CBZ Document Plugin (DR800S/SG)

[Dellaster]

Not only that, but there's no guarantee that the firmware won't change yet again before the final release, in a way that will break the plugin again, making any effort now completely wasted.

A working alternative is to use PDFill (free) to convert CBZs to PDFs. Unzip the CBZ, open PDFill PDF Tools and click "Convert Images to PDF". Navigate to where you unzipped all the images and select them all, making sure they're in the correct order (file names can mess up the order). Set it to make all the margins 0". Convert. Done.

The CBZ I tried this way was pretty much indistinguishable from how it looked and performed in the CBZ Document plugin. Please note, however, that as a PDF it's not going to be smart about orientation. The images will be "as is". Also note that the CBZ I used was filled with images already sized to 981 pixels high -- the exact visible vertical dimension for the DR800. I don't know how well things will work if it has to scale the images upon viewing.

Good luck!

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by Dellaster

I don't know how well things will work if it has to scale the images upon viewing.

PDF scaling is like ePub scaling: Meh. It seems to be an artifact of ADE's SDK, rather than a failing of the device.

The CBZ plugin actually does resampling when scaling.

[al1972]

Thank you for your advise. However, I'll wait for final release and working plugin.

[Kolenka]

So just to give a heads up here guys, I'm intending to get rid of my iRex at some point in the near future. I'm planning on keeping it around so I can update the plugin for the 2.0 firmware, but not too much longer than that.

The navigation hacks tool may be similarly updated, depending on how much the ctb app changed between the two firmware versions. The source will remain available, and I do encourage someone to pick it up and run with it if they so choose, but my device list is getting a bit unwieldy, and the iRex is one of the devices being cut.

Sorry to anyone who finds this an inconvenience down the road when something else breaks the plugin, but I figured I should give fair warning.

Again, I'll be working to make sure it is updated to work with 2.0.

[Kolenka]

Well, looks like the RC2 sources are out, so I'm gonna see what I need to do in order to get it compiling and working on 2.0 now. With how long it has taken to go from Beta to Final so far, the version for RC2 might be my last release.

Again, I encourage anyone with some programming experience to run with the project after me. I just won't be able to since I wont have the device itself once I back out of the project.

[netboy]

Thanks Kolenka for the hard work. I absolutely love your cbz and navi hack. I would have returned my dr800sg if it wasn't for those programs. Wish I was a programmer so I could help.

[al1972]

Originally Posted by netboy

Thanks Kolenka for the hard work. I absolutely love your cbz and navi hack. I would have returned my dr800sg if it wasn't for those programs. Wish I was a programmer so I could help.

Absolutely! Many thanks, Kolenka...Spasibo! And wish to be programmer as well...just user.

[dima_tr]

Hi, Kolenka! Last week I got DR800 - niccce! I have setup the cross-compile development environment on my Ubuntu laptop, and the test programs were ok. Looks like I'm ready to support the cbz plugin and/or other software you might have ported.

In [ambitious] plans:
- xMahgongg and Ace of Pinguines (I miss them on DR800);
- mp3 player (yes!).

I'll appreciate very much if you can give sources/directions/tips/tricks on DR800 porting.

Thanks!

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by dima_tr

Hi, Kolenka! Last week I got DR800 - niccce! I have setup the cross-compile development environment on my Ubuntu laptop, and the test programs were ok. Looks like I'm ready to support the cbz plugin and/or other software you might have ported.

In [ambitious] plans:
- xMahgongg and Ace of Pinguines (I miss them on DR800);
- mp3 player (yes!).

I'll appreciate very much if you can give sources/directions/tips/tricks on DR800 porting.

Thanks!

Curses! You edited your post before I could respond!

The cbz plugin wasn't really ported. The image plugin that was included with the DR800 sources was extended to understand zip files and the ComicBookLover style metadata.

It is based on GTK2, so there will be some standard controls, but when porting, you will need to pay close attention to how the widgets get laid out and possibly rewrite that section of code that does the layout. And it will get bigger as you have to touch more and more code to cleanup the layout so it makes sense on the smaller 8" screen compared to other laptops and the like.

Go slowly, experiment with what you can in the emulator and be happy that it won't do bad things before you ever let the code run on a real device. And my final tip, make sure the DR800 has an OTG USB chipset before you get too ambitious.

[dima_tr]

Would be very useful [for me] if you can give the working sources of cbz for DR800 v1 (January) - I'll do the diff against the image plugin sources, and thus will see what namely you've added/changed. If you have some alpha version of the cbz for DR800 v2 - this would be great indeed! If not - I'll work out how to move changes v1->v2. Many thanks!

P.S. OTG USB .. How to check it? My DR800S comes with the standard USB connector. Connection works fine with both Windows XP and Ubuntu. Does it mean I'm on the proper side? Links will help

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by dima_tr

Would be very useful [for me] if you can give the working sources of cbz for DR800 v1 (January) - I'll do the diff against the image plugin sources, and thus will see what namely you've added/changed. If you have some alpha version of the cbz for DR800 v2 - this would be great indeed! If not - I'll work out how to move changes v1->v2. Many thanks!

P.S. OTG USB .. How to check it? My DR800S comes with the standard USB connector. Connection works fine with both Windows XP and Ubuntu. Does it mean I'm on the proper side? Links will help

I always post the sources up in the first post when I release. They are the latest I have. I've not gotten to work on the v2 builds yet. The installer scripts aren't included in the sources, I don't think, but it's just a shell really. At one point I'm gonna have to put a script together that can package the installer from a build.

USB is a client/server model, rather than Firewire/SCSI's peer-to-peer model. One device must be the host, the other the client. Bad things happen if you don't handle it right.

USB On-The-Go was a spec/chipset for devices that allowed it to operate in both client and host mode. Not all devices do this, especially since it is additional cost. I honestly have no clue how you'd check it in this situation, turn it into host mode, or even if the driver stack will work correctly in host mode. It's a pretty big project to get it up and running.

When you were talking about USB audio in the post (before you edited it), that's the stuff you need to be able to do in order for the DR800 to do that.

[dima_tr]

eh, stupid me, sure the sources are in .. And the audio - we'll see At least I've made the first step - got an external card. Now I have some things to learn, grreat!

[al1972]

Hi, guys! Is any chance that plugin will be released again within near future?

[dima_tr]

Yes, I know where the source changes are, so it should not take too long. Hopefully this week I will devote an evening or two to get the thing running on my DR800S. Patience, young padawan!

[al1972]

Thank you! Great news! Keep my fingers crossed...