Pdf to fixed layout epub - Page 2

scissors · 02-16-2021, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

If you really want to generate a FLO epub with a WYSIWYG tool, you are probably going to end up looking at Adobe's applications, mostly at InDesign.

thanks for confirming this.

Hitch · 02-16-2021, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scissors

thanks for confirming this.

If you mean, a fixed-layout ePUB, for iOS, etc., yes. But to this day, even though we use INDD extensively for our print layout work, I would never use INDD to build a reflowable ebook. I would still do it the old-school way, building from a source file (Word, Pages, etc) and then cleaning up the cruft in the HTML export. Pages (the Mac product) has an ePUB export; the cleanup takes a while, but it's doable.

With Word, you have to export to HTML first, then put that into a suitable editor to clean it up, but IME, it's six of one, half-dozen of another.

I went to look at your book, but the .uk store apparently wants me to sign up for another membership there (sigh), or the like. I'll see if I can just buy it outright instead.

Hitch

jhowell · 02-16-2021, 03:13 PM

Here is some additional detail from my investigation of Walks Around the Midlands. I looked at it using Kindle apps on iOS, Android, Fire, and PC. It is in Kindle Unlimited and available in the Amazon US store at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TVWQNML

Under iOS the book downloads in azw4 format (aka MOP). That format is a variant of MOBI that has long been used for print replica books. It contains a PDF that is only used to render page images, not for any other functionality. (kindleunpack can be used to extract the PDF from a MOP file.) MOP format also includes a simple table of words with the coordinates where they occur on each page. This allows for highlighting and annotations, but there is no provision for links as far as I can tell.

Under the other platforms the book downloads in the much newer print replica variant of KFX format generated by Kindle Create. Internally it has several PDF files each containing around 20 pages of the book, also used only to produce page images. This format has additional content coded in a way that is similar to fixed layout EPUB, allowing more functionality including links and pop-ups.

Some of the links work and some do not. As far as I can tell links that are not at the start of a block of text do not function. There does not appear to be anything wrong with the internal coding of those links. I assume there is a bug in the KFX renderer causing them to be currently non-functional.

Quoth · 02-16-2021, 03:35 PM

I did the "Look Inside"
I didn't see anything that wouldn't work better as reflowable epub2. No problem having a page break on every waypoint. No internal or external links worked on the preview.
I then used "Look Inside" on some Amazon ebooks uploaded as reflowable epub2 to KDP. Both internal and external links all work.

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02-16-2021, 03:13 PM	#18
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,498 Karma: 84420419 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tampa Bay, Florida Device: Kindles	Here is some additional detail from my investigation of Walks Around the Midlands. I looked at it using Kindle apps on iOS, Android, Fire, and PC. It is in Kindle Unlimited and available in the Amazon US store at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TVWQNML Under iOS the book downloads in azw4 format (aka MOP). That format is a variant of MOBI that has long been used for print replica books. It contains a PDF that is only used to render page images, not for any other functionality. (kindleunpack can be used to extract the PDF from a MOP file.) MOP format also includes a simple table of words with the coordinates where they occur on each page. This allows for highlighting and annotations, but there is no provision for links as far as I can tell. Under the other platforms the book downloads in the much newer print replica variant of KFX format generated by Kindle Create. Internally it has several PDF files each containing around 20 pages of the book, also used only to produce page images. This format has additional content coded in a way that is similar to fixed layout EPUB, allowing more functionality including links and pop-ups. Some of the links work and some do not. As far as I can tell links that are not at the start of a block of text do not function. There does not appear to be anything wrong with the internal coding of those links. I assume there is a bug in the KFX renderer causing them to be currently non-functional.

02-16-2021, 03:35 PM	#19
Quoth the rook, bossing Never. Posts: 11,173 Karma: 85874891 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper11	I did the "Look Inside" I didn't see anything that wouldn't work better as reflowable epub2. No problem having a page break on every waypoint. No internal or external links worked on the preview. I then used "Look Inside" on some Amazon ebooks uploaded as reflowable epub2 to KDP. Both internal and external links all work.