Software for instruction manuals?

[M4R5]

I'm trying to talk my company into using Xara for our instruction manuals. Not because it's great (though I do like it) but because everything else seems awful. The decision to roll out one application across the company has already been made, and the decision not to use Adobe software has also been made.

The main competitor at this time is Publisher 2010 as we are already licenced to use it and it looks like other office apps. Some people are opposed to this idea because of bad experiences with previous versions of Publisher, but it is the current favourite.

I've put PGD9 forward and I've shown off a few features like Remove Background, Repel Text Under, Lock Object, Bitmap fill (Shift > drop > release) and the Galleries. The first question I couldn't answer was how to set-up a page with headers, footers and page numbers. I also showed off Ctrl+Shift+L and pointed out the biggest problem with Xara (imo): many functions can only be accessed by keyboard shortcuts. This pretty much killed my pitch.

Because of the opposition to Publisher, Xara may get a look in. It would be my software of choice, but I've already got past the UI hurdle. Has anyone got any examples of using Xara for instruction manuals for electronic products? How about examples of setting up a template as described above?

Thanks

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Supplementary rant: I think Xara suits us quite well, but it's a hard sale because the developers seem set on preserving the legacy UI rather than employing a test group to critique it. I mean, how do you know that the first drop down on the first toolbar is lineweight? Other packages I can think of which use toolbars for the primary UI all include thorough drop down menus as well. Xara at least needs to put everything into the menus if they want new users. Edit > Lineweight. I'll even do them menus for them. If they pay me. I would even get it tested and watch new users to make sure it was usable. Imagine that!

[Big Frank]

pointed out the biggest problem with Xara (imo): many functions can only be accessed by keyboard shortcuts. This pretty much killed my pitch.

i never use keyboard shortcuts and i seem to get by ok...

[JET]

"Instruction manuals" is a pretty broad subject. Can you describe the documents a bit more fully? Length (page count), format, content (images and text), source material, organizational structure, delivery methods (print, web, ebook)?

Nowadays technical publications becomes more a matter of efficient maintainability than of initial creation. Data-driven content and automation is more flexible, can be edited and maintained more efficiently, and can be flexibly re-purposed. It's increasingly more a data problem than a graphics/design problem.

JET

[mwenz]

I have used two help authoring tools and more than a few layout applications for technical and general user manuals over the years.

If you intend on multi-purpose output (on-line documentation, application help, and or print/pdf output) I would use Help & Manual. I have only used it for a couple software companies, but like it better than the main other same-type software, RoboHelp.

If this is just for laying out print or PDF manuals, consider PagePlus. The only issue I have with PP at all as regards larger print projects such as manuals or dictionary-type documentation is the lack of running headers/footers, figure numbering etc. This, like using QuarkXpress is handled by having multiple master pages and works for the most part (in combination to overriding headers under certain circumstances).

When it comes down to it, if re-purposing content is not an issue, and people are familiar enough with MS Publisher and Word, there is no real reason not to use either one. I do enough work for a local service bureau that I get publisher files often enough that their clients send them (I fix them for the SB and output the final PDFs). With the Word files, I'll usually throw them in something else.

Over the last couple few years, I have been updating some manuals for old clients where we have gone into XML publishing. A couple were done in ID, and of late I have a couple in QXP. As Jet mentions, it is increasingly a data-driven decision. In all these cases, the documentation is being pushed through to the web and print. XML is just a means to that end--I started out in database publishing pulling data out and published via Ventura.

Make the decisions about the data first. If it does not originate in a database or will not end up there, use any convenient method of doing the writing/layout. Sounds like MS Publisher would fit that bill.

Mike

[Albacore]

Why not try using Xara's own documentation that comes with the product. You would need to ask permission from Xara to use the manual and from my own experience that would be no problem. Then with Adobe products either AI, ID or Acro Pro (you could try Xara as well) copy and paste parts of their manual to make up yours. I have used Xara with my own manuals to show upper grade students on how to illustrate their own I.C. boards for their projects. The circuits were quite small maybe the largest using 3 prototype boards linked together so drawing size was not an issue. The students had worked with Xara for 4 years so they knew their way around the programme so for these students the manuals were small in content and they used symbols which were saved in the Designs Gallery. What I am trying to say that each year they had manuals for Xara making progressive steps so by year 3 & 4 they new almost all of the tools required to complete a folio all done with Xara.

As for examples I am afraid that they are all locked away on floppy discs and I have now no access to them and H/discs are long gone as I retired from teaching 10 years ago. Sorry!

I would also agree with the statement made by jet by the time that you have written the manuals they will be out of date and need of updating.