keep the file name the same?

[warpwar]

Hi, I have been using Calibre to convert my library to epub format (displays best on my ebook reader) and I wanted to know if there was a way to keep the output file name the same as the source.

It seems to name the output file whatever it feels like, one was named "Font Font Color Font Size Background Col". others are truncated, or have the author removed from the file name, some are named after the first line of text in the file.

I then have to figure out what is what and change the names back, it is time consuming and overly complicated. I am not using it for library management, just batch conversion to epub.

is there a way to force it to keep the same file name?
Thank you.

[kovidgoyal]

In Preferences check the option to read metadata from file names.

[warpwar]

Thanks, it works great now.

[Sullivan]

Excellent, can't believe I didn't realise that.

[JCSullivan]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

In Preferences check the option to read metadata from file names.

Thanks Kovid.
Additional question: Do you have to rerun the convert?

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by JCSullivan

Additional question: Do you have to rerun the convert?

During conversion, even when you run the command line utility, Calibre reads options set in the GUI (unless you override them with a command line option parameter.) The GUI options control various things, including how Calibre determines the author name, the title, etc. Calibre will write metadata into the output file during the conversion process. The metadata it will write depends on the metadata that the output format can hold.

I'm not sure if that answers your question, but if you have converted to an output format that holds metadata, and if that metadata is wrong (because the GUI options were set wrong), then you would need to rerun the convert to set the metadata correctly.

[JCSullivan]

Starson, thanks so much for your time AND quick reply.

Yesterday was the first time I ran the s'ware, as a result of recently acquiring the KOBO so please accept my apologies for being a little thick.

I am converting pdf to epub and the software works fantastic(ly). Once finished I want to be able to copy the output file in the same directory with a different name (there's a reason for my madness) so that when it comes up on the KOBO I don't have 2 files with the same name - unfortunately I am unable to get around this and I know I'm doing something wrong in Calibre! but don't know what.

Again, thanks for your help.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by JCSullivan

Starson, thanks so much for your time AND quick reply.

You're welcome.

I am converting pdf to epub and the software works fantastic(ly).

You're lucky. PDF conversion is often very bad - it's just a difficult format to convert from.

Once finished I want to be able to copy the output file in the same directory with a different name (there's a reason for my madness) so that when it comes up on the KOBO I don't have 2 files with the same name - unfortunately I am unable to get around this and I know I'm doing something wrong in Calibre! but don't know what.

I'm not really sure what your problem is. If you're using the command line tools, AFAIK, you specify the output filename on the command line. If you're using the GUI, then you don't specify the name during conversion. You specify the name in the Preferences, and it's used when you either "Save to Disk" or "Send to Device." The output name can include any combination of author, title, etc. from the metadata associated with the book. If you are having trouble getting the correct author and title when adding the book to the GUI interface, then you need to set the regex expression in Preferences|Add/Save according to the way you have named your books.