Unable to convert RTF files to ePub

[Chrysanthemum]

I'm not sure why, but I cannot seem to convert any rtf files into ePub files. Every attempt, with different files, produced on Text-Edit, Bean, or Word all fail. Only txt files convert. Am I doing something wrong?


I am using a Macbook Pro, and eRead on a both a Sony and a Nook.

[banjomike]

Have a look at this thread about rtf conversion problems.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86089

You could post a sample rtf as well.

[speakingtohe]

Sometimes rtf files are te=txt files named rtf. Not sure why.
Opening them and then saving as rtf explicitly usually fixes the problem

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Chrysanthemum

I'm not sure why, but I cannot seem to convert any rtf files into ePub files. Every attempt, with different files, produced on Text-Edit, Bean, or Word all fail. Only txt files convert. Am I doing something wrong?

Maybe you are doing something wrong, maybe not. I would love to help and others have pointed you to some good info, but without information or error logs, I have to rely on my psychic ability to ascertain the exact nature of your problem. Unfortunately I am lacking in that area.

Good Luck.

[Chrysanthemum]

The error message says the rtf file has features Calibre does not support. When I convert an rtf to a txt, then use that to create the epub, every place where the text contains an
" ... " the epub inserts a question mark inside a diamond. The error log concludes with the suggestion to save the file as an HTML, then try again. But none of my text editing software has the option of saving as an HTML.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Chrysanthemum

The error message says the rtf file has features Calibre does not support. When I convert an rtf to a txt, then use that to create the epub, every place where the text contains an
" ... " the epub inserts a question mark inside a diamond. The error log concludes with the suggestion to save the file as an HTML, then try again. But none of my text editing software has the option of saving as an HTML.

Since you refuse to pass the error log so we can look at it... here is my two cents. Save the file as a html as the error log suggests. The OpenOffice.Org suite is open source and I believe it will allow you to save your file as a HTML file.

Update: I'm curious, did you try speakingtohe suggestion to open the RTF in Wordpad and then save the RTF back to the original without change? This has helped with certain errors in the past.

Good Luck.

[Chrysanthemum]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Since you refuse to pass the error log so we can look at it...

I'm not refusing, I just don't know how. I'm working on the Open Office process now.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Chrysanthemum

I'm not refusing, I just don't know how. I'm working on the Open Office process now.

I apologize. When a book fails to convert there is a error log that is created and at the time of failure a error window pops up that allows you to copy the error to the clipboard and then paste it here in the forum or in a text file. Quite often books fail for different reasons and looking at the log and give us a peak at why a particular book failed.

[Chrysanthemum]

Here is an error report, and I've included the rtf file:


ERROR: Conversion Error: <b>Failed</b>: Convert book 1 of 1 (I Saw My Lady Weep by Worldmaker)

Convert book 1 of 1 (I Saw My Lady Weep by Worldmaker)
Resolved conversion options
calibre version: 0.7.7
{'asciiize': False,
'author_sort': None,
'authors': None,
'base_font_size': 0.0,
'book_producer': None,
'change_justification': u'original',
'chapter': u"//*[((name()='h1' or name()='h2') and re:test(., 'chapter|book|section|part\\s+', 'i')) or @class = 'chapter']",
'chapter_mark': u'pagebreak',
'comments': None,
'cover': None,
'debug_pipeline': None,
'disable_font_rescaling': False,
'dont_split_on_page_breaks': False,
'extra_css': None,
'extract_to': None,
'flow_size': 260,
'font_size_mapping': None,
'footer_regex': u'(?i)(?<=<hr>)((\\s*<a name=\\d+></a>((<img.+?>)*<br>\\s*)?\\d+<br>\\s*.*?\\s*)|(\\s* <a name=\\d+></a>((<img.+?>)*<br>\\s*)?.*?<br>\\s*\\d+))(?=<br>)' ,
'header_regex': u'(?i)(?<=<hr>)((\\s*<a name=\\d+></a>((<img.+?>)*<br>\\s*)?\\d+<br>\\s*.*?\\s*)|(\\s* <a name=\\d+></a>((<img.+?>)*<br>\\s*)?.*?<br>\\s*\\d+))(?=<br>)' ,
'input_encoding': None,
'input_profile': <calibre.customize.profiles.InputProfile object at 0x5c37830>,
'insert_blank_line': False,
'insert_metadata': False,
'isbn': None,
'keep_ligatures': False,
'language': None,
'level1_toc': None,
'level2_toc': None,
'level3_toc': None,
'line_height': 0.0,
'linearize_tables': False,
'margin_bottom': 5.0,
'margin_left': 5.0,
'margin_right': 5.0,
'margin_top': 5.0,
'max_toc_links': 50,
'no_chapters_in_toc': False,
'no_default_epub_cover': False,
'no_inline_navbars': False,
'no_svg_cover': False,
'output_profile': <calibre.customize.profiles.SonyReader300Output object at 0x5c37bd0>,
'page_breaks_before': u"//*[name()='h1' or name()='h2']",
'prefer_metadata_cover': False,
'preprocess_html': False,
'preserve_cover_aspect_ratio': False,
'pretty_print': True,
'pubdate': None,
'publisher': None,
'rating': None,
'read_metadata_from_opf': '/var/folders/ex/exfQHrmgEdCFKaw8f-c8Kk+++TM/-Tmp-/calibre_0.7.7_iH3x0k.opf',
'remove_first_image': False,
'remove_footer': False,
'remove_header': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing_indent_size': 1.5,
'series': None,
'series_index': None,
'tags': None,
'timestamp': None,
'title': None,
'title_sort': None,
'toc_filter': None,
'toc_threshold': 6,
'use_auto_toc': False,
'verbose': 2}
Python function terminated unexpectedly: This RTF file has a feature calibre does not support. Convert it to HTML first and then try it.
no map found
map is "ansicpg10000"

InputFormatPlugin: RTF Input running
on /Users/Chrysanthemum/Calibre Library/Rachel Linn/I Saw My Lady Weep by Worldmaker (47)/I Saw My Lady Weep by Worldmaker - Rachel Linn.rtf
Converting RTF to XML...
Preprocessing to convert unicode characters
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/Applications/calibre.app/Contents/Resources/Python/lib/python2.6/site.py", line 147, in main
return run_entry_point()
File "/Applications/calibre.app/Contents/Resources/Python/lib/python2.6/site.py", line 116, in run_entry_point
return getattr(pmod, func)()
File "site-packages/calibre/utils/ipc/worker.py", line 99, in main
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/convert/gui_conversion.py", line 24, in gui_convert
File "site-packages/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plumber.py", line 815, in run
File "site-packages/calibre/customize/conversion.py", line 211, in __call__
File "site-packages/calibre/ebooks/rtf/input.py", line 200, in convert
ValueError: This RTF file has a feature calibre does not support. Convert it to HTML first and then try it.
no map found
map is "ansicpg10000"

[GeneS]

Fortunately (or, unfortunately) your .rtf file converted to .epub without a problem on my system.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Chrysanthemum

The error message says the rtf file has features Calibre does not support. When I convert an rtf to a txt, then use that to create the epub, every place where the text contains an
" ... " the epub inserts a question mark inside a diamond. The error log concludes with the suggestion to save the file as an HTML, then try again. But none of my text editing software has the option of saving as an HTML.

Get "Open Office" (it is free), it will save to HTML (and lots more). I run it on both Ubuntu and XP (I don't have a MAC) .

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by GeneS

Fortunately (or, unfortunately) your .rtf file converted to .epub without a problem on my system.

It failed on mine with the same error as the OP. I'm using 0.7.4 on XP.

[Chrysanthemum]

Originally Posted by GeneS

Fortunately (or, unfortunately) your .rtf file converted to .epub without a problem on my system.

What system are you using, and what version of Calibre?

I am running Calibre 7.7, on a MacBook Pro, OS 10.5.8

[banjomike]

I went to Plan B and loaded your rtf into OpenOffice, saved as odt, dropped on Calibre, and it converted OK (I think).

[Chrysanthemum]

I just tried that, and it worked for me too. It was able to retain the page breaks at the beginning of each chapter, whereas saving it as a txt and converting that lost the page breaks. It also retained basic font styles, such as italicizing the opening poem.

But, it seems to have added extra space between the paragraphs that was not there in the rtf. This occurred in Open Office, so this is not exactly a Calibre question, but is there something I need to do to tell Open Office not to add space, like you do in Word?

Update: Found the "remove space between paragraphs" option in Calibre. All better.