Anyone use software for tasks like this?

I hacked out a manual in Word, and it looks pretty boring compared to something like this:
http://www.mbfs.com/pdf/B2006-manual.pdf
I saw that manual was produced using ComponentOne Doc-To-Help ($600)

Any other software out there that makes professional looking user manuals and help files?

12/13/2005 2:20:50 PM

for tons of features and to do it super professionally, Adobe InDesign is a layout program that will export to PDF. it is difficult to learn everything about it in a day or a week though.

-ZiP!-

12/13/2005 3:45:19 PM

cool, anyone else worked on a project like this?

12/13/2005 11:48:33 PM

I would definitely recommend InDesign. There are some things that are very counterintuitive about it, but for any advanced layout features it is the absolute shit. Took me about a week to learn everything I needed to know.

12/13/2005 11:56:18 PM

latex

12/14/2005 12:23:24 AM

^
Heh, was waiting for somebody to mention that.

synapse, you looking for cheap as in free software, something more commercial, or what? (I'll dig through and see if I can't find the program I used for my senior design project ... made a Windows .hlp file).

12/14/2005 5:48:29 AM