add/remove ebook formats

TonyBell · 07-16-2008, 11:48 PM

How do you add formats in the available formats in the edit meta information window? I have looked in the help file section and I can't find the answer. When I start to convert a book from rtf to lrf I have to do the conversion twice to have the lrf format to pop up in the edit meta information section; availabe formats window. Love this program please help

kovidgoyal · 07-16-2008, 11:57 PM

You should only have to convert once to get the LRF format to show up. You can also add formats by click in the little plus icon next to the list of available formats.

TonyBell · 07-17-2008, 10:37 PM

I click on the add books + sign, then I click on the book and go to edit meta information. In the available formats window I see a lit file or rtf file whichever file I have chosen. When I click on the + button to add a lrf format to it; it takes me to the calibre folder. I have looked in the calibre folder for available formats and could not find any. I can search through my files on my hard drive and find a named lrf file. I click on it and it comes up in the available formats. But when I run the program and make a new lrf file; the file comes up as the named lrf file that I clicked on originally and not the file I wanted. Even though it has the name of the file I selected the contents are different. Trust me, I tried everything I could think of before I admitted defeat an posted on this forum. Sorry for the "letter" but I had to let you know that I did not post on a whim after one try at it.

kovidgoyal · 07-18-2008, 02:06 AM

calibre keeps all book files in a database. When you click on either the add books button or the add formats button, the ebook files you select are *copied* into the database, leaving the original unchanged. If you want access to the ebook files in the database use the save to disk button.

TonyBell · 07-18-2008, 10:34 PM

I have changed the location of my database to one more easily available. Let me ask one more question and I will let it be. When I add a book and run the conversion; calibre saves the file as a .opf file the first time. When I open the meta information window under available formats for the second time the lrf format pops up along with the original file format and then I can convert it to an lrf file. Is this normal for it to save as a .opf file the first time, please answer this question for me. If I don't understand it this time I will not bother you anymore.

kovidgoyal · 07-18-2008, 10:39 PM

The opf file is not an ebook file. It is a metadata file. It contains all the metadata like title, author etc that is stored in the database about the book. An OPF file is always saved no matter what ebook formats are available. The recommended workflow for converting books is:

1. Click add books and select a book to add. This causes the book to appear in the list of books. The database now has its own copy of the ebook file.

2. Select the book and click edit meta information. CHange any meta information that needs to be changed. Ignore the available formats box. Click OK.

3. Select the book again and click Convert and then OK. Once the conversion process finished (hourglass stops spinning), your LRF will be ready to fo.

4. Select the book again. Click save to disk. Now there will be at least 3 maybe 4 files. One is the original ebook file. one is the converted LRF. one is the opf with metadata. There may also be a cover image.

TonyBell · 07-18-2008, 11:16 PM

Thank you it worked. I was going through the steps to convert in the wrong order. I was editing meta information, then saving it to disk, and then converting it; all wrong. A mistake on my part in following the instructions. Thank you very much for your patience. I am going to start doing batch conversions next....and yes I will read the instructions thoroughly before I try it. Oh by the way, I ran the conversion process on a 26 megabit file and it worked perfectly with no problems. Again I says thanks for your patience and timely response. I have copied your instructions and now have them on file in case I may forget.

07-16-2008, 11:48 PM	#1
TonyBell Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 34 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Sony Ebook Reader	add/remove ebook formats How do you add formats in the available formats in the edit meta information window? I have looked in the help file section and I can't find the answer. When I start to convert a book from rtf to lrf I have to do the conversion twice to have the lrf format to pop up in the edit meta information section; availabe formats window. Love this program please help

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07-16-2008, 11:57 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,149 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You should only have to convert once to get the LRF format to show up. You can also add formats by click in the little plus icon next to the list of available formats.

07-17-2008, 10:37 PM	#3
TonyBell Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 34 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Sony Ebook Reader	I click on the add books + sign, then I click on the book and go to edit meta information. In the available formats window I see a lit file or rtf file whichever file I have chosen. When I click on the + button to add a lrf format to it; it takes me to the calibre folder. I have looked in the calibre folder for available formats and could not find any. I can search through my files on my hard drive and find a named lrf file. I click on it and it comes up in the available formats. But when I run the program and make a new lrf file; the file comes up as the named lrf file that I clicked on originally and not the file I wanted. Even though it has the name of the file I selected the contents are different. Trust me, I tried everything I could think of before I admitted defeat an posted on this forum. Sorry for the "letter" but I had to let you know that I did not post on a whim after one try at it.

07-18-2008, 02:06 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,149 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	calibre keeps all book files in a database. When you click on either the add books button or the add formats button, the ebook files you select are copied into the database, leaving the original unchanged. If you want access to the ebook files in the database use the save to disk button.

07-18-2008, 10:34 PM	#5
TonyBell Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 34 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Sony Ebook Reader	I have changed the location of my database to one more easily available. Let me ask one more question and I will let it be. When I add a book and run the conversion; calibre saves the file as a .opf file the first time. When I open the meta information window under available formats for the second time the lrf format pops up along with the original file format and then I can convert it to an lrf file. Is this normal for it to save as a .opf file the first time, please answer this question for me. If I don't understand it this time I will not bother you anymore.

07-18-2008, 10:39 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,149 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The opf file is not an ebook file. It is a metadata file. It contains all the metadata like title, author etc that is stored in the database about the book. An OPF file is always saved no matter what ebook formats are available. The recommended workflow for converting books is: 1. Click add books and select a book to add. This causes the book to appear in the list of books. The database now has its own copy of the ebook file. 2. Select the book and click edit meta information. CHange any meta information that needs to be changed. Ignore the available formats box. Click OK. 3. Select the book again and click Convert and then OK. Once the conversion process finished (hourglass stops spinning), your LRF will be ready to fo. 4. Select the book again. Click save to disk. Now there will be at least 3 maybe 4 files. One is the original ebook file. one is the converted LRF. one is the opf with metadata. There may also be a cover image.

07-18-2008, 11:16 PM	#7
TonyBell Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 34 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Sony Ebook Reader	Thank you it worked. I was going through the steps to convert in the wrong order. I was editing meta information, then saving it to disk, and then converting it; all wrong. A mistake on my part in following the instructions. Thank you very much for your patience. I am going to start doing batch conversions next....and yes I will read the instructions thoroughly before I try it. Oh by the way, I ran the conversion process on a 26 megabit file and it worked perfectly with no problems. Again I says thanks for your patience and timely response. I have copied your instructions and now have them on file in case I may forget.