ABC Amber LIT Converter

MrFinch · 08-04-2007, 07:32 AM

Hi Everyone,

Long time lurker here

-reading with an elderly iPaq, most of my content is in .lit format. I've just downloaded the freeware Amber LIT Converter, as I'm contemplating buying a Sony Reader and would hate to lose my bookshelf.

The converter works beautifully except...it keeps stripping off the last chapter of the book! I've tried converting to PDF, DOC, TXT and HTML all with the same results-no last chapter.

I'm confused. I thought this program was freeware, yet this has all the hallmarks of a crippled trialware version. I can't find anywhere on the site to buy the program-any thoughts from your good selves? Am I doing something wrong?

Cheers!

HarryT · 08-04-2007, 07:39 AM

Try using Convert LIT instead. Works much better, and really is freeware.

MrFinch · 08-04-2007, 07:49 AM

Thanks Harry (Love the Dalek, by the way),

I've used ConvertLIT in the past, but I REALLY liked the way that the Amber converter wraps everything up so nicely and gives so many options...it's point and grunt, and makes very pretty PDF's for reading on the sly at work. If only I could make it go properly!

RWood · 08-04-2007, 07:50 AM

Also look at BookDesigner as it used Convert LIT as part of its input subsystem. In BookDesigner you can load a LIT and produce an LRF for the Sony in one tool.

MrFinch · 08-04-2007, 07:55 AM

Thanks RWood, I grabbed BookDesigner a little earlier this evening, and I've been poking at it for a bit now. Options out the wazoo, but I'm a gadget and software collector so the more the merrier.

Just downloaded your Harvard Bookshelf too, actually. Awesome work thank you very much! Gonna have to go and re-install Mobi on the iPaq now...

MrFinch · 08-04-2007, 06:15 PM

Aaaaaargh! Now I'm playing with Book Designer, and I cant get that to work either. I keep getting an error message that says failed to create sony reader file (or something like that-I'm a bit sleep deprived here) with no explanations.

I must be working off some bad Karma or something, I think...

kovidgoyal · 08-04-2007, 06:18 PM

Try lit2lrf (part of libprs500)

MrFinch · 08-04-2007, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Try lit2lrf (part of libprs500)

Thanks-I've had a look at that too-but I really, really want to solve this Amber converter problem. It converts so easily to so many different formats, and I hate the thought of being tied down to one format or one device.

Any Amber experts out there?

RWood · 08-04-2007, 09:22 PM

I have a lot of ABC Amber products (both free and paid for) and I have not run into the problem you describe.

What I have experienced is that ABC Amber LIT Converter often places every possible hyphen (hard and soft) in the output text. For example if the original passage was "I have received a large amount of correspondence concerning this small work." The output would be "I ha-ve re-ce-ived a lar-ge amo-unt of cor-res-pon-den-ce con-cer-ning this small work." They fade away quickly but it is a bit unnerving at first. (The example is from the Preface of How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett.)

JSWolf · 08-05-2007, 04:05 AM

One of the main issues I have with ABC Amber Lit Converter is that it seems to be based on code from ConvertLIT 1.2a which as we all know is buggy. It loses the space in front of italics so you get something likethis instead of something like this.

Anyway, you have a few choices. You can use lit2lrf, convert the lit to html and use html2lrf, or load the lit into Book Designer. lit2lrf is a simple solution if you have an original LIT. If you have one of those god awful user generated poorly formatted lit files, then Book Designer is a better choice unless you want to convert the LIT to html and use html2lrf. CLIT 1.8 will work for strip the DRM from the lit and if you want, convert to html.

MrFinch · 08-09-2007, 03:09 AM

Well, time for some follow-up, methinks!

Thanks to all for your helpful posts and advice. After much experimentation, installing, uninstalling, waving of dead chickens over the computer and so forth, it seems that the problem is limited to a certain set of .lit files. I'm thinking that perhaps these files have all been encoded by the same person (we're talking non-DRM here-I won't have that filthy stuff on my computer). So I've devised a series of cunning workarounds, and all is well in the Finch household once more.

Now, I've just got to organise the financing for that Sony Reader. Anyone interested in buying a 1980 VC Holden Commodore sedan?

JSWolf · 08-09-2007, 09:06 PM

I downloaded a LIT file of a public domain book and something is definitely wrong with it. CLIT cannot convert it to HTML properly. I was going to convert it to LRF and post here.

08-04-2007, 07:32 AM	#1
MrFinch Collector Posts: 34 Karma: 88 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Nokia 770	ABC Amber LIT Converter Hi Everyone, Long time lurker here-reading with an elderly iPaq, most of my content is in .lit format. I've just downloaded the freeware Amber LIT Converter, as I'm contemplating buying a Sony Reader and would hate to lose my bookshelf. The converter works beautifully except...it keeps stripping off the last chapter of the book! I've tried converting to PDF, DOC, TXT and HTML all with the same results-no last chapter. I'm confused. I thought this program was freeware, yet this has all the hallmarks of a crippled trialware version. I can't find anywhere on the site to buy the program-any thoughts from your good selves? Am I doing something wrong? Cheers!

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08-04-2007, 07:39 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Try using Convert LIT instead. Works much better, and really is freeware.

08-04-2007, 07:49 AM	#3
MrFinch Collector Posts: 34 Karma: 88 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Nokia 770	Thanks Harry (Love the Dalek, by the way), I've used ConvertLIT in the past, but I REALLY liked the way that the Amber converter wraps everything up so nicely and gives so many options...it's point and grunt, and makes very pretty PDF's for reading on the sly at work. If only I could make it go properly!

08-04-2007, 07:50 AM	#4
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Also look at BookDesigner as it used Convert LIT as part of its input subsystem. In BookDesigner you can load a LIT and produce an LRF for the Sony in one tool.

08-04-2007, 07:55 AM	#5
MrFinch Collector Posts: 34 Karma: 88 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Nokia 770	Thanks RWood, I grabbed BookDesigner a little earlier this evening, and I've been poking at it for a bit now. Options out the wazoo, but I'm a gadget and software collector so the more the merrier. Just downloaded your Harvard Bookshelf too, actually. Awesome work thank you very much! Gonna have to go and re-install Mobi on the iPaq now...

08-04-2007, 06:15 PM	#6
MrFinch Collector Posts: 34 Karma: 88 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Nokia 770	Aaaaaargh! Now I'm playing with Book Designer, and I cant get that to work either. I keep getting an error message that says failed to create sony reader file (or something like that-I'm a bit sleep deprived here) with no explanations. I must be working off some bad Karma or something, I think...

08-04-2007, 06:18 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,842 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Try lit2lrf (part of libprs500)

08-04-2007, 09:22 PM	#9
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	I have a lot of ABC Amber products (both free and paid for) and I have not run into the problem you describe. What I have experienced is that ABC Amber LIT Converter often places every possible hyphen (hard and soft) in the output text. For example if the original passage was "I have received a large amount of correspondence concerning this small work." The output would be "I ha-ve re-ce-ived a lar-ge amo-unt of cor-res-pon-den-ce con-cer-ning this small work." They fade away quickly but it is a bit unnerving at first. (The example is from the Preface of How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett.)

08-05-2007, 04:05 AM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,887 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	One of the main issues I have with ABC Amber Lit Converter is that it seems to be based on code from ConvertLIT 1.2a which as we all know is buggy. It loses the space in front of italics so you get something likethis instead of something like this. Anyway, you have a few choices. You can use lit2lrf, convert the lit to html and use html2lrf, or load the lit into Book Designer. lit2lrf is a simple solution if you have an original LIT. If you have one of those god awful user generated poorly formatted lit files, then Book Designer is a better choice unless you want to convert the LIT to html and use html2lrf. CLIT 1.8 will work for strip the DRM from the lit and if you want, convert to html.

08-09-2007, 03:09 AM	#11
MrFinch Collector Posts: 34 Karma: 88 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Nokia 770	Well, time for some follow-up, methinks! Thanks to all for your helpful posts and advice. After much experimentation, installing, uninstalling, waving of dead chickens over the computer and so forth, it seems that the problem is limited to a certain set of .lit files. I'm thinking that perhaps these files have all been encoded by the same person (we're talking non-DRM here-I won't have that filthy stuff on my computer). So I've devised a series of cunning workarounds, and all is well in the Finch household once more. Now, I've just got to organise the financing for that Sony Reader. Anyone interested in buying a 1980 VC Holden Commodore sedan?

08-09-2007, 09:06 PM	#12
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,887 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I downloaded a LIT file of a public domain book and something is definitely wrong with it. CLIT cannot convert it to HTML properly. I was going to convert it to LRF and post here.

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