An algorithm to render PDF in small devices

[kergoth]

I'm getting an error trying to use this:

clarson@foul mine home#mv!187caf1$ pi_format.py mine.conf 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/clarson/Desktop/pi/pi/bin/pi_format.py", line 59, in <module>
    test_all(sys.argv[1])
  File "/home/clarson/Desktop/pi/pi/bin/pi_format.py", line 15, in test_all
    doc = pi.Doc(conf)
  File "/home/clarson/Desktop/pi/pi/bin/pi.py", line 1091, in __init__
    self.get_avg_page_stat()
  File "/home/clarson/Desktop/pi/pi/bin/pi.py", line 1144, in get_avg_page_stat
    self.avg_lh = middle(avg_lhs)
  File "/home/clarson/Desktop/pi/pi/bin/pi.py", line 58, in middle
    return sl[(len(sl) + 1) / 2]
IndexError: list index out of range

[caritas]

Yes. This is a bug.

You can fix this by changing line 58 of pi.py from

return sl[(len(sl)+1)/2]

to

return sl[len(sl)/2]

I will fix this in next version.

[nclark]

has anyone had success compiling this on leopard?

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by nclark

has anyone had success compiling this on leopard?

or windows? If so, how?

[nclark]

well i don't know how you'd compile it on windows, but the author provided a link to a cygwin binary for it further up:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...9&postcount=17

my issue is compiling pi.c... i get a slew of errors when i try to build it against netpbm from macports.

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by nclark

well i don't know how you'd compile it on windows, but the author provided a link to a cygwin binary for it further up:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...9&postcount=17

my issue is compiling pi.c... i get a slew of errors when i try to build it against netpbm from macports.

Oops, that's me you are referring to and a previous version's windows executable.

I am not the author and since version 0.2 I have not been able to use this code in windows due to some strange behaviour of python using pipes to external programs. It's not the author's fault, just a defect/deficiency of my windows installation!

[nclark]

Originally Posted by nrapallo

Oops, that's me you are referring to

ah, so i am.

anyone out there, luck on OS X or windows?

[IceHand]

No, sorry. On Linux it works fine ...

[serpentium]

Originally Posted by nclark

has anyone had success compiling this on leopard?

why doesnt work in osX??? i want it!!!

and... what about to put the code in the software to make lrf from cbz? I will really like to convert cbz to img, render them with this program and compile a lrf, with just one click (and maybe another click to send to my prs505 from calibre )

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by serpentium

why doesnt work in osX??? i want it!!!

and... what about to put the code in the software to make lrf from cbz? I will really like to convert cbz to img, render them with this program and compile a lrf, with just one click (and maybe another click to send to my prs505 from calibre )

It works on OSX if you have Python installed.

Dale

[nclark]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

It works on OSX if you have Python installed.

Dale

OS X ships with python. it always has.

/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/Resources/Python.app/

i haven't had any luck getting it to work (w/ leopard)

[hansl]

Hi,
I tried this on Windows XP SP2 and found that the Windows version cuts images in two. Then I fiddled around to get the original package running on XP without success.
Depressed I started what I wanted to avoid and tried a Linux live CD, namely Puppy Linux 4.0 together with its development environment since I had to compile and install some packages missing in the distribution like the Python Image Library and others.
This was not too difficult since you always get a good hint where you are currently stuck :-)
In the end it worked out fine and I think this might be an alternative for Windows and MacOS users. If anybody is interested I could add the details in another post.

Only one thing still itches me in the Linux Version: I couldn't get pdftoppm to not ignore my crop box inside the input pdf file. Funny enough, pdftoppm treats crop boxes right in the Windows version??

Greetings,
hansl

[hansl]

I forgot to praise caritas in my first post. pi is by far the best pdf-preparation-for-conversion-to-ebook tool I know, and the least time consuming regarding interaction and document preparation.
I only fell over this thread by chance and think this tool should be placed in a more prominent place and get a more telling name like ebookpdf (pdf2ebookpdf is probably too long).

hansl

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by hansl

I forgot to praise caritas in my first post. pi is by far the best pdf-preparation-for-conversion-to-ebook tool I know, and the least time consuming regarding interaction and document preparation.

Can you give us a short description of what you needed to get it to compile and your experiences with your Live CD? i.e., which libraries were added (and from where), where did you store the compiled executable, how do you (re-)use the program with your Live CD setup, can you produce a 'windows binaries'from that setup, etc...

I only fell over this thread by chance and think this tool should be placed in a more prominent place and get a more telling name like ebookpdf (pdf2ebookpdf is probably too long).

hansl

BTW, from a previous version, it appears that pi is short for pdftoimage. You know those Linux/Unix types, always shortening their typing experience...

[hansl]

Originally Posted by nrapallo

Can you give us a short description of what you needed to get it to compile and your experiences with your Live CD? i.e., which libraries were added (and from where), where did you store the compiled executable, how do you (re-)use the program with your Live CD setup, can you produce a 'windows binaries'from that setup, etc...

Hi Nick and thanks for asking. I downloaded and installed the following:

- Puppy Linux 4.00 "Dingo" ISO CD-ROM image from puppylinux.org (burn the CD and follow installation instructions from puppylinux.org)

- devx_400.sfs from ibiblio.org - contains development environment for compiling and installation of additional source packages (no install, just save the file in the same directory as the next one below)

- pup_save.2fs created on C: drive by Puppy for additional persistent packages, virtual RAM and faster bootup (you may choose the size, I recommend the maximum which is around 1.3 GB)

- pup_400.sfs and zdrv_400.sfs copied to C: drive by Puppy for faster bootup

- tiff-3.8.2 from www.remotesensing.org (source installation)
- libpng-1.2.29 from www.libpng.org (source installation)
- zlib-1.2.3 from www.zlib.net (source installation)
all source installations went flawless using ./configure, make, make install

- xpdf-3.0.2 from ibiblio.org (binary installation with puppy package manager)

- imagemagick 6.0.6.2-2.7 from dotpups.de
(binary installation, newer version available but I got "convert" only running with this version)

- Python Image Library 1.1.6 from www.pythonware.com (built with python commands)

and finally
- pi_0.5 where I had to make a change in img_dir_to_pdf.sh:
The call to tiff2pdf with arguments -z -o ... always produced a barely readable white characters on black background pdf.
tiff2pdf -n -z -o ... solves the problem and produces black chars on white bg.

So that's it and no, I didn't even try to produce a Windows binary. I preferred to let success shine on me . Also, I had no trouble with Puppy Linux besides finding the right Imagemagick version.

BTW document exchange between Puppy and Windows is easy, you can mount the Windows filesystem in Puppy. And don't worry, the desktop environment is very newbie friendly. So, most installations and mounts are point and click.

Now I can admit that I have a Solaris past and feel happy to dive a little into the Unix feeling again.


hansl

Edit: I forgot to mention that like all 32 bit dinosaurs I had to delete pi.o in order to get pi compiled. All files I added to the live CD have been saved in pup_save.2fs on my hard disk, i.e. I didn't really change the CD but what it loads on bootup from my HD (I have to leave for backup now ...)