Book Designer issue

jabberwock_11 · 12-06-2008, 11:09 PM

I am using Book Designer to try to convert some mobi files to html, but the only files it is able to see are the DRMed .prc files. It does not seem to be able to recognize the DRM free .mobi files. Any ideas?

wallcraft · 12-06-2008, 11:42 PM

There is no difference between .mobi and .prc, but it seems that bookdesigner only recognizes .prc. So, rename the .mobi to .prc. If the DRMed .prc has the same name, change ebook.mobi to ebook_free.prc or whatever (or create a new subdirectory for the drm-free versions).

jabberwock_11 · 12-06-2008, 11:53 PM

Ok, if I simply add .prc to the end of the name it does not actually change the file type from .mobi to .prc is there a way to make a .mobi file appear as a .prc file so that it will be seen by the book designer? Am I just not renaming the file correctly?

wallcraft · 12-07-2008, 12:03 AM

Windows hides filename extensions by default. In a standard file window, unselect Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Hide extensions for known filetypes. Then right click on the file and select rename.

If you want extensions shown by default, make the same change to Folder Options on the Control Panel.

jabberwock_11 · 12-07-2008, 12:20 AM

well, that worked as far as renaming it and changing it to a .prc file is concerned (much thanks for the patient tutorial), but book designer has the same issue that it does with all of the other .prc files...it states that it can not "unpack" the file. Sigh...

jabberwock_11 · 12-07-2008, 12:33 AM

I just downloaded a DRM free copy of Call of the Wild in three different formats. the book designer did not allow me to unpack the .prc version, but it DID let me get into the .kml version...there must be some issue with using .prc files

JSWolf · 12-07-2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabberwock_11

I just downloaded a DRM free copy of Call of the Wild in three different formats. the book designer did not allow me to unpack the .prc version, but it DID let me get into the .kml version...there must be some issue with using .prc files

Download Calibre and use mobi2oeb to unpack DRM free Mobipocket format eBooks into HTML and you can then use the resulting HTML to load into Book Designer.

jabberwock_11 · 12-07-2008, 02:38 PM

I downloaded Calibre looking for something that would make using Book Designer easier to use and ended up finding exactly what I needed all in one package! Calibre is AWESOME! It does everything that I hoped BD would do, but without all of the issues and in an easy to use and attractive package. Thanks for the help with everything folks!

JSWolf · 12-10-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabberwock_11

I downloaded Calibre looking for something that would make using Book Designer easier to use and ended up finding exactly what I needed all in one package! Calibre is AWESOME! It does everything that I hoped BD would do, but without all of the issues and in an easy to use and attractive package. Thanks for the help with everything folks!

Happy to help. I do find that sometimes Book Designer gives me a better result. But that does depend on the source. I recently tried to convert the lastest Star Trek eBook from Mobipocket to LRF using Calibre and found that to get a satisfactory result, I'd need to edit the HTML. It was just easier to load the HTML into Book Designer and format from there.

If you ever take a look at some of the Mobipocket eBooks under the hood, you'll wonder how anyone ever got hired to make them as the underlying HTML can be really awful.

HarryT · 12-11-2008, 10:24 AM

Calibre and BD serve different purposes; Calibre is designed to be an automated format conversion tool; BD is for manual book editing. Really a case of comparing "apples and oranges".

Timoleon · 12-11-2008, 05:28 PM

I "clean" stuff up in Book Designer, and then "publish/convert" it in Calibre. I couldn't get along without either one --- fantastic tools for the ebook freak!

Tim

12-06-2008, 11:09 PM	#1
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	Book Designer issue I am using Book Designer to try to convert some mobi files to html, but the only files it is able to see are the DRMed .prc files. It does not seem to be able to recognize the DRM free .mobi files. Any ideas?

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12-06-2008, 11:42 PM	#2
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	There is no difference between .mobi and .prc, but it seems that bookdesigner only recognizes .prc. So, rename the .mobi to .prc. If the DRMed .prc has the same name, change ebook.mobi to ebook_free.prc or whatever (or create a new subdirectory for the drm-free versions).

12-06-2008, 11:53 PM	#3
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	Ok, if I simply add .prc to the end of the name it does not actually change the file type from .mobi to .prc is there a way to make a .mobi file appear as a .prc file so that it will be seen by the book designer? Am I just not renaming the file correctly?

12-07-2008, 12:03 AM	#4
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	Windows hides filename extensions by default. In a standard file window, unselect Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Hide extensions for known filetypes. Then right click on the file and select rename. If you want extensions shown by default, make the same change to Folder Options on the Control Panel.

12-07-2008, 12:20 AM	#5
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	well, that worked as far as renaming it and changing it to a .prc file is concerned (much thanks for the patient tutorial), but book designer has the same issue that it does with all of the other .prc files...it states that it can not "unpack" the file. Sigh...

12-07-2008, 12:33 AM	#6
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	I just downloaded a DRM free copy of Call of the Wild in three different formats. the book designer did not allow me to unpack the .prc version, but it DID let me get into the .kml version...there must be some issue with using .prc files

12-07-2008, 02:38 PM	#8
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	I downloaded Calibre looking for something that would make using Book Designer easier to use and ended up finding exactly what I needed all in one package! Calibre is AWESOME! It does everything that I hoped BD would do, but without all of the issues and in an easy to use and attractive package. Thanks for the help with everything folks!

12-11-2008, 10:24 AM	#10
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Calibre and BD serve different purposes; Calibre is designed to be an automated format conversion tool; BD is for manual book editing. Really a case of comparing "apples and oranges".

12-11-2008, 05:28 PM	#11
Timoleon Time Enough at Last Posts: 387 Karma: 1151316 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New England Device: iPad 3, iPhone 5, Kindle 3, Fire, Sony PRS-350	I "clean" stuff up in Book Designer, and then "publish/convert" it in Calibre. I couldn't get along without either one --- fantastic tools for the ebook freak! Tim

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