Kindle Previewer (a must have utility)

townsend · 05-02-2013, 02:10 PM

That Kindle Previewer is a real gem.

This is a must have free utility, for seeing how your book will look and behave on all the various Kindle devices.

I would even go so far as to say, a link to the Previewer home page, should be added to the Sigil menu bar under, Help.

Turtle91 · 05-02-2013, 03:06 PM

Hmmm...interesting idea.

Maybe instead of linking to the home page, you could have an option in settings that points to the install locations on the local machine of several different viewers. When enabled, a menu item will allow opening the current ePub in that program to view how it is displayed.

Settings:
- enter file location for ADE: ____________ (User Filled in with: "c:\program files\ADE\ADE.exe")
- enter file location for KindlePreviewer: ____________
- enter file location for SonyReader: ____________
- enter file location for Nook: ____________
- enter file location for ePubReader: ____________

Menu:
View current ePub in: =>
- ADE
- KindlePreviewer
- SonyReader
- Nook
- ePubReader

That would allow easy comparison of the different rendering styles. You could add a section in the help file that shows the links to each program's website.

DiapDealer · 05-02-2013, 03:28 PM

Yeah, no.

I get that's there's some crossover here, but the fact remains that Sigil creates ePubs. Kindle devices (and the Kindle Previewer) don't read/display/view ePubs. The Kindle Previewer will convert an ePub to a MOBI/KF8, but that's not the same thing.

Anyone who creates Kindle books already knows (or should learn) how to use Kindlegen/Previewer to do so. Besides, the inclusion of a proprietary software-based feature in an open-source application wouldn't really be very appropriate. Think about it ... "Click here to see what your ebook would like in a proprietary ebook format that this application doesn't handle/create/support!"

Turtle91 · 05-03-2013, 12:13 AM

So...what's your argument against all the other devices (ADE/Nook/Sony) that render ePubs differently??

It is an unfortunate fact that different companies decide to render ePubs differently, so a function in Sigil - which is an ePub development program not a QT5 development program - that allows one to see how it displays in those different programs would be convenient.

It's not like Sigil would be incorporating the code of those other programs - it is just making a convenient way to open the file with those other (already installed) programs. BTW, this functionality is fairly common and already in sigil....ever right click on an image file and select "open with"?.... So this would just carry on the same concept, but allow opening the ePub in those other programs.

If the program you "open with" happens to automatically convert the file into another (very common and popular format) - who cares? It's not Sigil creating that kindle file.

05-02-2013, 02:10 PM	#1
townsend Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 6366 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Sigil	Kindle Previewer (a must have utility) That Kindle Previewer is a real gem. This is a must have free utility, for seeing how your book will look and behave on all the various Kindle devices. I would even go so far as to say, a link to the Previewer home page, should be added to the Sigil menu bar under, Help.

05-02-2013, 03:06 PM	#2
Turtle91 A Hairy Wizard Posts: 3,093 Karma: 18727053 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charleston, SC today Device: iPhone 11/X/6/iPad 1,2,Air & Air Pro/Surface Pro/Kindle PW & Fire	Hmmm...interesting idea. Maybe instead of linking to the home page, you could have an option in settings that points to the install locations on the local machine of several different viewers. When enabled, a menu item will allow opening the current ePub in that program to view how it is displayed. Settings: - enter file location for ADE: ____________ (User Filled in with: "c:\program files\ADE\ADE.exe") - enter file location for KindlePreviewer: ____________ - enter file location for SonyReader: ____________ - enter file location for Nook: ____________ - enter file location for ePubReader: ____________ Menu: View current ePub in: => - ADE - KindlePreviewer - SonyReader - Nook - ePubReader That would allow easy comparison of the different rendering styles. You could add a section in the help file that shows the links to each program's website. Last edited by Turtle91; 05-02-2013 at 03:10 PM.

05-02-2013, 03:28 PM	#3
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,547 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Yeah, no. I get that's there's some crossover here, but the fact remains that Sigil creates ePubs. Kindle devices (and the Kindle Previewer) don't read/display/view ePubs. The Kindle Previewer will convert an ePub to a MOBI/KF8, but that's not the same thing. Anyone who creates Kindle books already knows (or should learn) how to use Kindlegen/Previewer to do so. Besides, the inclusion of a proprietary software-based feature in an open-source application wouldn't really be very appropriate. Think about it ... "Click here to see what your ebook would like in a proprietary ebook format that this application doesn't* handle/create/support!"* Last edited by DiapDealer; 05-02-2013 at 03:32 PM.

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05-03-2013, 12:13 AM	#4
Turtle91 A Hairy Wizard Posts: 3,093 Karma: 18727053 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charleston, SC today Device: iPhone 11/X/6/iPad 1,2,Air & Air Pro/Surface Pro/Kindle PW & Fire	So...what's your argument against all the other devices (ADE/Nook/Sony) that render ePubs differently?? It is an unfortunate fact that different companies decide to render ePubs differently, so a function in Sigil - which is an ePub development program not a QT5 development program - that allows one to see how it displays in those different programs would be convenient. It's not like Sigil would be incorporating the code of those other programs - it is just making a convenient way to open the file with those other (already installed) programs. BTW, this functionality is fairly common and already in sigil....ever right click on an image file and select "open with"?.... So this would just carry on the same concept, but allow opening the ePub in those other programs. If the program you "open with" happens to automatically convert the file into another (very common and popular format) - who cares? It's not Sigil creating that kindle file.

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