table is ignored.
  • Radius is not supported. The converted result is a square.
  • When border and color fill are specified for the text area other than the table cell, the rectangle of border and color fill might be generated besides the text area. In that case, border, color fill might not match the text when ParaLine etc. are changed while editing.

Graphic

  • Supported raster graphic formats are BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and GIF and supported vector graphic are WMF, EMF, EPS, SVG, CGM and PDF. Vector graphic such as MathML is not supported.
  • JPEG2000 is converted into PNG and embedded.
  • Graphic files are embedded into MIF file.

Texts

  • Due to the difference of character placement between AH Formatter and FrameMaker®, occasionally the ParaLine cannot hold all of the texts. In this case, user must enlarge the ParaLine by hand.
  • If letter-spacing is specified, the ParaLine is made by every character.
  • Occasionally display result differs between AH Formatter and FrameMaker®, if text-align="justify" is specified in FO and the text contains U+200B.

Font

  • If a non-existent font such as bold MS-Mincho is specified in XSL-FO, it will cause a warning error when FrameMaker® reads the MIF file. An alternate font is selected automatically by FrameMaker®.

Leader

  • Leader styles supported are double, dashed, dotted, dot-dash, dot-dot-dash, dots, use-contents. Others are interpreted as solid.

Others

  • MIF output does not support links.
  • MIF output does not support printer marks.
  • MIF output does not support document information
  • MIF output does not support annotation.
  • MIF output does not support ICC Color Profile.
  • MIF output does not support complex script language such as Hebrew, Arabic, Thai.
  • If a line has line number (axf:line-number) , the output mode is fixed as text area output mode.
  • If text and graphics exist in the same line, the output mode is fixed as text area output mode.
  • XSL-FO can define multiple page size masters in one document, but it is not supported with FrameMaker®. MIF Output Option adopts the first used page master when outputting MIF file.
  • The vertical writing mode is not supported with FrameMaker, documents in vertical writing mode cannot be correctly converted.

System Requirement

AH Formatter V5.1 or later is required. System requirement depends on AH Formatter.

Pricing and Licensing

Pricing

Type of license Price
AH Formatter MIF Output Option for Standalone $200.00
AH Formatter MIF Output Option for Server $2,000.00

Licensing

  • The license of AH Formatter V5.1 or later is required to use MIF Output Option.
  • After getting AH Formatter a user can purchase MIF Output Option as an option.
  • AH Formatter MIF Output Option is designed to work with AH Formatter product version. It's not available to use only MIF Output Option.
  • AH Formatter MIF Output Option can run only on a computer that it is installed by a user who is registered. This license does not allow to provide the function of AH Formatter MIF Output Option for other computers directly or indirectly that is accessible to the computer AH Formatter is installed.

How to buy

You may buy AH Formatter MIF Output Option through our Resellers, or direct order to us. See also: Purchasing Assistance.

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