For new library in 7.0, covers not displaying

[wayt]

I am running 7.0 on a 2022 iMac. My primary library works great. I want to start a separate library so used the Switch/create library menu option and chose a new empty folder for the new library. I then imported a folder (with subfolders) containing 300+ books, all in PDF format.

Calibre filled in metadata correctly from the filenames and all is well except that the Cover Grid view shows only titles and authors. The details pane also does not display any image.

In my previous library, the first page of each PDF was shown as a cover image, and that is crucial for my use case. But with the new library selected, none of the covers/first page thumbnails are shown (see image attached).

Is there some extra step I need to take to generate the cover thumbnails? I have searched through the preferences options and not found anything to do this.

[kovidgoyal]

you have probably turned off reading of metadata from file contents. Either turn it on again and re-add, or just select all books and click edit metadata and choose the set cover from file option in the bulk metadata edit dialog.

[wayt]

Thanks, Kovid, that solved my problem. BTW, I know you didn't design Calibre to display sheet music for musicians, but it seems to serve that purpose quite well. I am using Calibre to organize my extensive library of piano music, and the built-in viewer to display the music on a VESA iMac that I keep on the piano's music stand (connected to Airturn pedals so that I can turn pages with my feet while playing).

The only features I wish Calibre had for this use case are the ability to display multiple pages in the viewer with no gap between them (as they would look in an open book of music) and that ability to add highlights and text annotations to PDFs in the viewer (e.g., to add notes on fingering or dynamics). Or maybe those features already exist and I just haven't found them?

In any case, your work is tremendous and much appreciated!