Calibre exclude format conversion when adding books

[jhparizona]

I have gone through the preferences and plugins several times as well as searching the Internet and forums without finding an answer to this question. It may be that Calibre can not do this at this time.

When adding books to library, I want to be able to exclude reformatting AZW3 to MOBI. I have the preference set to automatically convert books to default output which is MOBI. I import quite a few EPUB, MOBI, and AZW3 files and have turned on the auto conversion to remove the conversion step post importation. But it also converts AZW3 files which my kindle can read and makes no sense to convert to MOBI.

If Calibre is not capable of excluding formats from the auto conversion feature at this time, can someone point me to the correct place for feature requests for Calibre.

Thanks, jim

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by jhparizona

..

When adding books to library, I want to be able to exclude reformatting AZW3 to MOBI. I have the preference set to automatically convert books to default output which is MOBI. ..
Thanks, jim

it is that preference which you have set that is causing auto convert on import. either turn it off or change it from MOBI to AZW.

[HarryT]

Moved to the Calibre forum.

[jhparizona]

Originally Posted by cybmole

it is that preference which you have set that is causing auto convert on import. either turn it off or change it from MOBI to AZW.

Thanks, but I am aware that is an option and the reason I posted that I had that option turned on and the reasons why I wanted to leave it on. If Calibre can not allow for the exclusion of formats when auto converting, just let me know and point me to where I can make that a feature request.

[HarryT]

Given that AZW3 is a "richer" format than Mobi, if you do auto-conversion, could you not solve all your problems by setting AWZ3 as your auto-convert format, rather than Mobi? As things stand, when you convert ePub to Mobi, you're throwing away a lot of formatting information that's in the book, whereas ePub to AZW3 is (pretty much) lossless.

If you have a Kindle, it makes a lot more sense to use AZW3 as your default format, and not Mobi.

[chaley]

No, you cannot exclude formats from being auto-converted.

The page http://calibre-ebook.com/bugs tells you how to request features.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Given that AZW3 is a "richer" format than Mobi, if you do auto-conversion, could you not solve all your problems by setting AWZ3 as your auto-convert format, rather than Mobi? As things stand, when you convert ePub to Mobi, you're throwing away a lot of formatting information that's in the book, whereas ePub to AZW3 is (pretty much) lossless.

If you have a Kindle, it makes a lot more sense to use AZW3 as your default format, and not Mobi.

i was just about to post that suggestion , but you got there first

I am not a fan of the "auto convert when add books" option. I just added a few game guide PDFs, forgetting that I had left that option ticked after testing it for some other thread, , & calibre launched a bunch of long + unwanted pdf to epub conversions.

I wonder also how if it plays nice with other auto options, is there a risk of add + auto convert + merge duplicates leading to an overwrite of an existing book, or does auto convert look ahead & conclude " no need to do that one, the target format already exists ? "

[kovidgoyal]

When a book has both mobi and azw3 formats, you can tell calibre to automatically send the azw3 in preference to the mobi when sending books to the kindle by right clicking the kindle icon in calibre and choosing customize this device.

[jhparizona]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Given that AZW3 is a "richer" format than Mobi, if you do auto-conversion, could you not solve all your problems by setting AWZ3 as your auto-convert format, rather than Mobi? As things stand, when you convert ePub to Mobi, you're throwing away a lot of formatting information that's in the book, whereas ePub to AZW3 is (pretty much) lossless.

If you have a Kindle, it makes a lot more sense to use AZW3 as your default format, and not Mobi.

Thanks, for some reason, 2 years ago or so, I had read somewhere that Mobi was the preferred format. Maybe it was that it was readable on other devices, I do not remember. Researching this question, I found what you said to be true and have switched to AZW3 as the default format.

[jhparizona]

Originally Posted by chaley

No, you cannot exclude formats from being auto-converted.

The page http://calibre-ebook.com/bugs tells you how to request features.

Thanks, although some have valid reasons for not using the auto convert feature, I am going to request this a feature request. Progmatically not a big change.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by jhparizona

Thanks, for some reason, 2 years ago or so, I had read somewhere that Mobi was the preferred format. Maybe it was that it was readable on other devices, I do not remember. Researching this question, I found what you said to be true and have switched to AZW3 as the default format.

2 years ago that may have been true (for the majority of existing. models)
A lot of new Kindle models have been made since that time

[HarryT]

Only reason to use Mobi is if you intend to email the file to your Kindle. You can't email AZW3 files.