Computer Facilities & ETDP Process
The GKNAES Technical Publications operation is equipped with the most up-to-date computer facilities for the production and control of technical data and documents.  It is also equipped with a range of support facilities, some developed internally, to aid productivity and general operational efficiency or to facilitate quality control.

The operation has a discrete PC Network supporting the main proprietary software products and in-house developed applications shown below

Production Software Application Arbortext Epic (Was Adept Editor) Text writing & editing in SGML Arbortext Epic (Was Document Architect) DTD development & manipulation Microstar Near & Far DTD development & manipulation Adobe Framemaker Dedicated text writing & editing for the IAI Fairchild 100 programme Broadvision Interleaf & Quicksilver Dedicated text writing & editing for the Saab 2000 programme Itedo IsoDraw Technical illustration in isometric 3D with CGM output Adobe Illustrator Technical illustration in 2D Adobe Pagemaker Page make-up for non-standard publications Adobe Photoshop Scanning, photograph retouching & annotation Adobe Page Mill Web output CSDB Content Management and Project Tracking at modular level LISA Drawing Issue and Configuration Tracking

The operation also has valuable system interface and telecommunications tools for access to data held in 'alien' formats and rapid transfer into local systems for conversion for re-use, many of them developed internally.  For instance, tools and procedures have been developed or acquired for the transfer of 3D and 2D CAD and CATIA design data files in various formats (IGES, HPGL, DXF etc) for efficient creation of new illustrations. Text files can be similarly captured and converted by a variety of methods. Of major significance in our role as a supplier of commercial publications services, we can readily handle any SGML file compiled to a supplied DTD because we utilise 'native' SGML editing tools rather than those of the 'filtered' variety.

A shared FTP link is used for the rapid import and export of large data files.

The operation has been actively developing an integrated Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) production flow in conjunction with a potential customer having particular support documentation requirements. Utilising established Aerospace industry standardised formats, the Electronic Technical Document Production (ETDP) model, which will be adopted for all future applications of this type, is shown below.

Click here to expand the flow diagram