Problem with "Upload seperate cover thumbnails" on prs-950

[ThR]

Hi,

I just checked out this new (brilliant) function with some new books i sent to the device. After disconnecting the device - the calibre-thumbnails were shown - but only for 3 or 4 seconds. Then the PRS changed the cover to the original 1st page of the document.
What did I do wrong? Anyone else with this behavior? Is it possible to "resend" the thumbnails?

Best regards
ThR

[chaley]

There is some magic that we aren't doing yet. I don't have a *50, so it is taking some time to work out. Sorry...

The person helping me (jackie_w) says that if you send the book again, the cover thumbnail will stick.

[ThR]

Resending the books did the trick !!!

This is quite more comfort than giving each e-book its cover within the epub-file. So the bookself is looking perfect. Within the opened book - the cover isn't relevant anymore.

A great option of a great software.

[chaley]

I regret to say that we have not been successful at determining the magic necessary to make upload covers work on first send.

However, we have added an option that tells calibre to upload the covers on every connect. If you are using automatic metadata management, setting this option to Yes will cause the current covers to be sent to the Sony every time you connect it to Calibre. Jackie_w has tested it, and it seems to work. Clearly this isn't as good as having it work the first time, but correcting the covers automatically at next connect is better than having to resend the book. As a bonus, if you change the cover, the new cover will be put on the device on the next connect.

The new option (in preferences -> plugins -> device plugins -> Sony) will be available in the next release.

[ThR]

That will work for me. Metadata Management is set to automatic since I use the prs-950.

Thank you!

[MidknytOwl]

Originally Posted by chaley

I regret to say that we have not been successful at determining the magic necessary to make upload covers work on first send.

However, we have added an option that tells calibre to upload the covers on every connect. If you are using automatic metadata management, setting this option to Yes will cause the current covers to be sent to the Sony every time you connect it to Calibre. Jackie_w has tested it, and it seems to work. Clearly this isn't as good as having it work the first time, but correcting the covers automatically at next connect is better than having to resend the book. As a bonus, if you change the cover, the new cover will be put on the device on the next connect.

Is there something else you need to do besides setting it to automatic metadata management? I've switched to that option and I've tried reconnecting my Sony four different times now - it says in Jobs that it's resending the metadata, but it only takes 6 seconds and a quarter of my books still don't have their covers (mostly PDFs and some epubs).

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by MidknytOwl

Is there something else you need to do besides setting it to automatic metadata management? I've switched to that option and I've tried reconnecting my Sony four different times now - it says in Jobs that it's resending the metadata, but it only takes 6 seconds and a quarter of my books still don't have their covers (mostly PDFs and some epubs).

You have to wait until the next release then go to the setting specified above and enable it.

[jackie_w]

@MidKnytOwl,

If you particularly want to update your thumbnails before the next release, just re-send the books with missing covers to your reader. The correct thumbnails will "stick" the second time around.

[MidknytOwl]

Sorry for the bit of misreading I did. I think the fact it told me that it was sending the metadata when I switched to automatic management threw me off. Or I need to sleep more. Or both.

That being said, I tried resending my books, as suggested. Specifically, I picked two and tried those, rather than the whole bunch. I've done it three times and I still don't have my covers on either one. Thoughts?

Also, as a side question, my books, when sorted by author, are on my Reader in order of first names, even though I have the author sorts set as last name, first name in Calibre. Is that another thing you have to check somewhere, or is my Reader unhappy with its new owner and out to torment me? It does look a little shady over there...

[chaley]

Originally Posted by MidknytOwl

That being said, I tried resending my books, as suggested. Specifically, I picked two and tried those, rather than the whole bunch. I've done it three times and I still don't have my covers on either one. Thoughts?

Have you enabled the covers option in the Sony device plugin? (Preferences -> plugins -> device plugins -> Sony)

Also, as a side question, my books, when sorted by author, are on my Reader in order of first names, even though I have the author sorts set as last name, first name in Calibre. Is that another thing you have to check somewhere, or is my Reader unhappy with its new owner and out to torment me? It does look a little shady over there...[/QUOTE]Select the 'Use author sort for author' option in the device plugin.

[MidknytOwl]

Well, I'm a dork. I can't even use being new as an excuse - I used Calibre for the first time almost three years ago. (Though I've never looked at the plugins or half the other preferences.)

Anyway, yes, that did the trick, and beautifully so. See, when you mentioned above that the cover fixing would be a new plugin, I looked at the plugins, saw I had a Sony one, and just figured it would be a new one when it got updated. So after I checked again I almost came back on here and said "yes, I have the plugin...but it still doesn't work," but then I tried and double clicked on it, and behold! It opens into something else and I can click on the author sort and the covers thing.

No wonder it seemed like none of my covers transered over...

Thanks for your patience guys. If it makes you feel better I've been trying to explain how things work to my Mom, since I gave her my old 505. (Had to handle a panicky moment the other day because she never authorized her Reader and was mad and certain she was out the money for the couple of books she had just bought that wouldn't open. Though she's better than my aunt that I had to go over to show her how to use the USB stick a friend gave her. See, I'm not bad at all.)

Thanks again.

[ThR]

Something new: i saw, that some Covers were not updated (meening: the prs is showing other covers than Calibre).
Background: I updated some Covers in Calibre. But the new covers were not sent to the device. Most (all?) books with this problem were sent to the device, before the bookcover-feature was released.
Is it possible, to "force" the cover-send? I thought, calibre checks/sends the covers every time when connecting the device?

But - don't hurry, this feature is very, very nice, but not of vital importance.

[Maggie-Me]

Just curious...

I have the 950, I allways do a re-convert and add metadata to the ePub file, the cover allways shows up in the 950.

So.. why wouldn't users want to do this?

Thanks..

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by ThR

I updated some Covers in Calibre. But the new covers were not sent to the device. Most (all?) books with this problem were sent to the device, before the bookcover-feature was released.

Is it possible, to "force" the cover-send? I thought, calibre checks/sends the covers every time when connecting the device?

A quick test(solution) might be to just delete those books and resend them.

[ThR]

Originally Posted by Maggie-Me

Just curious...

I have the 950, I allways do a re-convert and add metadata to the ePub file, the cover allways shows up in the 950.

So.. why wouldn't users want to do this?

Thanks..

Because I did not find out how to tell calibre that it should let the style-sheets and the formatting as they are. Maybe (certainly) my fault.