Pushy, pushy

We’ve updated the Blaze Early Experience beta. We pushed the updates to beta users. If you’re participating in the beta, then you should see a message when you start Blaze that a newer version is available. Follow those instructions to download and install.

We’ve also done the same with the X-Edit and X-Edit Express products. Just open these products and follow the instructions to update.

If you’re not participating in the beta, what’s the deal? We’ve made these products and want to know what you think. So go to www.madcapsoftware.com and then go to the page of the product you want to work with, Click the Pre-release button, complete the form and we’ll email the link.

Go now. I’ll wait.

Updates all over

I’ve also updated the Best Practices based on comments I’ve gotten. Click here to get it. frametoblazebestpracticesdraft3 

Stuff to try

Perhaps you’re working with the beta and you don’t know what to do. That’s possible. So here’s a fast list that might keep you busy for the next few days:

• Import several FrameMaker or Word files. For help on best practices during importing, we strongly recommend that you get the Best Practices document. Even if you are importing Word documents, this Best Practices should help you.
• Create multiple Page Layouts. Consider making multiple page sizes for different outputs, such as 8.5×11”, 7×9”, and more.
• Fun suggestion: Can you replicate the look of the pages in a computer book pulled off your shelf? How about the template you use at work?
• Create several Style Sheet mediums and assign different values to your styles, based on medium. For example, create mediums called 8.5×11 and 7×9. Change the fonts and font sizes to be more appropriate to these page sizes.
• Create several outlines with at least 10 topics.
• Fun suggestion: Reuse some of the same topics from one outline to another.
• Create several targets, such as a PDF target and an XPS target. Assign an outline, style sheet, Page Layouts and mediums to the target.
• Generate the targets.

Advanced suggestions

• After you complete the above, try assigning certain topics Chapter numbers. Hint: you’ll need a CSS Style that autonumbers across files.
• Try indenting topics in outlines to see how that impacts the result when you build your targets.