[GUI Plugin] Generate Cover

[JimmXinu]

New Version Released

Version 2.1.1 - 14 Jul 2022
- Fix for settings export in Calibre6/Qt6

Same as test version a couple days ago.

[JimmXinu]

New Test Version

2022-07-30
- Use cal6 icon theme system to allow plugin icon customization--but don't require pluginname/images/

[JimmXinu]

New Version Released

Version 2.2.0 - 2022-08-02
- Use cal6 icon theme system to allow plugin icon customization

[Rellwood]

My current saved images for bookcovers is not showing, but when I try to download the files again, they are not importing because the plugin says the file is already there. Newest version plugin and Calibre

Nevermind, the image folder in the appdata was empty after the recent updates,so I found the images and scooted them into the folder without manually entering them through the plugin. The plugin didn't "see" them but they were in the folder. Fixed it. Why did I lose all the covers in the first place, and is this going to happen again?

[JimmXinu]

Originally Posted by Rellwood

My current saved images for bookcovers is not showing, but when I try to download the files again, they are not importing because the plugin says the file is already there. Newest version plugin and Calibre

I was surprised to see my GC images missing when I checked this.

Turns out GC saves it's images in calibre\resources\images\generate_cover. And I think Calibre6 deleted calibre\resources\images when it stopped keeping its images there?

Or else I removed it while testing the icons in themes changes.

Probably should move that somewhere else if Calibre does remove it.

I'm not seeing anything happen that "says the file is already there". Do you have any details?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

I was surprised to see my GC images missing when I checked this.

Turns out GC saves it's images in calibre\resources\images\generate_cover. And I think Calibre6 deleted calibre\resources\images when it stopped keeping its images there?

Or else I removed it while testing the icons in themes changes.

FWIW: I noticed my CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY->\resources\images folder was missing a day or two after I installed 6.3. Assuming it was something I'd done inadvertently I just restored my most recent backup of that folder and thought no more about it.

BR

[theducks]

Weird. Mine is still there (6.3, win x64)

[JimmXinu]

I asked Kovid in PM if cal6 ever deletes the contents of resources/images, he said, "yes, when migrating legacy icon themes. That is if you have a icon-theme.json in that folder."

So it makes sense that some of us (who didn't use icon themes in cal5) wouldn't see this issue.

Since it's only while migrating, it shouldn't be an ongoing issue once you've switched to cal6.

Changing where GC keeps its images is easy--migrating them for existing users is less easy. Should it be automatic and silent? Or inform/ask the user? Under calibre\plugins is the obvious new place.

[JimmXinu]

New Test Version

2022-08-30
- Move where GC stores cover images from resources/images/generate_cover to plugins/generate_cover

Attached version uses the new dir and does a one-time copy(not move) of configured images from resources/images/generate_cover to plugins/generate_cover.

Tested with Calibre 2, 5 & 6, but only on Win10. I don't have mac or linux available to test with right now. I did try to use a cross-platform safe method.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

I asked Kovid in PM if cal6 ever deletes the contents of resources/images, he said, "yes, when migrating legacy icon themes. That is if you have a icon-theme.json in that folder."

That rings a bell, I had an icon-theme.json in there, not sure why, when, or from whence it came, but since I removed it my folder of images has remained intact. Any notion that I would want an icon theme is risible.

And now I can see that I raised the issue when V6 was released, and KG told me to remove that file. It's in the middle of this thread ==>> [Closed] Issues with Version 6

BR

[Rellwood]

Now I am wondering about other images from other plugins where I won't know until I use the plugin.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Rellwood

Now I am wondering about other images from other plugins where I won't know until I use the plugin.

This may be one of the few times Kovid did not think of every gotcha before making a change (and might explain why some of my alternate cover images are gone.).
I treated Resources/... as a USER customized / shared (by multiple PI) location.
Well, another reason for keeping a down rev version on another computer (or the backup from before version changes)

[Rellwood]

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

I was surprised to see my GC images missing when I checked this.

Turns out GC saves it's images in calibre\resources\images\generate_cover. And I think Calibre6 deleted calibre\resources\images when it stopped keeping its images there?

Or else I removed it while testing the icons in themes changes.

Probably should move that somewhere else if Calibre does remove it.

I'm not seeing anything happen that "says the file is already there". Do you have any details?

I use a split pane view in explorer (I use Directory Opus file manager) so I just copied over the images from one instance of the plugin I had into the current folder without manually entering them via the plugin in the booklist. Because I didn't enter them in with the plugin it didn't know they were in the folder, so they didn't show up and when I tried to manually enter them in through the plugin they clashed with the ones in the folder that wern't initally recognized.

[JimmXinu]

Originally Posted by Rellwood

I use a split pane view in explorer (I use Directory Opus file manager) so I just copied over the images from one instance of the plugin I had into the current folder without manually entering them via the plugin in the booklist. Because I didn't enter them in with the plugin it didn't know they were in the folder, so they didn't show up and when I tried to manually enter them in through the plugin they clashed with the ones in the folder that wern't initally recognized.

As you found, copying them yourself on disk does not make GC aware of the images again.

Either a) don't do that , just add the images from where ever they are back to GC (it accepts drag/drop), or; b) just click Yes when it asks you about overwriting each one.

I see I need to revisit this issue more--There are places in GC that use resources/images/generate_cover as temporary directory...

Plus it would be nice if the 'overwrite?' dialog gave the file name.

[JimmXinu]

New Test Version

2022-08-30
- Move where GC puts temporary files during setting Import/Export to plugins/generate_cover instead of resources/images/generate_cover.
- Include file name when warning about image file overwrite.

It would be better if GC used a proper temp file, but the JSONConfig class it uses insists on something relative to the calibre settings dir.

Also includes:

Originally Posted by JimmXinu

New Test Version

2022-08-30
- Move where GC stores cover images from resources/images/generate_cover to plugins/generate_cover

Attached version uses the new dir and does a one-time copy(not move) of configured images from resources/images/generate_cover to plugins/generate_cover.

Tested with Calibre 2, 5 & 6, but only on Win10. I don't have mac or linux available to test with right now. I did try to use a cross-platform safe method.

IMPORTANT NOTE

This version still contains a rather obscure bug I can't figure out.

1. Create a new setting
2. Give it a name
3. Change which image it uses
4. Click Save
5. Cancel out of GC without applying the setting
6. Open GC again

Then I get a 'Corrupted Config file' warning:

calibre, version 6.4.0
ERROR: Corrupted Configuration File: <p>Your configuration file was corrupted (see Details).</p>)<p>Please report your exact recent actions which led to this on the MobileRead forum thread for this plugin so it can be fixed.</p><p>The configuration has been fixed automatically.</p>

Corrupted setting: "Stacked Books" has incorrect internal name of: "asdf"

After it's 'autocorrected' the config, the previously selected setting that I copied for the new one also has it's image changed.