Create Topics, Apply Simple Formatting, and Build

Note: Most of the links have been removed from this page.

Get started with MadCap Flare by starting up a new project, adding some topics to it, doing some basic formatting, and then building HTML5 and PDF outputs (called "targets" in Flare).

Create a Flare project and add topics

This unit is covered in this video: link (transcript)

  1. To start a Flare project: click File > New Project > New Project.
  2. Name your project with some identifiable part of your name, for example, davidm_project1 (Flare will add .flprj to the file name), and click Empty then click Finish.
  3. If Content Explorer is not displayed, click View > Content Explorer.
  4. Click into Content Explorer and then press Ctrl+T to create a topic (you can also click Add Topic
    Add Topic
    You'll notice that Flare creates Topic.htm for you.
  5. Create a couple more topics for other tutorials in this course.

Do some simple formatting to your Flare project

  1. Add about a dozen or so lines to one of your topics. Here is the part of the interface you'll use:
    Formatting in Flare
  2. Format three of those lines as a numbered list.
  3. Format another three of those lines as a bulleted list.
  4. Apply some bold to a word or two, and some italics to another word or two.
  5. Center some text; right-align some other text.
  6. Turn some text to your favorite color—but not black Dracula.

Be aware that applying bold, italics, color the way you have probably just done in the "old-fashioned" way. You'll see how to do these things with CSS later in this course.

Build your Flare project

"Building" a project means compiling it so that users can read and use it. The typical output is HTML5 (a website) or PDF, which is the focus here.

  1. To build HTML5, click Project > Build Primary and select Build "HTML5".
  2. To build PDF, first click and open Project Organizer, select Targets, right-click Add Target, select PDF under Output Type, and click OK.
  3. To build PDF, click Project > Build Primary and select Build "PDF".
  4. To send the Flare project to your instructor, click Zip Project in Flare and enter your instructor's e-mail address. Your instructor will build your PDF and check it out.

More Information

Getting Started Tutorial: https://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare2019r2/Content/Flare/Tutorials/Getting-Started-Tutorial/Getting-Started-Tutorial.htm

MadCap Flare Topics Guide: http://docs.madcapsoftware.com/flare2018r2/FlareTopicsGuide.pdf
Topics in Flare. Some good basics here on a variety of Flare things, both basic and advanced.

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