Getting Started Tutorial

Welcome to the Flare Getting Started Tutorial, which will show you how to use MadCap Flare's basic features. During this tutorial, you will create a project about San Diego, add elements to it, and then build PDF and HTML5 outputs from it.

The Getting Started Tutorial is designed in a self-guided format. You can go through the tutorial at your own pace and complete as much or as little of the tutorial as you want.

Using This Tutorial Online or Printing it

You can work your way through this tutorial either online or you can print it out.

If you want to follow this tutorial online, you might want to resize your browser window so that you can see both the online topics and your Flare project side by side.

If you want to download and print a PDF, click at the top right of this topic.

Using the San Diego Project Template

While you follow the steps in the Getting Started Tutorial, you will also use Flare's San Diego template to create a project about San Diego. This template was designed to be used alongside the tutorial and will give you hands-on experience in Flare. As such, some settings and content are not enabled when you first open the template. By following the steps in the self-paced tutorial, you can add the rest of the content to the template, and even use the template for other projects.

You might want to take some time to familiarize yourself with the topics that have already been created for the San Diego template. You can find these in the Content Explorer on the left side of the interface. If you want, you can also select the Project ribbon at the top of the interface and click the Build Primary button to generate output from the template right away. This gives you an idea of how one type of output might look.

There is much more to learn outside of the features covered in this tutorial. Additionally, while this tutorial covers the recommended or most efficient way to perform a task, there are usually several other methods that you can use. Take some time to explore Flare on your own and find the technique that is most comfortable for you. You can refer to other topics within the Flare online Help system for more information about the features covered in this tutorial.

Getting Started PDF Guide and Video

In addition to this tutorial, we also recommend the following for new users. Although there is common information in this tutorial and the following two Getting Started resources, each one is also unique.

Getting Started Video The Getting Started Video provides a visual demonstration of how to create a new project, introduces basic information about Flare, and points you to additional videos and resources to further develop the project.
Getting Started Guide The Getting Started Guide is a PDF that explains how Flare works and introduces you to some of its key features and concepts. It then outlines the five basic steps for developing a project and producing output.

Start the Tutorial

To begin the tutorial, click 1. Starting Projects. If you need to stop part way through this tutorial, you can always return to this topic and continue with one of the other lessons.