[GUI Plugin] Resize Cover

[kiwidude]

This plugin allows users to resize the calibre cover image displayed for books in Calibre's book details and cover browser to one of a configurable choice of sizes.

Main Features:

• Define one or more width/height menu combinations
• Specify one to be your default to apply when the toolbar button is clicked
• Customise with optional keyboard shortcuts

Special Notes:

• Help Documentation
• Change History
• Requires Calibre v2.0.0 or later.

Paypal Donations:

• If you find this or any of my other plugins useful please feel free to show your appreciation. I have spent many hundreds of unpaid hours in their development and support so any encouragement for me to continue is appreciated!
  

[drMerry]

Great idea.

This is what I needed. One thing, it uses the real set height/width.
Is it possible to do it relative?
e.g.
the cover is 200x400
the size is set to 75x100
result: 50x100

EDIT:
I tried to set just one part (so the other wouldn't be touched maybe ).
This is accepted, but when I press ok, I get an error

Spoiler:

calibre, version 0.8.20
ERROR: Unhandled exception: <b>ValueError</b>:invalid literal for int() with base 10: ''

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre_plugins.resize_cover.action", line 113, in show_configuration
File "site-packages\calibre\customize\__init__.py", line 171, in do_user_config
File "calibre_plugins.resize_cover.__init__", line 70, in save_settings
File "calibre_plugins.resize_cover.config", line 192, in save_settings
File "calibre_plugins.resize_cover.config", line 78, in get_data
ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: ''

[kiwidude]

As you have found - no I deliberately avoided allowing users to set aspect ratios - you assign fixed dimensions only.

[drMerry]

Well, I'm happy with it, Just have to calculate the best setting to at last be able to shrink my 2000+ covers I had tagged to be too big

Thanks

[JSWolf]

If you have your cover XML in your ePub setup correctly, it won't matter the size of the cover image as it will then resize to fit by shrinking or enlarging as needed. What I do is if the cover is larger then 1024 lines, I reduce it to 1024. That fits nicely in all cases I've found. If the cover image is smaller, I just leave it be.

If you do find your cover image to be 510x680, it's aspect ratio is off and you'll need to find another cover image that's aspect ratio correct..

[drMerry]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you have your cover XML in your ePub setup correctly, it won't matter the size of the cover image as it will then resize to fit by shrinking or enlarging as needed. What I do is if the cover is larger then 1024 lines, I reduce it to 1024. That fits nicely in all cases I've found. If the cover image is smaller, I just leave it be.

If you do find your cover image to be 510x680, it's aspect ratio is off and you'll need to find another cover image that's aspect ratio correct..

Well, the nice feature in this is indeed that you're able to correct the aspect ratio.
So I'll just take a look at the ratio's of my covers and change them accordingly.

I've been looking for this option for a long time myself. The case is, I have a lot of big covers. I only need a small one for quick identification.
While a lot of covers are downloaded, I can't tell calibre to get the cover from the file. (which would result in a correct size). So I needed to manually correct the files one by one or use an external tool to do so.

This plugin causes me a lot less trouble doing so.
Great work kiwidude!!!

[kiwidude]

I find that Calibre gets very sluggish moving between rows if your cover images are too big (certainly with the book details panel visible). It is another reason for resizing them down.

I disagree about "needing to find another image" with the Overdrive size of 510x680. I find that those covers just need resizing in their aspect ratio, so that they no longer look stretched (certainly for the covers I have seen it appears they were just stretched into that 3:4 ratio, not that they were especially cropped into that size).

Personally I don't actually care very much about the image inside the book, which is not what this plugin is trying to address in any way. As a Kindle user you don't get to see it by default anyway, and even if I did see it who gives a crap about something you are just going to click past. OTOH I do spend many hours browsing my books in Calibre, and I know that one day we will have a "proper" cover browsing option which will look a dogs breakfast to the OCD types like me who get upset about things being all different sized shapes on the screen.

[DoctorOhh]

Thanks for this plugin, I'll give it a try.

Originally Posted by kiwidude

OTOH I do spend many hours browsing my books in Calibre, and I know that one day we will have a "proper" cover browsing option which will look a dogs breakfast to the OCD types like me who get upset about things being all different sized shapes on the screen.

Many moons ago I decided to just resize my books to 600x800 because I recalled Kovid saying something about the cover browser using this size. This size is approximately what it would be resized to for my reader at the time. Additionally I use Dropbox and have only so much space so this was my compromise. Of course doing this without regard for the aspect ratio might cause vertigo in some users on this forum.

Release: 0.7.3 [18 Jun, 2010]

Bug Fixes

• Cover cache: Resize covers larger than 600x800 in the cover cache to reduce memory consumption in the GUI

[Aleyst]

Oooh, this sounds interesting!
I shall definately be giving it a go.

[schuster]

hi kiwidude,
great tool.
but...

it makes a new entrie and i can add the dimensions but i can not activate this dimensions.

workaround for me at this stage is to edit the json file directly.

if it would possible to make more size's and change between them it will be fantastic.

thanx for all your plug-ins (quality check is the greatest of all)

olaf

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by schuster

it makes a new entrie and i can add the dimensions but i can not activate this dimensions.

workaround for me at this stage is to edit the json file directly.

if it would possible to make more size's and change between them it will be fantastic.

What OS are you using? This plugin works great for me on Windows XP and Windows 7. I am able to customize the plugin from the menu and add and use new sizes.

[Aleyst]

Works great for me on Windows 7 also!

[schuster]

@dwanthny
win7 also.
make fresh install (calibre), remove, reinstall (the plug-in) but no chance, only way is to edit json-file.
don't know why.
but it is doing the job this way.
i have only one dimension of interest, so it is o.k.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by schuster

win7 also.

When you customize the plugin are you clicking the green cross (see attached) to add a new size?

[schuster]

yes i do,
but the changes are not saved to json-file, and it is not possible to select it in the customize-screen.
but no problem, edit json work's for me.

edit: is it possible for you to change the name of the resolution-entry or set the hook on the desired entry?