PRS-500 PDFrasterFarian - makes A4/Letter PDFs usable - Page 7

alex_d · 04-02-2007, 02:27 AM

dexter, yes, it'll be much smoother when viewed on eInk than on an LCD. Also, DO NOT preview it in connect software!!! It resizes the images, destroying the quality. PDFrasterFarian has a 'preview' feature. Use that instead. You can also buy an SD card, put the pdf and lrf on there, walk into a borders or compusa, etc, and try it out on a real life Reader. That is definately the best plan.

"Am sorry to say that but the reader and PDF currently do not walk together
If PDF is a priority number 1 for you then you have to look for anothewr eBook device."
astra_lestat, do you say that after having used pdfrasterfarian? you also say "currently," which means you think things can be improved. do you have ideas?

astra · 04-03-2007, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex_d

astra_lestat, do you say that after having used pdfrasterfarian? you also say "currently," which means you think things can be improved. do you have ideas?

Last time I used PDFRasterfarian it produced 2KB files

I gave up after that.

I have a very small hope that one day someone is going to come up with a near perfect solution

As they say: hope is the last thing to die.

ashkulz · 04-03-2007, 05:22 AM

astra_lestat, I assume you got the problems with 2.2.1 -- you should have kept 2.1.6, it worked well for most people (some people did have/are having problems with 2.2.1).

If you want, you can try PDFRead, which is eventually going to be merged as PDFRasterFarian 3. It has a very basic GUI, and should work for most people out-of-the box.

astra · 04-03-2007, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashkulz

astra_lestat, I assume you got the problems with 2.2.1 -- you should have kept 2.1.6, it worked well for most people (some people did have/are having problems with 2.2.1).

If you want, you can try PDFRead, which is eventually going to be merged as PDFRasterFarian 3. It has a very basic GUI, and should work for most people out-of-the box.

I think you are right, and I have downloaded pdf read yesterday

I plan to test it over the weekend. Thanks!

alex_d · 04-12-2007, 04:36 AM

I have finally found a third-party program that can do dilation besides AutoImager!

This program is part of the wonderful NetPBM package which unfortunately seems to sit in ImageMagick's shadow yet offers much more powerful functionality in an easier to use interface. It has allowed me to do dilate, simple average-based downsampling*, and even produce pngs with exactly the colors the Sony Reader can display.** Also, images seem to come out much clearer due to better dithering.

In NetPBM I've also discovered an "edge enhancement" filter which seems like it could do a better job than the sharpening filter. This remains to be verified by you guys.

One downside of NetPBM is that it is considerably slower. Sigh. Because of this and also in case you like the sharpening more (and also to let you compare before and after since the sharpening could be put into the new path***), i'll keep the AutoImager/ImageMagick processing path (with the tweak to sharpening that I put into the defunct 2.2.x but never included in the stable 2.1.x series.)

anyway, stay tuned for PDFrasterFarian 2.3.0. I'll release it soon.

now... i still have to add djvu/images support and a goddamn gui (or at least a normal installer... not something that's really needed, but something that would make new users more comfortable).

* the advanced filtering that imagemagick always does and doesn't allow you to turn off results in a blurrier image.
** imagemagick would try to find the four "optimal" colors to create its palette. These colors would often turn out to not be exactly the ones that the Reader uses, resulting in a 2nd round of dithering. netpbm lets me specify the palette explicitly.
*** one annoying thing is that to do a sharpening in netpbm, you have to call like three commands to create intermediate masks and other bs. this is more powerful, but it's much slower and there should be a quick path.

tuktuk · 05-22-2007, 05:24 PM

Any new developments?

telethought · 05-28-2007, 10:46 AM

Does anyone know if pdfrasterfarian has compatability issues with the Vista operating system? I installed version 2.1.6 and when I right-click a pdf file, there is no option popping up to choose pdfrasterfarian. Thanks in advance.

Marc · 05-29-2007, 11:48 AM

In order to do the install of PDFrasterFarian on Vista, I had to start an Administrator command prompt by right-clicking on the "Command Prompt" icon and selecting "Run as Administrator".

The install.cmd script does things that require privileges, and they don't work unless you start a privileged command prompt.

That said, while I did get the right-click PDFrasterFarian option, it wouldn't work on my system, complaining that an included component had expired, and I haven't looked at it since.

alex_d · 06-04-2007, 03:10 AM

Also, guys, the latest version is 2.5.x it's available here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10402

my apologies for not updating the OP

also, please ignore the "component had expired" message.

nidecta · 06-21-2007, 04:15 AM

Does the PDFrasterFarian work to the file of Japanese?thanks

athlonkmf · 06-21-2007, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nidecta

Does the PDFrasterFarian work to the file of Japanese?thanks

yes, because PDFrasterFarian isn't "reading" the PDF. It creates images from it.

warlord · 08-04-2007, 07:01 AM

First time poster that just got my reader in the mail last night!! Help ! Im running vista and i cant install rasterfarian. when i try to install it says access is denied. push any key to continue. Then after i hit any key it takes me to this page from microsoft where it tells me to download "Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86)" so i download dotnetfx.exe and installed it. Then i try to install rasterfarian after that and still the same thing happens. Tells me access is denied,and directs me to the same microsoft page again. Pleas help thanks !!

P.s great community here,cant wait to be part of it. Now that i got a reader !!

warlord · 08-06-2007, 01:19 AM

I guess no body has encountered this problem before. Sucks for me i guess.

LaughingVulcan · 08-06-2007, 06:47 PM

It might take a little while for a reply - I've only used Rasterfarian a couple of times and not on Vista. It might also help if you edited your first post to change the thread title to something like "PDF Rasterfarian install problem - Vista."

Sorry that I couldn't help any further than that.

chaocai · 08-08-2007, 02:43 AM

guys, I am new...Had a huge and maybe stupid question:

I downloaded, extracted, and installed RasterFarian v2.5, ran once of the configuration, everything seems fine. When I started to do conversion, I got a windows dialogue error: "PDF Library - Evaluation period expired, please contact pdfsupport@pdf-tools.com"...Am I doing anything wrong, what am I suppose to do. If I click ok, my converted lrf will simply be blank.

04-02-2007, 02:27 AM	#91
alex_d Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 187 Join Date: Dec 2006 Device: Sony Reader	dexter, yes, it'll be much smoother when viewed on eInk than on an LCD. Also, DO NOT preview it in connect software!!! It resizes the images, destroying the quality. PDFrasterFarian has a 'preview' feature. Use that instead. You can also buy an SD card, put the pdf and lrf on there, walk into a borders or compusa, etc, and try it out on a real life Reader. That is definately the best plan. "Am sorry to say that but the reader and PDF currently do not walk together If PDF is a priority number 1 for you then you have to look for anothewr eBook device." astra_lestat, do you say that after having used pdfrasterfarian? you also say "currently," which means you think things can be improved. do you have ideas? Last edited by alex_d; 04-02-2007 at 02:31 AM.

05-29-2007, 11:48 AM	#98
Marc Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2007 Location: McMurray, PA, US Device: Sony Portable Reader PRS-500	In order to do the install of PDFrasterFarian on Vista, I had to start an Administrator command prompt by right-clicking on the "Command Prompt" icon and selecting "Run as Administrator". The install.cmd script does things that require privileges, and they don't work unless you start a privileged command prompt. That said, while I did get the right-click PDFrasterFarian option, it wouldn't work on my system, complaining that an included component had expired, and I haven't looked at it since. Last edited by Marc; 05-29-2007 at 11:51 AM.

08-04-2007, 07:01 AM	#102
warlord Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: sony reader	PDFrasterFarian - makes A4/Letter PDFs usable First time poster that just got my reader in the mail last night!! Help ! Im running vista and i cant install rasterfarian. when i try to install it says access is denied. push any key to continue. Then after i hit any key it takes me to this page from microsoft where it tells me to download "Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86)" so i download dotnetfx.exe and installed it. Then i try to install rasterfarian after that and still the same thing happens. Tells me access is denied,and directs me to the same microsoft page again. Pleas help thanks !! P.s great community here,cant wait to be part of it. Now that i got a reader !!

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04-03-2007, 05:22 AM	#93
ashkulz Addict Posts: 350 Karma: 705 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Kindle 1/REB 1200	astra_lestat, I assume you got the problems with 2.2.1 -- you should have kept 2.1.6, it worked well for most people (some people did have/are having problems with 2.2.1). If you want, you can try PDFRead, which is eventually going to be merged as PDFRasterFarian 3. It has a very basic GUI, and should work for most people out-of-the box.

04-12-2007, 04:36 AM	#95
alex_d Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 187 Join Date: Dec 2006 Device: Sony Reader	I have finally found a third-party program that can do dilation besides AutoImager! This program is part of the wonderful NetPBM package which unfortunately seems to sit in ImageMagick's shadow yet offers much more powerful functionality in an easier to use interface. It has allowed me to do dilate, simple average-based downsampling, and even produce pngs with exactly the colors the Sony Reader can display.* Also, images seem to come out much clearer due to better dithering. In NetPBM I've also discovered an "edge enhancement" filter which seems like it could do a better job than the sharpening filter. This remains to be verified by you guys. One downside of NetPBM is that it is considerably slower. Sigh. Because of this and also in case you like the sharpening more (and also to let you compare before and after since the sharpening could be put into the new path**), i'll keep the AutoImager/ImageMagick processing path (with the tweak to sharpening that I put into the defunct 2.2.x but never included in the stable 2.1.x series.) anyway, stay tuned for PDFrasterFarian 2.3.0. I'll release it soon. now... i still have to add djvu/images support and a goddamn gui (or at least a normal installer... not something that's really needed, but something that would make new users more comfortable). the advanced filtering that imagemagick always does and doesn't allow you to turn off results in a blurrier image. imagemagick would try to find the four "optimal" colors to create its palette. These colors would often turn out to not be exactly the ones that the Reader uses, resulting in a 2nd round of dithering. netpbm lets me specify the palette explicitly. * one annoying thing is that to do a sharpening in netpbm, you have to call like three commands to create intermediate masks and other bs. this is more powerful, but it's much slower and there should be a quick path.

05-22-2007, 05:24 PM	#96
tuktuk Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2006 Device: Zaurus	Any new developments?

05-28-2007, 10:46 AM	#97
telethought Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Sony E Reader	Does anyone know if pdfrasterfarian has compatability issues with the Vista operating system? I installed version 2.1.6 and when I right-click a pdf file, there is no option popping up to choose pdfrasterfarian. Thanks in advance.

06-04-2007, 03:10 AM	#99
alex_d Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 187 Join Date: Dec 2006 Device: Sony Reader	Also, guys, the latest version is 2.5.x it's available here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10402 my apologies for not updating the OP also, please ignore the "component had expired" message.

06-21-2007, 04:15 AM	#100
nidecta Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: Librie & Sony Reader	Does the PDFrasterFarian work to the file of Japanese?thanks

08-06-2007, 01:19 AM	#103
warlord Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: sony reader	I guess no body has encountered this problem before. Sucks for me i guess.

08-06-2007, 06:47 PM	#104
LaughingVulcan Technophile Posts: 204 Karma: 617 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Device: PRS-650 Sony, Nook Simpletouch, more legacy gear than I can remember	It might take a little while for a reply - I've only used Rasterfarian a couple of times and not on Vista. It might also help if you edited your first post to change the thread title to something like "PDF Rasterfarian install problem - Vista." Sorry that I couldn't help any further than that.

08-08-2007, 02:43 AM	#105
chaocai Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: sony reader	guys, I am new...Had a huge and maybe stupid question: I downloaded, extracted, and installed RasterFarian v2.5, ran once of the configuration, everything seems fine. When I started to do conversion, I got a windows dialogue error: "PDF Library - Evaluation period expired, please contact pdfsupport@pdf-tools.com"...Am I doing anything wrong, what am I suppose to do. If I click ok, my converted lrf will simply be blank.

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