iPad Bookmaster - ePub and PDF reader for iOS

[sbaylor]

Originally Posted by odamizu

I really like the Classic Book theme and page-curl animation. There's something about it that makes me ridiculously happy. The page formatting options also suit me well. After I've set everything to my liking, the page-look is more pleasing to me than any other iPad app (which is a little weird because the other apps have similar options, and yet the end result is somehow not the same).

A lot of effort on our side has indeed been put into the aesthetic design of the app. We are very glad to hear that it makes you feel "ridiculously happy".

[sbaylor]

Originally Posted by odamizu

I currently use Arial with BookMaster, which I like and it's okay. But a tiny bit heavier would be better, like Helvetica Neue Medium (on Hyphen) or Arial Rounded MT Bold (on Bluefire Reader).
...

For the next version of BookMaster (CE and SE), we plan to add "Helvetica Neue (Medium)" to both Text Font and Heading Font menus for all 3 EPUB viewers. This font goes well with our existing choice of fonts, does not really increase the app binary size (as the font comes with iOS), and should make you even happier.

Footnote:
As for "Arial Rounded MT Bold", it won't be added, as you have pointed out that it doesn't come with italics, and is thus not minimally complete for use as a reading font. Note that all fonts bundled with BookMaster are at least minimally complete in the sense that each has regular, bold, italics and bold italics.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by sbaylor

For the next version of BookMaster (CE and SE), we plan to add "Helvetica Neue (Medium)"

This is great news! Thank you!

As for "Arial Rounded MT Bold", it won't be added, as you have pointed out that it doesn't come with italics ...

Actually, it only lacks italics in Bluefire Reader. Italics works fine with Arial Rounded MT Bold in Marvin and Hyphen. I don't know why, and it perplexes me.

You mention you have plans for an iPhone version. Are we talking a couple months away, a couple years ...? Thanks!

[MSWallack]

Any possibility of adding alternate textures for the shelves? I like the aesthetic of a bookshelf superimposed on an image, but the wood grain and old-style graphics aren't my particular aesthetic. I've changed to a more abstract background image and I'd prefer either a relatively dark textured shelf (not necessarily wood) or even to do away with the shelf altogether.

[sbaylor]

Originally Posted by odamizu

...
You mention you have plans for an iPhone version. Are we talking a couple months away, a couple years ...? Thanks!

On this issue, for now I have no additional comment to add to what I posted 4 days ago in post #22:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...5&postcount=22

We're busy preparing for the next release of BookMaster and re-designing our website.

[sbaylor]

Originally Posted by MSWallack

Any possibility of adding alternate textures for the shelves? I like the aesthetic of a bookshelf superimposed on an image, but the wood grain and old-style graphics aren't my particular aesthetic. I've changed to a more abstract background image and I'd prefer either a relatively dark textured shelf (not necessarily wood) or even to do away with the shelf altogether.

Great to hear that you're taking advantage of the unique BookMaster feature of switching (library bookshelf background) scenes with your custom background image(s).

How about adding an option to always switch to a "transparent" bookshelf in addition to the existing cherry bookshelf as in the current version (v1.2.5)? The effect will be similar to what you can see today with the top-level hierarchical view. (To switch between the flat and hierarchical Library views, toggle the segment at the lower right hand corner.) See #4 screenshot in Gallery on maplepop.com for more details.

[adrian1944]

Could you consider some form of cropping tool, similar to the one in goodreader to be available for when there is space around the page on the screen or where the book has too much space around the text on the page

[MSWallack]

Originally Posted by sbaylor

How about adding an option to always switch to a "transparent" bookshelf in addition to the existing cherry bookshelf as in the current version (v1.2.5)? The effect will be similar to what you can see today with the top-level hierarchical view. (To switch between the flat and hierarchical Library views, toggle the segment at the lower right hand corner.) See #4 screenshot in Gallery on maplepop.com for more details.

That would seem like a decent way to handle things (though a black shelf as an option would also be nice).

[sbaylor]

Originally Posted by adrian1944

Could you consider some form of cropping tool, similar to the one in goodreader to be available for when there is space around the page on the screen or where the book has too much space around the text on the page

Goodreader now supports a few formats. I assume that you are referring to PDF, right?

[adrian1944]

Yes

I was thinking of the ability to stretch pdfs to the full extent of the screen
Epub formatting seems great

[cedhax]

Originally Posted by sbaylor

Great to hear that you're taking advantage of the unique BookMaster feature of switching (library bookshelf background) scenes with your custom background image(s).

How about adding an option to always switch to a "transparent" bookshelf in addition to the existing cherry bookshelf as in the current version (v1.2.5)? The effect will be similar to what you can see today with the top-level hierarchical view. (To switch between the flat and hierarchical Library views, toggle the segment at the lower right hand corner.) See #4 screenshot in Gallery on maplepop.com for more details.

I'd like to see such an enhancement too! Love the ability to turn my favorite pictures into background scenes.

[Kai Winters]

Hopefully we'll see an iphone version at some point.
I've used both links, itunes and website gallery, to look over this app and am impressed. I'd love to give it a try but I only use my iphone 6+ as my device so can't for now I guess.

The app looks great and offers a lot of choices and flexibility.

Good luck

[sbaylor]

Originally Posted by Kai Winters

Hopefully we'll see an iphone version at some point.
I've used both links, itunes and website gallery, to look over this app and am impressed. I'd love to give it a try but I only use my iphone 6+ as my device so can't for now I guess.

The app looks great and offers a lot of choices and flexibility.

Good luck

So far in this thread of discussion, a few have expressed interest in seeing the release of an iPhone version of BookMaster . I'd appreciate if more people will express the same interest too. The more interests we see, the higher priority we will give to this project. Thanks.

[dandelioncottage]

I haven't tried Bookmaster yet, but would be much more likely to do so if there were both iPad and iPhone versions, and I could sync my current book between them.

Originally Posted by sbaylor

So far in this thread of discussion, a few have expressed interest in seeing the release of an iPhone version of BookMaster . I'd appreciate if more people will express the same interest too. The more interests we see, the higher priority we will give to this project. Thanks.

[Kai Winters]

One version is four bucks and the other is a bit more...considering how many ereader apps are out there it needs to be good regardless of the cost.

I've tried nearly every ereader app available, purchased and free. None have hit all my wants, which are relatively few but iBooks, at no cost other than the cost of my iphone and giving my soul to Apple, is really quite good and my favorite thus far...most trouble free as well.