Mystery TOC, and ugly too.

flypig · 08-10-2011, 02:44 PM

I'm making a mobi book from InDesign and the TOC is actually appearing everywhere it should. Problem is it is ugly. Each line is indented and there are no levels of indent or hanging indent.

I have edited the toc.html file to use <p class="toc"> and I have added a p.toc style to the templates.css file and nothing changes.

I also tried putting the above styles directly in the <head> of toc.html file, in case it wasn't actually looking at templates.css.

Nothing changes.

Then I noticed that there were a few space errors. I fixed them in toc.html and in tox.ncx. Still there. So what I was seeing in Kindle Previewer was neither of those files.

I went back to my InDesign file and my style-generated TOC had the spacing errors so I fixed them, made a new MOBI (bummer, have to re-copy my own templates.css into the archive). The errors are still there.

So now I just went to the actual InDesign Chapter Title pages and fixed the spaces there. New mobi file has accurate spaces. Hmmm. So all this talk about toc.html and toc.ncx and InDesign generated TOC seems mysterious.

What I really want to do is make it not so ugly. It's badly indented and un-hanging, but now I have no idea where to bang on it.

All my googling on this topic is about people who can't get a TOC. I got one, from somewhere, and it's ugly!

Carol

Jellby · 08-11-2011, 03:45 AM

Perhaps you should specify how you are creating the mobi, since I believe InDesign cannot save directly to mobi.

flypig · 08-11-2011, 10:00 AM

Hi Jelby,
Amazon released a plugin for InDesign that Exports to Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000234621
The plugin has limited choices, but it does claim to make a TOC from Indesign TOC styles you have defined.

However I make the .mobi file, though, it seems puzzling that editing the toc.html and toc.ncx does not change the TOC in the file, and thus I cannot figure out how to effect the TOC I'm seeing. It's not in the book.html either.

flypig · 08-11-2011, 10:03 AM

Jellby,
Amazon has an Indesign plug-in to Export to Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000234621

I guess the TOC is built from the Indesign TOC styles, so it makes a little sense, but I still cannot figure out how to change the appearance of it, the way I can change the appearance of the other book text via templates.css. And I can't seem to edit it in the .mobi files either, the way I have been editing the other pieces (expanding and using BBEdit).

Thanks

DanBenton · 08-26-2011, 12:33 PM

Hi

Can you post the relevant line of the css and a screenshot of the TOC (i.e. in Kindle Previewer)?
My initial thought is that for P styles you need to specifically set text-indent:0em, because Kindle defaults to indented paras.
Does that help at all?

www.craig-thrillers.com

08-10-2011, 02:44 PM	#1
flypig Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: ADE, FBreader, others	Mystery TOC, and ugly too. I'm making a mobi book from InDesign and the TOC is actually appearing everywhere it should. Problem is it is ugly. Each line is indented and there are no levels of indent or hanging indent. I have edited the toc.html file to use <p class="toc"> and I have added a p.toc style to the templates.css file and nothing changes. I also tried putting the above styles directly in the <head> of toc.html file, in case it wasn't actually looking at templates.css. Nothing changes. Then I noticed that there were a few space errors. I fixed them in toc.html and in tox.ncx. Still there. So what I was seeing in Kindle Previewer was neither of those files. I went back to my InDesign file and my style-generated TOC had the spacing errors so I fixed them, made a new MOBI (bummer, have to re-copy my own templates.css into the archive). The errors are still there. So now I just went to the actual InDesign Chapter Title pages and fixed the spaces there. New mobi file has accurate spaces. Hmmm. So all this talk about toc.html and toc.ncx and InDesign generated TOC seems mysterious. What I really want to do is make it not so ugly. It's badly indented and un-hanging, but now I have no idea where to bang on it. All my googling on this topic is about people who can't get a TOC. I got one, from somewhere, and it's ugly! Carol

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08-11-2011, 03:45 AM	#2
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,544 Karma: 19001583 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	Perhaps you should specify how you are creating the mobi, since I believe InDesign cannot save directly to mobi.

08-11-2011, 10:00 AM	#3
flypig Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: ADE, FBreader, others	Hi Jelby, Amazon released a plugin for InDesign that Exports to Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000234621 The plugin has limited choices, but it does claim to make a TOC from Indesign TOC styles you have defined. However I make the .mobi file, though, it seems puzzling that editing the toc.html and toc.ncx does not change the TOC in the file, and thus I cannot figure out how to effect the TOC I'm seeing. It's not in the book.html either.

08-11-2011, 10:03 AM	#4
flypig Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: ADE, FBreader, others	Jellby, Amazon has an Indesign plug-in to Export to Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000234621 I guess the TOC is built from the Indesign TOC styles, so it makes a little sense, but I still cannot figure out how to change the appearance of it, the way I can change the appearance of the other book text via templates.css. And I can't seem to edit it in the .mobi files either, the way I have been editing the other pieces (expanding and using BBEdit). Thanks

08-26-2011, 12:33 PM	#5
DanBenton Member Posts: 17 Karma: 20 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: London Device: Kindle	Hi Can you post the relevant line of the css and a screenshot of the TOC (i.e. in Kindle Previewer)? My initial thought is that for P styles you need to specifically set text-indent:0em, because Kindle defaults to indented paras. Does that help at all? www.craig-thrillers.com

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