PRS-500 Manga2Ebook, initial release. Convert your manga/comics-archive to PDF (.net2.0)

[athlonkmf]

Finally ready for intial release. I've converted a lot of my collection already and now it's ready for the public to test.
(a good thing that you can open multiple instances of this program)
Sorry, windows only for now.


Goal
Manga2Ebook is created to autoconvert vast manga/comics -collection(s) to a PDF-file(s) with the intention to for reprocessing through a PDF to readerformat tool.
Wether your Ebook-reader can read the PDF-files depends on the reader.
If you are using the Sony Reader or Irex Ilyad, I'd recommend you to run the PDF-files through the free program RasterFarian. This will rasterize the PDF-files and makes it them suitable for your device (and the size would decrease too)

Usage
Select the main directory with the archives you want to combine into a PDF. Manga2Ebook can handle zip, cbz, rar and cbr-files.
Manga2Ebook will create a subdirectory named "destination" for it's files (if it doesn't exist yet). The size of this directory will be at least 2 times as big as the source directory, so make sure you have enough diskspace.

Step 1 Re-archiving
The title of the archive(s) will be used to determine the sorting as they will eventually be the "chapter"-title in the PDF-file, so if you haven't done so yet, I'd recommend you to sort and rename your archives with good naming. (rasterfarian can convert these into a TOC too)
Manga2Ebook will try to recursive unpack the archives, but only the main archive will be the chaptertitle. (example: Manga.zip contains chapter1.zip, chapter2.zip. Manga2Ebook will make the chaptername "Manga". The files found in the other archives will merely be pages)
Within the selected directory, a temporary process-directory will be made where the files are unpacked, sorted into folders (so if you have a chapter1.zip and a ch2.zip in Manga.zip, the ch2 files will go before chapter1 files. You're responsible for sorting your own collection).

Step 2 Image processing
After unarchiving the images will be processed in correspondence to the settings. These will be placed underneath a "destination/resized"-folder.

Step 3 PDF creation
The final step is the PDF-creation. From the images and folderstructure in the resized folder, a PDF will be created. This will be placed in the destination folder.
The "document"-titlevalue will determine the file's name.

Final steps. Run the PDF files through your favorite converter for your ebook-reader if needed


notes: I've managed to create LRS and LRF-files too, but this option has been removed, because the LRF-files rasterized by rasterfarian are smaller. And lrs2lrf can only be run once.... (running 2 lrs2lrf will corrupt things up)

My favorite image processing options are: trimming borders with fuzz and the resizing filter. This gives very good quality images.
despeckle is good too, but it takes a much longer time and the effect is minimal, so I've disabled it.


Download, unpack and open "manga2ebook.exe"
http://kmfstudio.com/downloads/Manga2Ebook.rar <- base program

http://kmfstudio.com/downloads/Manga...ckIncluded.rar <-imagemagick included



More info here. (i'll try to update this topic too, but I'll update it at my homepage first.

[athlonkmf]

Here's a sample LRF I made with this: http://kmfstudio.com/downloads/ID.lrf

[Hadrien]

Always nice to see such an app. You've got competition in this field, with a few other similar application in this forum, but I'll test each and every app to see which one provide the best image processing.

I love both graphic novels and manga, unfortunately, e-ink isn't quite suited yet for graphic novels, so I'll stick with manga for the moment.

[athlonkmf]

Originally Posted by Hadrien

Always nice to see such an app. You've got competition in this field, with a few other similar application in this forum, but I'll test each and every app to see which one provide the best image processing.

I love both graphic novels and manga, unfortunately, e-ink isn't quite suited yet for graphic novels, so I'll stick with manga for the moment.

Not really competition per se, because I've made this program for my own situation in order to quickly convert full collections of manga, with no competition in mind.
Most programs I've seen here are only converting one file at a time. Mine will do a complete directory, put it in the right order, with the right TOC etc. It suits my needs, maybe it will help others too. If people want to use mine, I'm honered, if they find others better suited, it's fine too.

But I have to use rasterfarian afterwards to finalize the PDF. It's not meant to be directly readable on the reader. In previous versions it can create LRS and LRF-files directly, but the size and quality is better when ran through rasterfarian.
I compare it to DVD-rips, some are content by just having a DVD converted to some lower format like WMV or RMVB. Some wants a higher quality, but without too much time, so they do a 1-pass conversion. Some want the highest quality and do a multiple-pass conversion.

My method is meant to get the best combo of highest quality, lowest filesize and usability (TOC)

If people find it useful then it's nice to have some comments, if not, there are other tools

[Hadrien]

Originally Posted by athlonkmf

Not really competition per se, because I've made this program for my own situation in order to quickly convert full collections of manga, with no competition in mind.
Most programs I've seen here are only converting one file at a time. Mine will do a complete directory, put it in the right order, with the right TOC etc. It suits my needs, maybe it will help others too. If people want to use mine, I'm honered, if they find others better suited, it's fine too.

But I have to use rasterfarian afterwards to finalize the PDF. It's not meant to be directly readable on the reader. In previous versions it can create LRS and LRF-files directly, but the size and quality is better when ran through rasterfarian.
I compare it to DVD-rips, some are content by just having a DVD converted to some lower format like WMV or RMVB. Some wants a higher quality, but without too much time, so they do a 1-pass conversion. Some want the highest quality and do a multiple-pass conversion.

My method is meant to get the best combo of highest quality, lowest filesize and usability (TOC)

If people find it useful then it's nice to have some comments, if not, there are other tools

Using rasterfarian is a good idea: in many mangas, the text is too small and hard to read on the reader.

[athlonkmf]

that's why the resulting file is a PDF-file

[athlonkmf]

Just added a comic-sample lrf. The text are readable, but still, comics in grayscale is not really.... I'll stick to manga

http://kmfstudio.com/downloads/ultim...der_sample.lrf

[RectalPro]

I can't wait to try this tool out - thank you very much athlonkmf!

[volwrath]

Is it possible to combine 4 panels per page? I have a set of digital comic strip gifs that are one panel per .gif. Manga2Ebook rotates the gifs and has one per page. I think it would be good to be able to combine 4 or them (or more or less) to one reader page. Thanks.

[athlonkmf]

Originally Posted by volwrath

Is it possible to combine 4 panels per page? I have a set of digital comic strip gifs that are one panel per .gif. Manga2Ebook rotates the gifs and has one per page. I think it would be good to be able to combine 4 or them (or more or less) to one reader page. Thanks.

It depends on the panelsize, but yes, I've done something similar with garfield comics
http://hightech.afmag.net/reading-ma...reader-prs500/

I've changed the settings to "resize by landscape" and all panels are fit to width. The PDF-module will then try to fit as many images into one page as possible.

[volwrath]

Thank you for your help. I didnt let it complete the full process since I saw that each png it greated was only 1 panel. I should have shown some patience, but it was a 3000 pnl strip I was testing on.

Also I think this development tool should be stickied in content with the rest of them, as this works extremely well.

[nekokami]

This is extremely cool. I know there are CBZ readers for the iLiad, but I like the idea of getting the files into a PDF, and reducing the size and improving readability with Rasterfarian.

[athlonkmf]

Originally Posted by volwrath

Thank you for your help. I didnt let it complete the full process since I saw that each png it greated was only 1 panel. I should have shown some patience, but it was a 3000 pnl strip I was testing on.

Also I think this development tool should be stickied in content with the rest of them, as this works extremely well.

you have to remember to tick out the "rotate images" if you want them to fit

[athlonkmf]

Originally Posted by nekokami

This is extremely cool. I know there are CBZ readers for the iLiad, but I like the idea of getting the files into a PDF, and reducing the size and improving readability with Rasterfarian.

finally some recognition.. i thought no one was using this tool except me

[xikky]

@athlonkmf

What settings were used to convert Megatokyo? I tried converting the images I have but they clip the left and right edges?

Great work though! I've already converted a few of my other mangas!