compiling multiple epubs to one

[holdit]

I have 20 separate chapters of e pubs saved in Sigil. I now need to combine all of them into one e pub and then separate the pages.

I have tried the following so far:

open chapter 1 and 2 in Sigil
select all html( in code view) in chapter 2
copy

paste into chapter 1

this gives me no styling and no images

second attempt

with chapter one e pub open
select all html ( in graphic view )in chapter 2
copy

paste into chapter 1

this gives me the styling BUT no images

is there a better way to do this as I cannot figure a way to copy all the images into the image folder.

any help?

HI

[theducks]

Open the starting book:
Add Existing: <second epub>
Add Existing: <third epub>

(Wash, spin: REPEAT)

Note: each additional EPUB will ADD the Stylesheet (renumbered if it has an name that is already used).

If they ANY are the same, SELECT (in the Book Browser) JUST those sections: Right-click: Link stylesheets: (select only ONE VERSION of the duplicated sheets . Any previous sheets will be de-referenced in those files. Be sure to re-link all necessary sheets if you use multiple sheets per section. If a section started out with 3 sheets used, it still needs 3 sheets)

Or just Search and replace the old sheet name with the current .
Run flight crew: It should report Unused CSS, Delete those

[phossler]

Open the starting book:
Add Existing: <second epub>
Add Existing: <third epub>

(Wash, spin: REPEAT)

I didn't realize you could merge multiple epubs so easily. I have a number of trilogies, etc. that I can merge into a single book file, and correct/reformat much easier that the way I had been doing it.

Now ... is there a downside to consolidating epubs like that? It would seem that the advantages outway the increase in size, etc.

Paul

[exaltedwombat]

Originally Posted by phossler

I didn't realize you could merge multiple epubs so easily. I have a number of trilogies, etc. that I can merge into a single book file, and correct/reformat much easier that the way I had been doing it.

Now ... is there a downside to consolidating epubs like that? It would seem that the advantages outway the increase in size, etc.

Paul

If you want one ebook with several chapters rather than lots of separate books, there seems little alternative! If you didn't pre-plan, you may end up with LOTS of stylesheets!

[meme]

If you use Add Existing to add a .epub file, you'll just end up with a .epub file in the Misc directory. So it won't be very useful. You would have to first unzip each of the epubs into separate directories, and then add all their .html files (which will also load their images and stylesheets). Or try the epubmerge plugin of calibre.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by meme

If you use Add Existing to add a .epub file, you'll just end up with a .epub file in the Misc directory. So it won't be very useful. You would have to first unzip each of the epubs into separate directories, and then add all their .html files (which will also load their images and stylesheets). Or try the epubmerge plugin of calibre.

That is what I did, Sigil did bring in the referenced stylesheet automatically

Sorry, forgot the unpack step

[phossler]

I thought that just clicking the [+] button was too easy

Still, unzipping into folders works

Paul

[theducks]

Originally Posted by phossler

I thought that just clicking the [+] button was too easy

Still, unzipping into folders works

Paul

Calibre has an plugin (disclaimer: have not used ) : EpubMerge

Then you might clean a bit in Sigil

[phossler]

Thanks for the tip -- EPubMerge does what it says, and seems to do it very well

Also seems to sequence number files with the same name (cover.jpg, cover1.jpg for ex)

of course you end up with all the stylesheets, but I think that for multi-part series this will work nicely and I'll be able to clean and re-format (assuming I don't make dumb RegEx mistakes)

Paul

[mrmikel]

It might be as well to just clean it up enough to pass validation without trying to make it pretty by eliminating extra references. Removing much of anything could unravel the whole thing and make a lot of work.

[holdit]

I found a good way to do this since I was having problems using the articles panel in InDesign using threaded text. I have 10 indd files, I exported each one as a straight e pub then opened each in Sigil. Unzipped each e pub and put in a folder then re opened each epub in Sigil and arranged the order of the elements. Copied all the HTML using "add existing HTML file" into a new Sigil doc. This copied over the style but no images.

Then select add Insert file and look for the folder which has the images inside ( the unzipped e pub) select the images and it will paste the images in there places as well as put the images at the end of the doc. Simply delete the images at the end of the doc and save.

Works like a charm, I'm sure there is a few different ways to do this but it worked for me.

thx
HI

[phossler]

@mrmikel --

It might be as well to just clean it up enough to pass validation without trying to make it pretty by eliminating extra references. Removing much of anything could unravel the whole thing and make a lot of work.

NOW you tell me. It was a little more effort than I had envisioned.

Combination of my C- knowledge of RegEx and the multiple passes through Calibre before I got them. I started by adding my preferred CSS and Fonts, and deleting a lot of multiple TOC's, and gif/jpg 'embellisments' that don't do well on my Kindle.

Deleted a lot of <p></p> breaks, things like that.

Paul

[mrmikel]

Better to work on the text elsewhere and bring it into Sigil at the end. That is where Sigil shines. Having to keep up all the overhead of an epub is time consuming and not really necessary until you are nearing the end anyway.

I think there is a big hole in the workflow for an html editor that is aimed at epubs instead of web pages. One that is relatively simple and does not add a lot of extraneous stuff and that will resave as html would be helpful for many, I believe. The word processors are too much. inDesign is way too much being designed for print media, though understandable if you are designing for print media and want ereader output too.

Using Sigil too early is like using the polishing cloth you use to put on the shiny finish on a car to get off road gunk.

[Notjohn]

>inDesign is way too much being designed for print media, though understandable if you are designing for print media and want ereader output too.

I spend a lot of time on the Kindle forums, and one of the recurring plaints is from people who have used InDesign and as a result made a mess of the e-book output. Previously I have used Word and Open Office (OO seems to do a better job of pagination and exporting to PDF) to make my paperbacks. Should I investigate InDesign? Is it primarily a word processor or a publisher's tool?

(I apologize for hijacking the thread! When I had to do something similar, I went back to the html and started over again, in part so as not to have twenty style sheets in a twenty-chapter book. This seemed a very quick fix.)

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

>inDesign is way too much being designed for print media, though understandable if you are designing for print media and want ereader output too.

I spend a lot of time on the Kindle forums, and one of the recurring plaints is from people who have used InDesign and as a result made a mess of the e-book output. Previously I have used Word and Open Office (OO seems to do a better job of pagination and exporting to PDF) to make my paperbacks. Should I investigate InDesign? Is it primarily a word processor or a publisher's tool?

(I apologize for hijacking the thread! When I had to do something similar, I went back to the html and started over again, in part so as not to have twenty style sheets in a twenty-chapter book. This seemed a very quick fix.)

nj:

We have and use INDD, but never for a book that isn't going to print. The headaches with exporting various styles, etc., are endless. I would never--never--abandon any word-processing program's output for INDD's. It is far simpler and easier to convert Word or OO or LO or Wordperfect or Atlantis' output to an ePUB than IDD's. Period. INDD is not a "word processor," by any means; you import (essentially) word-processed output to it and use it as a layout program. It's simply Pagemaker with a crapload of features on steroids.

Hitch