32.1.1 Using character formats to identify Help elements

You can use character-format tagging to identify text you want to trigger help-specific actions. The character format need not have any effect on the text in FrameMaker; the format name is what Mif2Go goes by.

For example, to identify pop-up hotspots, you might create a FrameMaker character format called Popup, and apply it to each text item that should act as a pop-up hotspot in your help file. Suppose your document contains the following text:

As the fund-raising campaign progresses you will have an opportunity to visit Northcoast Redwoods and see for yourself the beauty of this forest.

Suppose you want "Northcoast Redwoods" to be a pop-up hotspot when you convert the document to Help:

1. Use the FrameMaker Character Designer Set Window to As Is command to define character format Popup as shown in Figure 32-1.

Figure 32-1 Defining character format Popup

 

2. Apply character format Popup--which you have defined in Character Designer to be entirely "As Is"-- to the phrase "Northcoast Redwoods". The appearance of the text does not change in your FrameMaker document.

3. Add this setting to your mif2rtf.ini configuration file:

[HelpStyles]

Popup=PopOver Green

Or, create the same setting in Conversion Designer, as shown in Figure 32-2.

Figure 32-2 Defining a character format for pop-up hotspots

 

When Mif2Go converts your document, the text in the resulting Help file looks something like Figure 32-3.

Figure 32-3 Pop-up hotspot in WinHelp

 

Clicking Northcoast Redwoods pops up whatever text or graphics you define in your Help file to be a target for this pop-up.

See also:

§7.8.9 Using the same content for both normal topics and pop-ups

§7.8.11.5 Assigning properties to alternative jumps and pop-ups

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