[REQ] Cover browser window to launch independently in full screen

[monkbythesea]

Hello all. I am wanting to launch the cover browser window first and bypass the Calibre library. I have found the setting to launch the cover browser window in a separate window but is there a way to launch the cover browser window by itself? I looked for the .exe for the cover browser window in my C:\Program Files (x86)\Calibre2 folder but nothing was there.

Also, if there is a way to launch the cover browser window independently, is there a way to launch it in full screen instead of a windowed mode?

If there's no way to do this, then is it possible to assign a keyboard shortcut to the cover browser window? This will allow me to assign that shortcut to a button on my remote control. Why am I wanting all this?

I have integrated Calibre into my home theatre setup and I have been perusing my magazine collection via remote control on my living room tv. It has been great perusing my collection from the comfort of my couch. The cover browser window is much larger and easier to navigate my collection, thus, I use it more. Also, if it were able to launch in full screen versus windowed, it would make things easier to view from the distance from the couch.

Also, is there any way to use the pageup/pagedown keys (or maybe another set of keys) to skip through the collection? Or perhaps to assign the alpha/numeric keys to skip to the corresponding letter/number in the collection. I mainly use the cover browser window to navigate and flipping one by one is tedious.

I know my request may seem strange because there aren't many people using Calibre on a 60" television in their living room but I gotta say they really should. The cover browser window is a very beautiful way to display and navigate through your collection. Also, being able to enjoy my magazines from the comfort of my couch without all the material clutter is really really nice. I highly recommend others try it. I have gone to a completely digital lifestyle. No more cds. No more dvds. And now thanks to Calibre, no more books and magazines lying around getting damaged. Just a remote, a couch, a computer and an obnoxiously large tv lol. Check out a youtube video of a program called MediaBrowser to get an idea of what I'm trying to achieve. Any help would be appreciated.

[kovidgoyal]

no you cant launch the cover browser without launching the main gui. You can skip over multiple entries by pressing Ctrl+right or Ctrl+left

As for a launch shortcut, I ca probably do that, assign say Ctrl+B to the browser.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by monkbythesea

I know my request may seem strange because there aren't many people using Calibre on a 60" television in their living room but I gotta say they really should.

I run Calibre on my HTPC - 4 meters away from the screen while sitting on the couch. OTOH, I seldom use the cover browser. It's pretty, but not nearly as useful as the saved searches.

[capidamonte]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

As for a launch shortcut, I ca probably do that, assign say Ctrl+B to the browser.

Cover Browser will need to remember its size -- right now it reverts to its default on close/relaunch. It'd be nice if CTRL+B toggled the view, too, should you have not thought of that.

[kovidgoyal]

If by "toggled the view", you mean it should toggle and not just launch, yeah, that's automatic, basically, the keyboard shrotcut acts like pressing the button.

[monkbythesea]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

If by "toggled the view", you mean it should toggle and not just launch, yeah, that's automatic, basically, the keyboard shrotcut acts like pressing the button.

Ctrl+B to launch the cover browser would be great and I would very much appreciate it. As far as the toggle, I'm not sure what you mean by that. I do want a way to make cover browser full screen and not windowed. I have tried stretching/resizing the window to full screen but as mentioned above, it does not "remember." From my understanding, assigning Ctrl+B as a keyboard shortcut will solve my launching issue but not solve the full screen issue. Is it possible to also add a keyboard shortcut to make cover browser full screen as well?

Saved searches are convenient but there is actually a reason for using the cover browser on an HTPC setup for more than just looks. I use a program which allows me to control Calibre with a remote control. It's just easier to go left and right through the cover browser with a remote control than the normal Calibre gui.

At any rate, thank you for looking into Ctrl+B to launch the cover browser and hopefully you can make a shortcut to launch it in full screen as well.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by monkbythesea

Ctrl+B to launch the cover browser would be great and I would very much appreciate it. As far as the toggle, I'm not sure what you mean by that. I do want a way to make cover browser full screen and not windowed. I have tried stretching/resizing the window to full screen but as mentioned above, it does not "remember." From my understanding, assigning Ctrl+B as a keyboard shortcut will solve my launching issue but not solve the full screen issue. Is it possible to also add a keyboard shortcut to make cover browser full screen as well?

Saved searches are convenient but there is actually a reason for using the cover browser on an HTPC setup for more than just looks. I use a program which allows me to control Calibre with a remote control. It's just easier to go left and right through the cover browser with a remote control than the normal Calibre gui.

At any rate, thank you for looking into Ctrl+B to launch the cover browser and hopefully you can make a shortcut to launch it in full screen as well.

Did you try setting preferences, Interface to open Cover Browser in seperate Window?
This opens full screen HEIGHT, but maintains the same aspect as before. Note: that if you run Dual head or above, with mis-matched resolutions, you might get un-desired result (wrong size, off screen edges )

[kovidgoyal]

next release will have keyboard shortcuts and remember the last used cover browser window size

[monkbythesea]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

next release will have keyboard shortcuts and remember the last used cover browser window size

Very nice. Just tried it. So nice to come home form work, sit in smoking chair, start some music, and launch Calibre and read book or cruise a new magazine. Thanks you very much for taking the time to implement this feature request. I am going to share this this others on the GreenButton.com (media center software/hardware forum) for other htpcs users like myself to perhaps enjoy as well. Again, thank you.

p.s. I have another feature request as far as keyboard shortcuts go, but I will wait to ask it. Don't want to get greedy as I am sure you have other requests and questions to resolve. Plus, I'm going to really enjoy this new feature for awhile. However, I am going to go ahead and throw it out there partly because someone may suggest a better way than a keyboard shortcut and partly because to give you a heads up if it is something further you would want to do. To the point, how are users "separating" say magazines from books within their library? Furthermore, how are users "separating" different magazine subscriptions? I pretty much have tagged my magazines with "magazines" and books with "books." Then for my various magazines subscriptions, I put them in a series based on the subscription name. So, all of my Architectural Record magazines would be grouped under a Architectural Record Series. This is how i quickly use the left side naivigation window to quickly navigate/select between my books and magazines and between individual magazine subscriptions. Of course, since I am on this kick to control Calibre with a remote control in media center setup, I am thinking if this tags could have keyboard shortcuts assignes to them, then i could then easily map those to a remote control button. Say each tag you add has a kyeboard short cut of "shift+alt+numeric." So tag 1 (books) = shift+alt+1. And tag 2 (magazines) = shift+alt+2. I havent figured out a way to do the magazine series, but that is ok. Just being able to separate books from magazines would be enough. I havent played with the Save searches functions too much, which might be another avenue, but I do not believe that has keyboard shorcuts either. Anyways, thank you again for the "shift+alt+b" for the cover browser and the fullscreen remembering. Let me know if adding these 2 or more shortcuts would be soemthing you could od in future, but for now, i am very grateful and content. ...I LOVE CALIBRE!!! lol.

[monkbythesea]

One more thing. After kovidgoyal added the "shift+alt+b" to launch the cover browser and it "remembers" the window size after you close it, I have tweaked this as well as many other keyboard shortcuts to use with a windows remote control for those who want to control Calibre within a windows media center setup. I hae to make 3 profiles for remote control:
1. Calibre main window
2. Calibre CoverBrowser window
3. Adobe Reader (for my .pdf's)

It is not perfect yet and I am by no means someone qualified to do all this, but it works for me. So with a few more weeks of tweaking and learning Calibre, I'll make a post for any once that might be interested. Thanks again for the help thus far.

[theducks]

Interesting.
I had the cover Browser up on my 32" TV/Monitor (on a USB SVGA card).
If I used the Mouse on the CB, the animation was jerky (USB card is slow), but if I clicked on the book list or used arrow keys. Snappy