Installing the Structure Applications

In order for FrameMaker to properly import and export DITA files, you must have structure applications that support topic and map files. DITA-FMx provides both of these applications. DITA-FMx also provides an updated structure application for book processing if you are upgrading from the Adobe DITA App Pack. If you want to customize the appearance of the templates or change the elements supported (adding through specialization or removing unwanted elements), you should clone the provided structure application folders and modify the cloned versions.

Follow these steps to install the structure applications:


  1. Extract the contents of the DITA-FMx_apps.zip file to the FrameMaker\Structure\xml folder. This will create a folder named DITA-FMx that contains folders named Book, dtd, Map, and Topic. These folders contains the three structure application as well as the DITA 1.0 DTD files used by the applications.

  2. Make a backup copy of your current structure application definitions file (typically found at FrameMaker\Structure\structapps.fm. Store this file in a safe location before making modifications.

  3. Start FrameMaker and open the structure application definitions file (File > Structure Tools > Edit Application Definitions).
  4. In the structure application definitions file place the insertion point just after the Version element.
  5. Choose File > Import > File, then navigate to the structapps-stub_topic.fm file in the DITA-FMx\Topic folder created in step 1. Select the Import by Reference option and choose the Import button. In the next dialog accept the defaults and choose Import.
  6. Repeat step 4 for the “structapp-stub” files in the DITA-FMx\Map and DITA-FMx\Book folders.
  7. Save the file, then choose File > Structure Tools > Read Application Definitions.

  8. Close the file and exit FrameMaker.

  9. Restart FrameMaker and run the DITA-FMx > Options command and select DITA-FMx-Topic for the DITA Topic Application and DITA-FMx-Map for the DITA Map Application. (Because the plugin that supports the “Book” application is not provided with DITA-FMx, that application must be specified elsewhere, see Setting Up the Book-Building Application).

If you’re upgrading from the App Pack be sure to read Upgrading from the App Pack. Otherwise, you should now be able to open and edit a DITA topic or map file.

Note: If your folder structure is non-standard, you may need to modify the paths specified in the “structapp-stub” files to match the file paths on your system. To do this, just open the structure application definitions file and double-click each application’s text inset. In the dialog that displays, choose the Open Source button and make the changes in the “stub” file. When you have finished editing the stub file, save and close that file, then double-click the text inset again and choose the Update Now button.

If you want to make use of the book-building plugin provided with the App Pack, see Setting Up the Book-Building Application. Otherwise, see Setting Up to use the Generate Output Command.

Parent topic: Installation and Setup