Thumbnail previews for epub files in Window explorer folders?

gate1975mlm · 08-09-2014, 11:01 AM

Hello,

Is there any chance a new feature could be added where you would be able to see thumbnail previews when viewing all your epub files in a window explorer folder? I like opening my epub files using the e-book viewer from with in explorer folders.And it would be great if I could use thumbnails so I could see the e book covers.

I would like this for the 64 bit version as that is the one I use.

Thanks

cybmole · 08-10-2014, 03:02 AM

surely i'ts windows that controls what you see in a windows explorer folder, not calibre ?
how it works for pdf - i think is that windows calls the app for that file type - adobe - & it generates the picture icon which typically shows a cover page thumbnail, then hands that back to windows to cache.

I doubt that windows bothers to call anything for epub format.

BetterRed · 08-10-2014, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybmole

surely i'ts windows that controls what you see in a windows explorer folder, not calibre ?
how it works for pdf - i think is that windows calls the app for that file type - adobe - & it generates the picture icon which typically shows a cover page thumbnail, then hands that back to windows to cache.

I doubt that windows bothers to call anything for epub format.

Windows will show them if someone implements a Thumbnail Provider for the 'epub' file type, see ==>> Thumbnail Handlers (Windows).

If anyone's minded to do so, then they might want to consider doing an 'epub' Preview Provider and an IFilter for 'epub'.

BR

theducks · 08-10-2014, 04:07 AM

The big question:
'Is this requested feature supported by all of the Calibre supported OS?'

Kovid usually does not put effort into 1 OS type features (patches welcome, is a typical answer)

eschwartz · 08-10-2014, 04:12 AM

Perhaps someone would like to write an EPUB thumbnails for Windows program...

But this is a little beyond calibre's scope.

(I imagine all OSes offer something to do this, I know linux file explorers show thumbnails for images/videos/PDF. I would be very surprised if it wasn't modular.

)

AnemicOak · 08-10-2014, 04:22 AM

Some threads that may be on interest to the OP...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=208260
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?t=35505#5
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=203615

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Thumbnails

BetterRed · 08-10-2014, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Some threads that may be on interest to the OP...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=208260
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?t=35505#5
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=203615

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Thumbnails

- CBX Shell and the registry hack did the trick. Good to have,

BR

cybmole · 08-10-2014, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Windows will show them if someone implements a Thumbnail Provider for the 'epub' file type, see ==>> Thumbnail Handlers (Windows).

If anyone's minded to do so, then they might want to consider doing an 'epub' Preview Provider and an IFilter for 'epub'.

BR

still seems pointless to me. anyone using calibre already has a very good cover browser, so why bother to browse with windows explorer?

gate1975mlm · 08-10-2014, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Some threads that may be on interest to the OP...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=208260
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?t=35505#5
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=203615

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Thumbnails

CBX Shell Manager and the registry hack worked for me

Now all epub files are showing the book covers in Windows Explorer.

I have it working on Windows 7 64 Bit and also Windows 8.1 64 Bit and hopefully on Windows 9 when that is released too

cybmole · 08-10-2014, 11:40 AM

lurking & tracking:
so what program is now generating the thumbnails - calibre ?
and where are the thumbnails coming from - inside of the epub I assume, from the cover.html page ?
is there any dependency on needing those epubs to also be in a calibre library somewhere on the system ?

I followed the midde link, given above, which has the required registry hack code but it's all done with numbers! so i'ts not obvious to me exactly "how" it is working.

Also, is the "hack that woklred" dependent on what program you have associated with epub in file associations - becuase in my case that is set to sigil not calibre & I would not want to have to change it, just to get thumbnails

eschwartz · 08-10-2014, 11:53 AM

The Wiki link describes it. calibre is not involved at all, and it doesn't matter what the default Open With is.

cybmole · 08-10-2014, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

The Wiki link describes it....

ok - my bad - I did not follow all of the links - so CBX shell is what does all the hard work.

cybmole · 08-10-2014, 02:09 PM

well I msut have missed something.
I followed the stuff in italics, from the given link - pasted below ( win 7 64 bit)
i.e. I downloaded & installed CBX Shell & and ran it -though it did nothing obvious.
then I pasted the given 3 lines into notepad, saved as thumb.reg. ran that
windows said OK- added to registry.
Then opened my Ade directory but all I see is sigil icons on the epubs therein.
thought well maybe it does not worked for drm files so I opened a random folder in calibre library - saw the same there ?
i checked icons - small, medium large & also tiles, in the windows view options

so do I need a reboot or something to make it work, or have i missed a step somehow ?
( I have also run regedit & used find to locate epub - & I see the stuff inserted OK )

I followed this procedure. It's based on what Scruffy says but for Windows 7 (and in my case Windows 8.1) it is suggested to use CBX Shell. That is, (1) install CBX Shell, and (2) add the shell extension (i.e. put the following in a 'thumbs.reg' file and add it to the Registry):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.epub\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{9E6ECB90-5A61-42BD-B851-D3297D9C7F39}"

BetterRed · 08-10-2014, 05:58 PM

@cybmole - I followed the same procedure and worked for me. No reboot necessary. See attachment for a screen shot of the actual registry entry.

As to its usefulness, some people don't use the calibre GUI at all, and others only use it as a catalogue. Via Save to Disk templates, the latter keep their 'books' in a folder structure whose structure they control.

BR

cybmole · 08-11-2014, 12:33 AM

strange, I see exactly that in registry

I only did this out of curiosity , I did not plan on getting sucked into a lengthy debugging !
i assume that gobbledegook is what links cbx shell to the epub type ?
maybe I have the wrong version of CBZ shell. 4.6.2. it's not a very informative program so hard to tell ?. or it may be kidding me that it installed properly, I use that anti-ransomware cryprto prevent freeware which blocks new code from installing via appdata so I'd better check that & see if anything needs whitelisting

08-09-2014, 11:01 AM	#1
gate1975mlm Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Nook HD Plus	Thumbnail previews for epub files in Window explorer folders? Hello, Is there any chance a new feature could be added where you would be able to see thumbnail previews when viewing all your epub files in a window explorer folder? I like opening my epub files using the e-book viewer from with in explorer folders.And it would be great if I could use thumbnails so I could see the e book covers. I would like this for the 64 bit version as that is the one I use. Thanks

08-10-2014, 02:09 PM	#13
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	well I msut have missed something. I followed the stuff in italics, from the given link - pasted below ( win 7 64 bit) i.e. I downloaded & installed CBX Shell & and ran it -though it did nothing obvious. then I pasted the given 3 lines into notepad, saved as thumb.reg. ran that windows said OK- added to registry. Then opened my Ade directory but all I see is sigil icons on the epubs therein. thought well maybe it does not worked for drm files so I opened a random folder in calibre library - saw the same there ? i checked icons - small, medium large & also tiles, in the windows view options so do I need a reboot or something to make it work, or have i missed a step somehow ? ( I have also run regedit & used find to locate epub - & I see the stuff inserted OK ) I followed this procedure. It's based on what Scruffy says but for Windows 7 (and in my case Windows 8.1) it is suggested to use CBX Shell. That is, (1) install CBX Shell, and (2) add the shell extension (i.e. put the following in a 'thumbs.reg' file and add it to the Registry): Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.epub\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}] @="{9E6ECB90-5A61-42BD-B851-D3297D9C7F39}" Last edited by cybmole; 08-10-2014 at 02:12 PM.

08-10-2014, 05:58 PM	#14
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 20,598 Karma: 26954694 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@cybmole - I followed the same procedure and worked for me. No reboot necessary. See attachment for a screen shot of the actual registry entry. As to its usefulness, some people don't use the calibre GUI at all, and others only use it as a catalogue. Via Save to Disk templates, the latter keep their 'books' in a folder structure whose structure they control. BR Attached Thumbnails

08-11-2014, 12:33 AM	#15
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	strange, I see exactly that in registry I only did this out of curiosity , I did not plan on getting sucked into a lengthy debugging ! i assume that gobbledegook is what links cbx shell to the epub type ? maybe I have the wrong version of CBZ shell. 4.6.2. it's not a very informative program so hard to tell ?. or it may be kidding me that it installed properly, I use that anti-ransomware cryprto prevent freeware which blocks new code from installing via appdata so I'd better check that & see if anything needs whitelisting Last edited by cybmole; 08-11-2014 at 12:36 AM.

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08-10-2014, 03:02 AM	#2
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	surely i'ts windows that controls what you see in a windows explorer folder, not calibre ? how it works for pdf - i think is that windows calls the app for that file type - adobe - & it generates the picture icon which typically shows a cover page thumbnail, then hands that back to windows to cache. I doubt that windows bothers to call anything for epub format.

08-10-2014, 04:07 AM	#4
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,837 Karma: 54837878 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	The big question: 'Is this requested feature supported by all of the Calibre supported OS?' Kovid usually does not put effort into 1 OS type features (patches welcome, is a typical answer)

08-10-2014, 04:12 AM	#5
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Perhaps someone would like to write an EPUB thumbnails for Windows program... But this is a little beyond calibre's scope. (I imagine all OSes offer something to do this, I know linux file explorers show thumbnails for images/videos/PDF. I would be very surprised if it wasn't modular. )

08-10-2014, 04:22 AM	#6
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Some threads that may be on interest to the OP... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=208260 https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?t=35505#5 https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=203615 https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Thumbnails

08-10-2014, 11:40 AM	#10
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	lurking & tracking: so what program is now generating the thumbnails - calibre ? and where are the thumbnails coming from - inside of the epub I assume, from the cover.html page ? is there any dependency on needing those epubs to also be in a calibre library somewhere on the system ? I followed the midde link, given above, which has the required registry hack code but it's all done with numbers! so i'ts not obvious to me exactly "how" it is working. Also, is the "hack that woklred" dependent on what program you have associated with epub in file associations - becuase in my case that is set to sigil not calibre & I would not want to have to change it, just to get thumbnails

08-10-2014, 11:53 AM	#11
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	The Wiki link describes it. calibre is not involved at all, and it doesn't matter what the default Open With is.

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