Leximation
 Tools and Solutions for Print and Online Publishing
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CAREER SUMMARY - SCOTT PRENTICE

Specialist in online documentation development and efficient publishing processes. 19+ years as a technical publications application developer, overlapping with 8 years as a technical writer of user and developer documentation. Extensive design experience gives me the ability to creatively solve unique problems on short notice. Specialties include custom web application development, online document interface design, and authoring productivity enhancements. Adept at creating innovative solutions that facilitate content localization into many languages.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

» Leximation, Inc. - San Rafael, CA -- Feb. 2004 to present

Founder and President – Develop tools and solutions to increase the efficiency of authoring and publishing processes. For additional information and services, visit www.leximation.com, for partial list of clients see www.leximation.com/clients.php.

Continue development of DITA-FMx, a FrameMaker plugin that provides enhanced DITA authoring and publishing features. Version 1.0 was released in July of 2007, and version 1.1 was released in October of 2009.

Coined the term "AIR Help" after learning about Adobe's new AIR technology while attending the Adobe Community Summit in June of 2007. Has since experimented with options for making this technology more accessible for the delivery of online user assistance.

Developed numerous custom FrameMaker plugins to solve clients' needs. In particular, the core plugin bundled into the Adobe DITA Application Pack (related link: ad from STC's Telecom magazine).

Developed processes and scripts to migrate unstructured FrameMaker content into XML, then into the WorldServer CMS environment (Idiom, Inc.). Provided input to XSLT developers to achieve correct output for HTML Help and PDF transformations. Modified Ant build scripts to work properly in the WorldServer environment. Developed custom FrameMaker plugins for easier conversion by client.

Developed clients' web sites and web applications using PHP and MySQL.

» Autodesk, Inc. - San Rafael, CA -- Aug. 1991 to Feb. 2004

TechPubs Tools Developer (1993-2004) - Developed and maintained applications and processes that enabled employees to complete their tasks more efficiently. These applications are used throughout Autodesk publishing departments (in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Map, AutoCAD Civil, and others) for both content creation and localization into 19 languages (including, European, Eastern European, Nordic, and Asian languages). Developed the process to automatically generate AutoCAD's "3-Tab Help" (Concept, Procedure, and Reference) from FrameMaker files.

Technical Writer (1991-1999) - Worked on a wide range of user and developer documentation. Using my years of architectural and AutoCAD experience, I provided valuable, real-life examples in my documentation. To combine writing and application development, I researched and coded a number of interactive tutorials and embedded Help interfaces, some of which were used in shipping versions of AutoCAD.

» Architectural/Design Experience -- 1977 to 1991

John Falat Architect, Nahant, MA (1987-1991); CBT Architects, Inc., Boston, MA (1987-1990); Dept. of Architecture, W.S.U. (1987); Technical Services, Graphics, W.S.U. (1984-1987); Fazekas Assoc. Architects, Cupertino, CA (1984-1986); James Forgie Drafting, Lomita, CA (1982-1983); Edward Carson Beall & Assoc., Torrance, CA (1980-1981); Bergen Brunswig Corp., Carson, CA (1979-1980); Scott Allen Prentice, Design/Drafting Services (1977-1995).

COMPUTER SKILLS

» Operating Systems: Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000/98/NT4.0/NT3.5/95, SunOS 8.5, Mac OS X, Ubuntu, UNIX, DOS.

» Applications of Interest: AutoCAD, Flex Builder, FrameMaker, iMovie, MS Visual C++, Oxygen, DITA Open Toolkit.

» Programming Languages/APIs/Formats: ActionScript, AJAX, AIR, AnswerWorks API, ANT, AutoLISP, C, C++, Cocoa, CFM, CLucene, DITA, DHTML, DXF, EPUB, ExtendScript, Flex, FrameMaker API (FDK), Structured FrameMaker development (EDD, R/W rules), HTML, HTML Help API, Java, JavaScript, mSQL, MIF, MIFML, MySQL, MXML, ObjectARX/ADS, Oracle SQL, Perl, PHP, PostScript, Procmail, SQL, UNIX shell scripting, Visual Basic, WebWorks macros, WinHelp API, WinHelp RTF, Word Basic, XML, XSLT.

» Internet Servers/Applications/Protocols: Apache, AJAX, Cold Fusion, MS IIS, PHP/MySQL, web spiders, email (POP3), CGI, HTTP, FTP, authorize.net APIs.

MEMBERSHIPS, TRAINING, PRESENTATIONS, AND EDUCATION

» Memberships: OASIS member, OASIS DITA TC member; OASIS DITA-Help SC member; OASIS DITA-Adoption TC member; Silicon Valley DITA Interest Group, coordinator (SVDIG); STC member; STC NorthBay, webmaster

» Conferences attended: Tcworld conference, Germany (2008-2011); STC Summit (2004-2011); FrameMaker Chautauqua (2004-2006, 2008); DITA West (2007); WritersUA (WinWriters) conference (1997-2011); Adobe Community Summit (2007-2008); SDL DITA Fest (2009-2011)

» Presentations:  
2011: Tcworld, Germany, "ePub: What, Why, and How?"; Tcworld, Germany, "AIR Help: Create your own Custom Help System with Open Source Tools" (code samples); Tcworld, Germany, "ExtendScript in FrameMaker 10 - You can do it!" (code samples); Silicon Valley DITA Interest Group, "DITA to PDF Publishing with DITA-FMx and FMx-Auto" (slides, presentation video [1 hour]); STC North Bay chapter, "ePub: What, Why, and How?"; STC San Francisco chapter, "Creating AIR Help from DITA"; STC Summit, "ePub: What, Why, and How?" (slides [4.4MB PDF], handout [152KB PDF]);  
2010: Tcworld, Germany, "Publishing PDFs from DITA"; Tcworld, Germany, "Creating AIR Help from DITA"; STC NorthBay, "Publishing PDFs from DITA"; STC Summit, "Using Adobe AIR for Online Help"; Scriptorium webinar, "DITA Authoring and Publishing with FrameMaker and DITA‐FMx"; WritersUA, workshop, "Building your own AIR Help Application"; WritersUA, peer showcase, "An Unconventional Way to Create Software Videos"; Silicon Valley DITA Interest Group, "DITA to AIR Help";  
2009: Tcworld, Germany, "Using Adobe AIR for User Assistance"; Bluestream webinar, "Using FrameMaker and DITA with XDocs Content Management System"; WritersUA, "Using Adobe AIR for User Assistance"; STC NorthBay, "Using Adobe AIR for Online Help";  
2008: Tcworld, Germany, "Introduction to AIR Help" and "Using DITA with FrameMaker"; STC Berkeley, "Using DITA with FrameMaker"; STC San Diego, "Using DITA with FrameMaker"; Bay Area Editors' Forum, "DITA for Editors"; STC Summit, "Introduction to AIR Help"; FrameMaker Chautauqua, "Using DITA with FrameMaker" and "FDK for Dummies"; WritersUA, peer showcase, "Introducing AIR Help";  
2007: STC NorthBay, "Using DITA with FrameMaker";  
2006: Silicon Valley DITA Interest Group, "Using DITA with FrameMaker";  
2001: WinWriters, "Case Study—Adding Natural Language Query to Online Help"

» Training/Education: Crane Softwrights (G. Ken Holman) XSLT and XSL-FO training; Cold Fusion training, Allaire; Advanced VB class; C, C++, and UNIX classes, U.C.Berkeley Extension; PostScript Level 1, Adobe, Inc.; UNIX System Administration, Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Bachelor of Architecture degree
Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Architectural Science degree
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, semester abroad

SAMPLES AND REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST