Create Topics, Apply Simple Formatting, and Build

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).

The following based on MadCap Flare 2022r3. A video for this unit is available: flare_2022r3_startup.mp4 (transcript of the video).

Create a Flare project and add topics

  1. Start a new Flare project.
  2. Name your project with some identifiable part of your name, for example, davidm_project1 (Flare will add .flprj to the file name).
  3. After you name your project, click Finish, select Empty, click Next, then Finish.
  4. Create several topics.

Do some simple formatting to your Flare project

Details on how to do the following are in the transcript (see above).

  1. Add about a dozen or so lines to one of your topics.
  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.

Be aware that applying bold, italics, color the way you have probably just done is 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. HTML5 is the focus here; we'll get to building PDFs in one of the next units. The transcript above also shows how to do the following:

  1. To build HTML5 output, click Project > Build Primary and select Build "HTML5".
  2. In the Builds window, watch the progress of this build then click on the dark green area under Build Progress:
    Flare build-progress window
  3. When the build completes, click View Primary and select your preferred browser.

Complete This Unit

  1. To zip and send your Flare project, click Project > Zip Project > Zip and Email Project. Remember that sending just the .flprj file does not work—that does not include the other files of the project.
  2. Flare will display and e-mail form: enter davidm@austincc.edu if you are an ACC student, or enter admin@mcmassociates.io if you are not. Change the subject line to something like Simple Build, and click Send:
    Flare zip project form
    Flare uses whatever you name your project.

Return

Return to your bookmarked course main page.

Related information

Unfortunately, some of these links may contain outdated information. If so, let admin@mcmassociates.io (click this link).

Starting Projects: https://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare2019r2/Content/Flare/Tutorials/Getting-Started-Tutorial/Starting-Projects/Starting-Projects.htm?Highlight=start%20project

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.

Maintained by admin@mcmassociates.io.