Basics of Author-it Roles and Interface

Overview of Author-it user roles, interface components, user preferences, and ribbon structure.

Main Roles in Author-it

Author-it is built around three distinct user roles, each with its own responsibilities and level of control.

  1. Author
    • Primary Function: To create new content and reuse existing content.
    • Tools: Uses styles, templates, and structure created by Designers to build and publish documents.
  2. Designer
    • Primary Function: To support Authors and ensure design consistency.
    • Key Responsibilities:
      • Acts as the "architect" of the system.
      • Creates and manages styles and content templates.
      • Sets up and manages publishing templates (output templates).
      • Defines relationships between content objects.
    • Goal: To ensure all published documents follow a consistent, standard look and feel.
  3. Administrator
    • Primary Function: To support Designers and Authors by managing the backend and security.
    • Key Responsibilities:
      • Manages the database and connectivity.
      • Sets up the complete security model.
      • Creates and manages users and groups.
      • Handles system variables.

Roles, Team Size, and Security

  • Team Size:
    • In small teams (e.g., 5 people), one person may perform all three roles.
    • In large teams (25-50 people), roles are usually specialized.
  • Segregation of Roles:
    • Best practice is to keep the roles separate, especially Designers/Admins vs. Authors.
  • Security Model:
    • Administrators have highest-level access and can perform all tasks.
    • Avoid giving admin rights to general Authors to prevent unintended changes to standards or security settings.

Exploring the Author-it Interface

The Author-it interface is consistent across production and test libraries. It is composed of six main components.

Author-it Interface Components

Figure 1: The six main components of the Author-it interface

  1. Author-it Icon (“Big A”)
    • Located top-left, similar to the Microsoft Office button.
    • Opens application settings and other options.
  2. Ribbon View
    • Displays functions and tools available in the library.
    • Many ribbon features are also accessible via right-click shortcuts.
  3. Folder Pane
    • Located on the left.
    • Used to organize objects within the library.
  4. Additional Panes
    • Located below the folder pane.
    • Includes the Search Pane and Publishing Pane for content and output management.
  5. Object List
    • Central area.
    • Displays objects contained in the selected folder.
  6. Preview Area
    • Located at the bottom.
    • Shows a quick preview of the selected object.
    • Dynamically switches based on Print, Help, and Web tabs.

Customizing Author-it Options

This section covers user roles, permissions, and key settings to optimize the workspace before authoring content.

Launching Author-it and Logging In

  • Launch using desktop icon or Start menu.
  • System prompts the library/database upon launch.
  • Log in with a specific user account.
  • Supervisor user is the default admin with full rights.

User Security

  • Permissions depend on the user’s security group.
  • It determines number of available actions in the interface.

Author-it Options

This is the first place a new user should configure settings.

  1. Accessing Options
    • Click the Big A icon → select Author-it Options.
  2. User-Specific Settings
    • These apply only to the logged-in user, not the team.
  3. General Settings
    • Measurement units (inches, cm).
    • Paste picture format (e.g., PNG recommended).
  4. Publishing Preferences
    • Set default directory for output files (local or network location).
  5. Additional Tabs (Licensed Modules)
    • Author-it eXtends: Suggests reusable content while typing.
    • AcroCheck: Plug-in requiring extra license and training.

Exploring the Ribbons

The ribbon layout aligns with the three core Author-it roles:

Author-it Ribbon Layout

Figure 2: A view of the ribbon layout in Author-it

  • Author: Tools for creating and editing content.
  • Design: Tools for templates, styles, and higher-level structure.
  • Manage: Administrative tools for system configuration.

The other functional ribbons include:

  • Import: Provides import options for formats like Word, FrameMaker, etc.
  • Publishing: Shows formats for publishing a document. Only available when a Book object is selected.
Note:
Double-clicking the ribbon collapses/expands it to maximize workspace.