Request for help with pdfreader on Boox M92

[BertramP]

Hi Guys

I'm new here but have been using an M92 for about a year. I've successfully installed firmware 1.8 20130425 (and checked it's installed under 'About').

I'm confused about reading pdfs. I have two questions:

i. Is there somewhere that all the different pdfreader options (reading settings and page settings) are clearly explained?

ii. I have a scanned book (double pages, not centred). I'd like to be able to use "Odd / Even Manual Settings" but these do not appear as an option for me.

(Under 'preferred applications' 'Use Old PDF Reader' is not selected; my available 'page setting' options are: custom, two-point, auto-detect, clear; Under 'Reading' I have paper; scrolling; comic; paper, auto-crop).

Apologies if I'm missing the obvious - I've looked for answers elsewhere on threads, but failed. I'd appreciate any help.

Many thanks, Bertie

[Bertone]

Hi BertramP.

i. Is there somewhere that all the different pdfreader options (reading settings and page settings) are clearly explained?

Documentation seems to be a problem of the M92. I'm not aware of any detailed in depth manual that really explains all the possible settings and their uses.

ii. I have a scanned book (double pages, not centred). I'd like to be able to use "Odd / Even Manual Settings" but these do not appear as an option for me.

For the "Odd / Even Manual Settings" you need the new patched pdf reader. It was published before the release of the latest firmware patch (UPD 2013.04.29), but was not included in this update. Don't know why - maybe it's still considered beta.



You can find the patched pdf reader in this thread:
Firmware updates, dictionaries, fonts and third-party apps for Onyx Boox M92
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=164162

UPD 2013.01.02

Hi guys!

First update in the new year is available

Here is the updated PDF Reader with new Page Setting functionality
We have abandoned the "Two Point Margins" tool and added two new visual margins setting tools instead:
- Universal Manual Settings - to setup all pages of a PDF document
- Odd / Even Manual Settings - to setup odd and even pages differently.
I hope you will like it.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/23593310/pd...f%20reader.rar
As usual unzip it and copy those two files from archive to the internal memory of your device. In your device click on update.oar and the last update for PDFReader will be installed.
You can use it without rebooting.
Please note that this particular tool in the new PDF Reader is still beta!
Your feedback is welcome

Somewhere someone sugested that you also have to install the preceding patch for the pdf reader before you install the UPD 2013.01.02:

UPD. 12.12.12

Hello everybody!
Here is a new patch with fixes of most important bugs in the new PDF Reader

Please download this file:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/23593310/pd...er%20Patch.rar

Unzip it and copy those three files from archive to the internal memory of your device. In your device click on update.oar and the last update for PDFReader will be installed.
The device will reboot.

What has been fixed:

PDF Reader. Margins settings and Customized Zoom are not saved after closing a book
PDF Reader. Standby issue 1. Home button causes exit from the pdf after return from stand by
PDF Reader. Standby issue 2. Controlls are non functional after return from Standby
PDF Reader. Glyph embolden >0. Page turn issue.
PDF Reader. Annotations. Highlighting of empty area causes exit.
PDF Reader. Key mapping. the order of tools has been changed. Now pan + zoom are set by default.
PDF Reader. no confirmation is needed if exiting a book with Close Icon in main menu

Don't know if that's true and / or if it's still necessary if you already have the latest firmware update (UPD 2013.04.29). I did it and it works.


Here is the thread where that is explained:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=205203
Tutorial for Onyx Boox M92


But I don't think that the "Odd / Even Manual Settings" feature will help you with your scanned double pages.

Many books and the corresponding pdf files have different margins for even and odd pages. Like, even pages have a bigger margin on the left side, odd pages a bigger margin on the right. With the "Odd / Even Manual Settings" feature you can compensate this difference. But it only works if odd and even pages are separate pages in your pdf. The pdf reader sees your double pages as one page. I assume you want to use this setting so that the pdf reader automatically separates the double pages. I don't think that will work. What you need is a program that can automatically separate and correctly align these double pages. On your PC, and then you save the edited pdf file. OCR programs like Abbyy Finereader can do that, and I assume most pdf editors, too.
After that you could use the "Odd / Even Manual Settings" for fine tuning in the pdf reader.

[BertramP]

Thanks Bertone, that's great! I did as you suggested (the two patches in order) and the odd/even option is back. I'd installed it previously, but as you say, installing the latest firmware patch (UPD 2013.04.29) afterwards meant it reverted to the earlier version of the pdfreader. All working now, and I've got to say, the odd/even margin system is easy to use and works perfectly. There's an 'instruction' video of sorts on youtube here.

Thanks again for your quick help.

[Bertone]

Originally Posted by BertramP

All working now, and I've got to say, the odd/even margin system is easy to use and works perfectly. There's an 'instruction' video of sorts on youtube here.

Yes, the odd/even margin setting option is really nice. But didn't you say you have a scanned book with double pages?

ii. I have a scanned book (double pages, not centred).

Does the odd/even margin system help in that situation? Without separating the double pages with external software?
I'd like to know how.

Thanks again for your quick help.

You're welcome
Glad I could help.

But now you could do me a favour:

Did you read my bug description in my recent thread?

M92 PDF-Reader Request for Booxtor: Joystick Keymapping Page-Turning Bug
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=216278

Can you replicate these bugs? I can't imagine I'm the only one who at least sometimes uses the joystick for page turning.
If you can replicate these bugs and you think it would be a good idea to fix them it would be nice if you could leave a short comment in that thread. E.g. that you can confirm the existence of these bugs and that you would also like to have a patch.

Unless I missed something, it isn't a bug, there's a workaround or you don't feel affected by it.

[BertramP]

What I mean by 'a scanned book (double pages, not centred)' is like the image which is hopefully attached to this post!

I have that working perfectly now with odd/even setting. Let me know if you need further details.

Regarding the bug problem, I've left an answer on that thread. I can reproduce the one as described by Randy11, though it only affects scanned pdfs, not standard pdfs. With regard to the further bugs you mention, I can't envisage the kind of document you're working with or what you're trying to achieve - could you post some images?

[BertramP]

One other thing - while you're waiting for the problem to be fixed (using the joystick), could you rotate your screen 180, which would allow you to navigate with the buttons on the right.

[Bertone]

What I mean by 'a scanned book (double pages, not centred)' is like the image which is hopefully attached to this post!

Yes, that's what I assumed. Do I understand you correctly that you use the odd/even setting so that the pdf reader displays the two parts of the double pages separately, first the page on the left, and then after a click the page on the right, so that each side / half-page completely fills the screen?
I don't see how that is possible with the odd/even setting and I'd like to know how you do it.

Let's start with the original book. Let's say, for the sake of simplicity, your original book has 20 pages.

Then you lay the book on the scanner and you scan the first image. This image will contain pages 1 and 2 of the original book.

The image is image number 1 and it will be page 1 in your pdf file.

Then you scan the next double page of the original book. The result is image number 2, which contains pages 3 and 4 of the original book. And so on...

The corresponding pdf file will look like this:

Page 1: contains original pages 1 and 2 of the book
Page 2: contains original pages 3 and 4 of the book

The ebook / pdf will have 10 pages, each of which contains two pages from the original 20-pages-book.

As I understand it, the odd/even setting works like this: It shows you a certain viewport for all odd pages of the pdf file and a different viewport for all the even pages.
So you could bring the pdf reader to show you only the left part of pdf page 1, in other words only original page number 1.
You simply tell the pdf reader to show you only the left side of all odd pages.
Then you tell the pdf reader to show you only the right side of all even pages.
But then it will show you only original page 4. You won't see original pages 2 and 3.



What I would like to have is that the pdf reader shows me the original pages 1, then original page 2, original page 3, and so on.
For that the pdf reader would have to show me
1. the left side of pdf page number 1
2. the right side of pdf page number 1
3. the left side of pdf page number 2
4. the right side of pdf page number 2

I don't see how that is possible with the odd/even setting.

Unless you change the settings each time you want to turn the page...

Could you explain step by step what you did?

One other thing - while you're waiting for the problem to be fixed (using the joystick), could you rotate your screen 180, which would allow you to navigate with the buttons on the right.

Yes, certainly I could do that. It's not that the M92 is unusable or so. It's just that with the leather cover I think it's more convenient to use the joystick. I just wanted to make it clear that it's a bug and that hopefully it will be fixed in the near future. I use the M92 to simplify my life, and I would like it to simplify my life as much as possible

Regarding the bug problem, I've left an answer on that thread. I can reproduce the one as described by Randy11, though it only affects scanned pdfs, not standard pdfs. With regard to the further bugs you mention, I can't envisage the kind of document you're working with or what you're trying to achieve - could you post some images?

Ok, I will try to make some images. Might take some time. It's difficult to describe (and understand) such problems with words.
And thanks for your response

[Bertone]

One other thing - while you're waiting for the problem to be fixed (using the joystick), could you rotate your screen 180, which would allow you to navigate with the buttons on the right.

Ah, now I get it. You probably meant rotate the screen 180 degrees AND rotate the M92 in the leather cover. Then I have th "<" / ">" buttons on the right side instead of the joystick.
Yes, that works. A rather intelligent workaround. Thanks

And the pdf reader is intelligent enough to switch the "<" / ">" buttons accordingly. After the 180 degrees rotation the ">" is still the ">" button, but in reality it's now the former "<" button. Nice.

But for the sake of tidiness I'd like to have a fix for the bugs anyway. And your workaround doens't solve all the bugs I mentioned in the other thread.

But your workaround is very helpful.

[BertramP]

Apologies for delay - been very busy. Actually while I found the odd/even feature worked initially (i.e. immediately after reinstallation of updates etc.), it soon began to be inconsistent in the ways that you describe, jumping pages and so on. Definitely a fault there. I can offer a solution of sorts in the interim:

i. Under preferred aplications, I have epub: PDf Reader; FB2: Cool Reader; chm: Cool Reader; Doc: Office Reader. (I have not selected 'Old PDF Reader')

ii. I open my scanned pdf book, double page layout as above

iii. Under page settings I reset margins; under 'Reading' I select 'Page Mode' and '100%' (zoom). This is just to ensure we begin in neutral position.

iv. Under page settings I select 'Universal Manual'. I then use the stylus to pull the box in close around my text (i.e. the one dotted square encompassing the two blocks of text that are the facing pages)

v. Under 'Reading' I now zoom 'To Height'

vi. Under 'Reading' I now select 'Comic Mode'

I can now use my arrow buttons to read my document one page at a time, with each single page filling the screen.

Generally this works perfectly, though it's been erratic on occasion. I don't understand the viewport (which may be affecting things). I also suspect that the proportions of the 'Universal Margin' that you draw affects matters. i.e. if the proportions are a little too wide in relation to height (or vice versa?) then the viewport is invoked (dotted lines across page) and you start to get page skipping. But this is only a hunch.

Hope it helps!

[BertramP]

PS I wonder if the height/width proportions of the margins we set are also what affects the odd/even mode and makes it so erratic?

[jbsavitz]

Hi BertramP,

Let me offer this observation. To the best of my knowledge the odd/even margins feature won't window and view the two pages separately if they have been scanned together in the same page. I don't think that's possible. What this feature is for is where you have individual odd and even pages where the margins are different for the even and odd pages. This happens with bound books where the margins that are going to be bound are wider than the margins at the outer edges of the pages.

What I would recommend for scanned images is as follows:

1. Split two up scanned pages into separate pages when creating the .pdf.
2. Use Adobe Acrobat Pro or NitroPDF to create hidden text with OCR. This way the e-reader software will find the margins and be able to crop the page more accurately. I use this feature all the time and it works great.

Hope this helps you out. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[BertramP]

Hi jbsavitz

Thanks for your helpful post - much appreciated. Most of my scanned books have been scanned double page in this way. Do you know if there is a (hopefully simple!) way to split pages that have already been scanned in this way?

Also, I don't have Acrobat Pro or NitroPDF. Would I need to buy the full version of NitroPDF to do what you suggest? If so, can you say a bit more about the process (creating hidden text with OCR) that you mention - is it complex? (if you've described the process in a different thread, could you point me to it?)

Many thanks for your help with this.

[jbsavitz]

Hi BertramP,

[tuxor]

Double page scans can be separated e.g. using Scan Tailor: http://scantailor.sourceforge.net/ (you don't get a pdf in the end, but a whole bunch of tiff images - converting those to a pdf is really easy though)

You can OCR your books using google's tesseract-ocr: http://code.google.com/p/tesseract-ocr/ I use gscan2pdf whenever I want to OCR something using tesseract. But I guess, you are on Windows, so that's not an option. Unfortunately, I don't use Windows, so I have no idea how to use tesseract on a Windows machine to get decent results. (But maybe this works for you: http://www.paperfile.net/ - found via google...)

[FMP]

Originally Posted by BertramP

Most of my scanned books have been scanned double page in this way. Do you know if there is a (hopefully simple!) way to split pages that have already been scanned in this way?

You could try <http://www.pdfscissors.com/>.