[GUI Plugin] Copy book covers as Standby images (Sony/Kindle/Nook)

[cybmole]

50 is more than enough for me, I usually have less than 20 books on my reader - but I know from other discussions that some folks like to install 100s of books. My disc utilisation on readers never gets above single figure %, and that's with some audio files on there also!

if someone wants 500 books why not let them also have 500 covers.
I am thinking that once this plug is fully evolved & integrated with calibre, I'll be able to tick a calibre option box saying always send cover , via the plug in, when sending book.

I will beta test it on sony prs650 if that helps. I do also have a Kindle (but not jailbroken & not in active use) and my wife has a Kobo.

I don't know for sure how many "dead author" images are in a new Kindle, I except there's a list somewhere & I'd guess 15-20.

NB The Kobo already does what I'd like to see on Sony i.e. it displays the cover of the currently open book as its screensaver when put into sleep mode.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by cybmole

The Kobo already does what I'd like to see on Sony i.e. it displays the cover of the currently open book as its screensaver when put into sleep mode.

If I'd had that option I don't think I'd ever have bothered to create this plugin. I wonder how satisfied the readers of DRM'd books are though. Some of the covers in retail ebooks are pretty uninteresting.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

If I'd had that option I don't think I'd ever have bothered to create this plugin. I wonder how satisfied the readers of DRM'd books are though. Some of the covers in retail ebooks are pretty uninteresting.

I agree - I always strip DRM, edit metadata....

why stop at book covers though - it would also be good to have your plug-in take any picture from any folder on PC & send it to Sony, doing the sizing & grey scale conversion stuff en-route... I suppose that coucd be done now by adding pseudo empty books to calibre librarydatabase and then adding pictures form elsewhere on PC to those "book" entries, as pseudo-book covers

[elemenoP]

If you are going to allow copying all of your covers onto your device, it would be nice if it could create a filename based on the author/title, like SteinbeckEastOfEden.jpg or something like that. Of course, this is deviating from the original intent (which I love) which is one cover image with the same file name that just gets overwritten so you don't have to select it.

I also still wish it could automatically show the cover of the book you're reading like the Kobo does, but at least for Sony, this would have to be done by PRS+. I know there is a feature request for it, I hope they are working on it!

eP

[cybmole]

i suggest using the unique calibre database id, as part of the cover picture name. simpler than all possible author(s) + title permutations which could lead to max file lengths naming issues in some perverse cases.
so picture name is calibre-cover-{NNNNNN} where NNNNNN is the numeric ID which calibre assigns within it's database.
it is obvious, when viewing thumbnails on device, what the author/title is and using the calibre-ID could facilitate a future optional feature of auto-removing covers when removing books via the calibre interface.

[jackie_w]

There are also short term advantages to using the Calibre book id:

• In the new release I'm working on, if you choose to "add to existing covers" and inadvertantly copy the same book cover again you would just overwrite the earlier one rather than getting the same cover multiple times.
• It's easy enough for me to do (easily the most important consideration from my point-of-view )

The drawback may be the following scenario. You want to 'add to existing' the 10 covers from a whole book series. If you use the Calibre id the covers images will probably not be adjacent in the directory if you view them by filename. However, they should still all appear together if you view by date. Does this matter, I wonder?

Using author/title combination sounds appealing in theory, but filenaming conventions in non-English languages has got "can of worms" written all over it and I'd rather avoid it. Not to mention filename length, which would be difficult to read on a Sony if you were viewing images in "thumbnail mode".

I will ponder a little longer on the Calibre id option.

In addition, for those users who may have preferred to stick with the simple "single copy" option, I think I will retain the existing single filename of calibre_cover.jpg (or .bmp) so that no-one needs to reconfigure their device.

[kiwidude]

@jackie_w - don't forget that calibre book id is not unique across libraries...

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

@jackie_w - don't forget that calibre book id is not unique across libraries...

kiwidude - why do you have to be so rational and on-the-ball?

Then again, standby images on one's device are cosmetic, not life-threatening. If occasionally one can't have 2 (or more?) particular covers on the device at the same time how upset would one be? Speaking for myself, not very. On the other hand, having read the recent shocking Calibre thread of the bloke who trashed his Windows Desktop, it seems people are capable of being VERY UPSET INDEED.

[elemenoP]

well, an advantage to using author/title is being able to *find* the image, since on the Sony you can sort images by filename. I hear you on the difficulties, though.

Thanks!
eP

[nynaevelan]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

I'm not comfortable with the 'unlimited' option, but the 'add to existing' option is already in progress for the next release. So is a larger maximum. You originally requested 50, do you strongly feel that this is not enough?

I am really interested to know how many standby images people have typically been using on their readers (before using this plugin, of course). Is it dozens, hundreds or thousands?

When it's written would you like to volunteer to Beta test before release?

50 is good enough for me and I would be willing to beta test for the k2.

Nyn

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

@jackie_w - don't forget that calibre book id is not unique across libraries...

is that really a showstopper?

you are saying that i may send some book covers from library a, then switch library & send some more from library B with a risk of some overwriting?

well I for one could live with that. calibre already supports moving books from library A to B or vice verse, with or without deletion, so it's easy to work around if needed.

but better, find out how calibre does uniquely identify a book on the device & use that key in the cover name

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

well, an advantage to using author/title is being able to *find* the image, since on the Sony you can sort images by filename. I hear you on the difficulties, though.

Thanks!
eP

view by date works for me

surely the whole point of sending covers to device is that you DO want to see them uses as screensavers, so you will tick them ALL for use in sleep mode anyway.

& when you don't want to see them anymore you'll just send a new set with replace rather that add to option selected in plug-in

& for Sony, at least, the thumbnails make it easy to see what's what without paying attention to file names. I see how file names could be an issue though on , say, a kindle, if it does not do thumbnails.

[kiwidude]

I don't have a Sony and no interest in hacking my Kindle so I don't use the plugin and hence haven't been paying close attention to what the problem is attempting to be solved. I just saw a suggestion of using the calibre book id to attempt to identify something on the device and raised the point that in general that is not a good idea. Imagine a user who has a scifi library and a fantasy library. They then find some of their covers get overwritten, and don't understand why.

Now in the big scheme of things it probably isn't the end of the world in this particular case if it just concerns cover images, but imho you are better off finding an alternate solution that doesn't have such an obvious potential bug. What that solution is I have given zero thought to for the reasons above, I have my own plugin problems to solve...

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

... I have given zero thought to for the reasons above, I have my own plugin problems to solve...

Are you trying to tell me the world doesn't revolve around my little plugin?!! I'm wounded, kiwidude, deeply wounded...

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Are you trying to tell me the world doesn't revolve around my little plugin?!! I'm wounded, kiwidude, deeply wounded...

lol... sorry Jackie - I promise, if I had a Sony I would be using it and more proactive in offering suggestions to help...