Needed: Customization for ePub

[Javed]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Wallcraft and all:

I have known you for almost 2 years now and you have been one of the most insightful people I have known. Everything you write is clear and well thought out and meant to help.

So, I have copied entirely your suggestion and Dale DePriest's comments and added my own support and sent it to the factory.

IF they will do this it will help them immensely and help all Pocket PRO and EZ Reader users.

to pass this on Robert!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by omro

Like an mp4 to avi converter program? Maybe someone can write an executable that reads an epub and changes the CSS and writes it back out?

I was thinking more on the line of making Preference settings (sent) to the PEz that override or make up for missing styles so you did not have to convert every book.
Example. Most books I read. I have to change the zoom level to 3 when I first start the book. Just set new xformat books to Y preferences. Individual overide is the exception..not the norm :/

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by omro

Maybe someone can write an executable that reads an epub and changes the CSS and writes it back out?

Calibre can do this via its --extra-css option, but only for DRM-free ePubs, see Fonts and Epub - What works on Sony, Works for Pocket Pro too! The extra CSS you need is identical to userStyle.css, and like userStyle.css you can refer to local fonts because you know they are in the right folder (because you put them there) - there is no need to embed the fonts in each ePub.

I have not looked to see if .css files are typically encrypted in DRMed ePubs. If not, then it might be possible to write a simple utility to add a userStyle.css to any existing ePub.

[omro]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Calibre can do this via its --extra-css option, but only for DRM-free ePubs, see Fonts and Epub - What works on Sony, Works for Pocket Pro too! The extra CSS you need is identical to userStyle.css, and like userStyle.css you can refer to local fonts because you know they are in the right folder (because you put them there) - there is no need to embed the fonts in each ePub.

I have not looked to see if .css files are typically encrypted in DRMed ePubs. If not, then it might be possible to write a simple utility to add a userStyle.css to any existing ePub.

and this works on a feedbooks.com epub which seems to be full of css files which is why I couldn't make the font change stick

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Wallcraft and all:

I have known you for almost 2 years now and you have been one of the most insightful people I have known. Everything you write is clear and well thought out and meant to help.

So, I have copied entirely your suggestion and Dale DePriest's comments and added my own support and sent it to the factory.

IF they will do this it will help them immensely and help all Pocket PRO and EZ Reader users.

Robert, do you think it possible to include with the next email to the factory to update the version of the fb2 and lit parser (for those who have lit files that don't open)? The fb2 version on the PP is from 05/2008, and currently that version doesn't work with all fb2 files - they start to open then either lock the system or you are put back to the bookshelf.

I haven't been able to narrow down the issue, some 1mb fb2 files open, and some that are 300k won't - so it isn't a file size issue. The LBook firmware opens fb2 flawlessly (which is running a new fb2 parser version).

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

Robert, do you think it possible to include with the next email to the factory to update the version of the fb2 and lit parser (for those who have lit files that don't open)? The fb2 version on the PP is from 05/2008, and currently that version doesn't work with all fb2 files - they start to open then either lock the system or you are put back to the bookshelf.

I haven't been able to narrow down the issue, some 1mb fb2 files open, and some that are 300k won't - so it isn't a file size issue. The LBook firmware opens fb2 flawlessly (which is running a new fb2 parser version).

Dear Solicitous:

We all know that something needs to be imprived on the LIT format. I am convinced that it is not only a matter of size.

Regarding the FB2... this is what I needed. Knowing that it is a long superceeded version is a very valid point.

I am sending all of this to the factory also.

It is hard this time of year. The pressure on the factory to get ready for CES, get their booth ready, choose personnel, and get protoypes ready to show is enormous. So... I have been asked to try to take it a bit easy on them under mid-January.

However, your points are not only "noted"... they need to be remedied.

[wallcraft]

There is now a hack to add a user-accessible userStyle.css on the PRS-505, see Replace DEFAULT epub fonts! (PRS-505). So it is the first EInk device to allow this. This was very easy implement, pepak replaced 9 characters in the executable image! If Jinke (rather than a user hack) implemented this they would change the source code, but we now know a simple approach is to change adobe/pfx to abook/css (say) in the actual binary executable image (with this approach we must change 9 characters to another 9 characters).

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

There is now a hack to add a user-accessible userStyle.css on the PRS-505, see Replace DEFAULT epub fonts! (PRS-505). So it is the first EInk device to allow this. This was very easy implement, pepak replaced 9 characters in the executable image! If Jinke (rather than a user hack) implemented this they would change the source code, but we now know a simple approach is to change adobe/pfx to abook/css (say) in the actual binary executable image (with this approach we must change 9 characters to another 9 characters).

Definitely doable, except I just searched a jinke .bin file for the suggested string and it does not appear to be there. searching for Adobe, and adobe found matches but nothing nearby that looks like a path to a user css.

[tamzilla]

Well, Bookeen must be making use of the userStyle.css since in their latest ePub firmware revision for the Gen3 you can change the font and turn justified text on and off via menu options. They also give you 12 choices of font sizes. Unfortunately, the firmware is unusable on my old first ed. Gen3 - it crashes every 5 minutes. I noticed that the font change didn't work on a couple of my ePubs, but that probably has something to do with the book's CSS file and not the Gen3 firmware.

I wish Jinke would follow Bookeen's lead and implement this feature - it would go a good way in making the ePub format as user friendly as the mobi format.

[Sullivan]

this is a great feature, must check the generation on my sony (cannot imagine how I never did that, knowing the hell I've been through with the PSP). thank you.

[hapmas77]

I'm thinking differently.

Is it possible to somehow 'trick' the default font in the Pocket Pro firmware with our own font? I mean, when the CSS is looking for 'times.ttf' font in the system, it will instead read a 'dejavu-serif.ttf' font or any other fonts which we renamed as 'times.ttf'.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by hapmas77

Is it possible to somehow 'trick' the default font in the Pocket Pro firmware with our own font? I mean, when the CSS is looking for 'times.ttf' font in the system, it will instead read a 'dejavu-serif.ttf' font or any other fonts which we renamed as 'times.ttf'.

You would have to physically replace the Adobe-provided fonts in the Adobe font folder on the system partition with different fonts. I think the Kindle font hacks work this way, and it would likely be easier on the Pocket Pro than the Kindle to do this.