Best way to deal with large images?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

Your KindleGen converted test file (both AZW3 and MOBI7 versions) works fine with my PW2. I.e., this might be a Kindle Voyage bug.

Do you have the 5.6.2.1 firmware installed on your Voyage?

Doits:

So--you converted the file and then sideloaded it? My comprehension from his post is that he's sending the ePUB directly to his device via the Kindle-mail system and allowing THAT to convert it, yes? I'm testing the same procedure, on my Voyage, to see what we get. Shall report back shortly.

ETA: Obviously, THAT wasn't right, as I can't email the ePUB to my Voyage. (Shows you that we don't normally mail documents to our devices, that I didn't remember this!). So, Ian, did you convert this via KG before emailing, or...? Please advise, so I can duplicate your steps?

Hitch

[Hitch]

Okey-dokey, so:

The moment I convert the ePUB to MOBI, and then mail it to my Voyage, the zooming works exactly as expected. My results are the same as Doits'. I used KP to convert the file--simple drag-drop-convert. Thence, email the converted mobi to my Voyage device, just to test if that was the issue (it's not).

Ian, can you be extremely explicit as to your process? I just saw that you can't actually be emailing the ePUB to your Voyage, so what exactly are you doing, please? I suspect that herein lies the rub. (You're not mailing it to the old conversion addy, are you?)

Hitch

[Hitch]

Hello??????

[IanLunn]

Sorry for the delay. The client is the one testing so we're having to go back and forth.

It turns out the client is actually sending the ePUB via Dropbox. We are going to look at an alternative way incase Dropbox is somehow corrupting the file.

When a Kindle opens an ePUB does it convert it to MOBI?

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by IanLunn

When a Kindle opens an ePUB does it convert it to MOBI?

Well, not exactly. The publisher (author) uploads the book to Kindle Direct Publishing and it converts there. In my experience a validated epub converts wonderfully well on the KDP. Be aware, however, that my books are fairly straightforward. I use a standard style sheet (you can see it on my blog post entitled A style sheet for e-books ) with no media calls etc.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by IanLunn

Sorry for the delay. The client is the one testing so we're having to go back and forth.

It turns out the client is actually sending the ePUB via Dropbox. We are going to look at an alternative way incase Dropbox is somehow corrupting the file.

When a Kindle opens an ePUB does it convert it to MOBI?

OK, gang: everybody stop, please. Unless something has changed dramatically--since I tested this AGAIN, just a few days ago, when you, Ian, mentioned this (sending an ePUB directly to Kindle), you cannot do that. Kindles don't display ePUB, and you can't email an ePUB to yourself (via your Kindle email account) to be "auto-magically converted." The last time I tried sideloading one, direct, the ePUB simply didn't show up on the filelist, so you couldn't see it THAT way, either.

I'm assuming that, because you're the person with whom we're speaking, Ian, that when you say "EPUB," you mean ePUB, and not MOBI.

Therefore, this entire conversation is a bit moot, because your client is doing something utterly wonky. S/he literally CANNOT be doing what s/he says s/he is doing. S/he can't be sending it to his/her Kindle via eMail, and can't be sideloading it. And if s/he is sideloading it, she can't open it. So, so far, NONE of the scenarios mentioned here make one iota of sense to me, unless someone else here disagrees? Doits? Diap? Anyone else here find a way to put an ePUB DIRECTLY onto a Kindle, have it "transform" and be viewable?

Unless someone else here has a magic way to do this, that's about 99.99% of your problem, Ian. If you want to send me the bloody file (see my sig block, use my Hightail Uplink) I'll test it for you on a REAL device. Send it as you intend to go on--with a MOBI, or send it as an ePUB with the understanding that I'll run it through OUR KG processes to get a MOBI. But I would bet cash money that the file works perfectly fine; you simply have a cockpit error at the other end. (This is why--not to go off on a rant-y lecture, unless this is a one-off, and you're never going to do eBooks again, one MUST HAVE ONE'S OWN DEVICES UPON WHICH TO TEST.)

Forgive me, but: are you a print layout house? Is this a new foray into our world for you?

Originally Posted by Notjohn

Well, not exactly. The publisher (author) uploads the book to Kindle Direct Publishing and it converts there. In my experience a validated epub converts wonderfully well on the KDP. Be aware, however, that my books are fairly straightforward. I use a standard style sheet (you can see it on my blog post entitled A style sheet for e-books ) with no media calls etc.

@nj: Apples and oranges. He's saying that his client is somehow loading an ePUB directly (indirectly, whatever) to his/her Kindle Voyage device. Which, AFAIK, isn't possible. Not without some type of interim step. The file types acceptable for a Kindle are, STILL, the file types acceptable for a Kindle.

(And, since when is Dropbox on Voyage?) Is s/he trying to use KindleBox? And if so--we're back to "you can't load an ePUB on a Kindle," aren't we?

Ian: time for you to have a wee "come to Jesus" meeting with your client, and find out exactly what it is they think they're doing. Because they're wasting your time.


Hitch

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by Hitch

@nj: Apples and oranges. He's saying that his client is somehow loading an ePUB directly (indirectly, whatever) to his/her Kindle Voyage device. Which, AFAIK, isn't possible. Not without some type of interim step. The file types acceptable for a Kindle are, STILL, the file types acceptable for a Kindle.

Yes, to be sure. I was only trying to answer the question the way it was asked -- does the KINDLE (device) convert the epub? I realize it could also be done on the author's computer, using KindleGen or Kindle Previewer, but I was assuming the author wasn't going to be doing any of that, but would upload it directly to the KDP his own / her own self.

On the rare occasion when I want to go from epub to my Fire HD, I convert it to a mobi on Calibre. (I use mobi because Send to Kindle, a great little app, doesn't seem to recognize the AZW format.)

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

Yes, to be sure. I was only trying to answer the question the way it was asked -- does the KINDLE (device) convert the epub? I realize it could also be done on the author's computer, using KindleGen or Kindle Previewer, but I was assuming the author wasn't going to be doing any of that, but would upload it directly to the KDP his own / her own self.

Dunno. I've given up on figuring this out. I made several assumptions upfront, and they were all incorrect.

On the rare occasion when I want to go from epub to my Fire HD, I convert it to a mobi on Calibre. (I use mobi because Send to Kindle, a great little app, doesn't seem to recognize the AZW format.)

That's because the Calibre-created AZW isn't an Amazon-recognized format. You can't upload one at KDP, for example. It's just how it is.

Hitch

[IanLunn]

I was unclear about the process but have now got it straight. Here it is in full:

1. We are using InDesign to create the book and export it as a reflowable layout in ePUB format.
2. The ePUB is converted to MOBI using KindleGen.
3. The MOBI is sent to the client via Dropbox (irrelevant here although we are going to test if the file is somehow getting corrupted via Dropbox).
4. The client emails the MOBI to their Kindle.
5. The MOBI is readable on the Kindle but image zooming doesn't work.

I have attached the MOBI if anyone would be kind enough to test and let me know if image zooming works as expected.

Thanks

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by IanLunn

I have attached the MOBI if anyone would be kind enough to test and let me know if image zooming works as expected.

I know you're mainly worried about the Voyage, but the results on a Fire HDX (running current 4.5.4 OS) are that it works fine. I get a small thumbnail size image at the top of the test "page" and double tapping gives a bigger image (see attached).

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by IanLunn

I was unclear about the process but have now got it straight. Here it is in full:

1. We are using InDesign to create the book and export it as a reflowable layout in ePUB format.
2. The ePUB is converted to MOBI using KindleGen.
3. The MOBI is sent to the client via Dropbox (irrelevant here although we are going to test if the file is somehow getting corrupted via Dropbox).
4. The client emails the MOBI to their Kindle.
5. The MOBI is readable on the Kindle but image zooming doesn't work.

I have attached the MOBI if anyone would be kind enough to test and let me know if image zooming works as expected.

Thanks

Dropbox is NOT corrupting your files. My entire company lives and dies on Dropbox; we have, literally, thousands of folders and likely tens of thousands of files. Hell, for all I know, including fonts, images, etc., over a hundred thousand files spread over the entire crew. We've NEVER had Dropbox corrupt a file. Not in over 5 years, maybe closer to 7; can't remember.

NOW: Does this mobi have this:

div._idGenPageitem-2 {
	display:inline-block;
	height:247px;
	width:342px;
}

...like the ePUB, constraining the image size? in actual, fixed PIXELS? Did you try changing that, to see if suddenly, you could zoom the image?

A personal note to my MR peeps:

Spoiler:

To my MR friends: as some of you may have read on the V&R thread, I've had a couple of pretty vexing months, personally; my 48-y.o. baby bro died suddenly in May, and my husband had a massive heart attack on the 12th of this month--10 days ago. He's fine, we were extraordinarily lucky. So, I want to apologize for being bitchier than usual. I am not posting this for sympathy; thanks but no thanks. I just know that my usual sunny (okay, not sunny, but...) self isn't, and I'm explaining the why of it.

Hitch