[AbyssalAriel]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

First, as previously mentioned, you should probably have Update EPUB Cover when Updating EPUB? checked all the time, otherwise FFF applies never_make_cover:true.

But one of the issues I was seeing is that, for works that didn't have a defined cover image, it updated the cover even when Update EPUB Cover when Updating EPUB? is not checked, but this doesn't seem to make sense.

If Update EPUB Cover when Updating EPUB? is not checked, surely that should override all the other settings and never change whatever cover is there?

Like, I want to be able to control whether or not the cover gets updated when I update the actual story contents (or metadata), not just be at the mercy of other settings; sometimes never_make_cover:true is what is desired, but it doesn't seem to have any effect.

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

Second, on the Calibre Cover tab, I'd uncheck Inject/update the cover inside EPUB.

But this would mean the epub itself won't ever have any cover updates, right? Sometimes this is desirable (just not when I specifically make a point of leaving Update EPUB Cover when Updating EPUB? unchecked).

In fact, generally, in every case where I want the cover to change, I want the cover inside the EPUB to also change with it. The problem is that the behavior for when the cover changes, is difficult to control or make sense of.

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

The Generate Calibre Cover: Yes, unless FanficFare found a cover image setting means any cover image found inside the epub. Including the one FFF injected on the previous run.

Since FFF has no way of knowing the difference between a generated cover and one lovingly hand crafted by the user, it treats both the same.

Oh, my assumption was that this setting was only referring to either the site's "official" cover that it initially downloaded, or to the "first found image" based-covers. I didn't think it would be based on any cover at all.

But then why does it happily update the existing (generated) covers for new stories, when using "update from saved metadata column"? I figure it must be to do with the cover_image being absent, but then why does it change to "old" when I use "Update EPUB"?

And at risk of repeating myself, I have yet to see any situation where Update EPUB Cover when Updating EPUB? has literally any effect. Whatever happens to the cover, seems 100% determined by other options, because in every test I've done, the behavior is exactly the same whether I leave it checked or not.

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

This is indicated by the metadata entry cover_image. You have to use generate_cover_settings settings instead of the GUI if want to use different values rather than simply 'has cover_image or not'. See defaults.ini.

  cover_image can be:
## specific -- The site has an image that is specifically this story's cover
## first -- The first image in the story or story desc is used as cover
## default -- A default_cover_image was used
## old -- There was already a cover image in the epub.

Newly downloaded stories for me seem to either have "first", or have no cover_image entry at all (judging by looking in the saved metadata column), and if I Update EPUB Always, the story ends up with "old", no matter what it was before.

Stories that have first or old don't seem to update unless Generate Calibre Cover: Yes, always is set; that makes some sense, but then the ineffective Update EPUB Cover when Updating EPUB? checkbox rears its ugly head and I have to be real careful to turn the Generate Calibre Cover setting back, because otherwise if I ever update any other

Basically, I think all of the undesirable behavior I'm experiencing, can be boiled down to:

cover_image is changed to/set to "old" if I ever update the story from the website, no matter what it was before (or if there was even a cover_image field at all).

never_make_cover:true, apparently just does not work, or maybe leaving the checkbox empty is failing to set it. Leaving Update EPUB Cover when Updating EPUB? unchecked does not prevent the cover being updated, in any circumstance at all. If the cover doesn't change, it's because of other settings that apply to only that story, every time. As a consequence, if I have Generate Calibre Cover: Yes, always on, absolutely nothing prevents the cover from being forcefully changed, so perfect vigilance on that one setting, is necessary to avoid permanently erasing covers that I like/am settled on.