Calibre & E505 best conversion recipes?

[Locheil]

I've just splashed out on a Sony E505 & have been playing around with Calibre, with mixed results on the output to the E505.
i.e. some converted *.lit & PDF files, they convert ok, but when viewed in the E505 the screen will just freeze or it reboots! but it I convert to LRF all is ok!

Can we have a sticky with users favourite conversion workflow, with file type to & from, font size & style etc?

...Alan

[FrankNBeans]

Are you converting them or just synching them? I've never been prompted to select a format to convert to. I just select convert and it automatically converts it to LRF since it is the preferred format for the device.

[gwynevans]

You can set ePub or LRF (or Mobi!) as the output format via the drop-down on the main screen (top-right)

[Locheil]

Originally Posted by FrankNBeans

Are you converting them or just synching them? I've never been prompted to select a format to convert to. I just select convert and it automatically converts it to LRF since it is the preferred format for the device.

If its a PDF or TXT, I'll convert first before synching, but not to sure what is the prefered / best output regards format, font size & font type to the reader.

also

Problem I have with a lot of PDF's is that the original PDF has page numbers, footers & headers that become interspersed with the converted output!
Anyone know how to stop these crossing over to the converted file?

....Alan

[user_none]

Originally Posted by FrankNBeans

Are you converting them or just synching them? I've never been prompted to select a format to convert to. I just select convert and it automatically converts it to LRF since it is the preferred format for the device.

Auto convert if the ebook is not in a format supported by the reader was added in 0.6 (currently in beta). The stable 0.5.x series requires manual conversion to a supported format before sending.

Originally Posted by gwynevans

You can set ePub or LRF (or Mobi!) as the output format via the drop-down on the main screen (top-right)

Just a note, in 0.6 this has been moved to the preferences dialog.

Originally Posted by Locheil

If its a PDF or TXT, I'll convert first before synching, but not to sure what is the prefered / best output regards format, font size & font type to the reader.

User the 505 (might be 500) profile. It will take care of the majority of that stuff for you.

[LeoRivas]

Hi
The best results I have got is doing this (PRS-500 though):

1.-Prepare the text in MS Word (with table of contents if you want)
2.-Convert it to .lit using wordrmr utility (available on http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...0-6bca50c7d356 ) ... dont forget to download jpg book covers
3.-Check it out on MS reader for PC, does it look good?
4.-Drop it on Calibre and convert it to LRF
5.-Put your head between your legs and be ready for the impact
6.-Be amazed on how it looks on PRS
7.-Repeat as desired (specially steps 1 to 3)

I tried several other methods before I got this one, you have to be specially careful when copying-pasting from pdf, since it converts end of line into a carriage return, messing up the results, and getting line and half of text on the PRS (of course, reading pdf's directly on the unit is a lot uncomfortable).
Then I came up with this vb script for word that will clear that undesired carriage returns after pasting the text into word (it is not very elegant, but does its job):

Sub RemoveParagraph()
'
' RemoveParagraph Macro
' Elimina los marcadores de párrafo del texto seleccionado
' LR, May '09
    Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
    Selection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
    
    Dim arreglo As String
    
    
    
    With Selection.Find
        .Forward = True
        .Wrap = wdFindAsk
        .Format = False
        .MatchCase = False
        .MatchWholeWord = False
        .MatchWildcards = False
        .MatchSoundsLike = False
        .MatchAllWordForms = False
        .Forward = True
    End With
    
    'Remove undesired carriage return
    Dim letras As String
    Dim numletras As Integer
    Dim letra As String
    letras = "abcdefghijklmnñopqrstuvwxyzáéíóúABCDEFGHIJKLMNÑOPQRSTUVWXYZ,; "
    numletras = Len(letras)
    
    'Elimina los retornos de carro indeseados
    For a = 1 To numletras
    letra = Mid(letras, a, 1)
    Selection.Find.Replacement.Text = letra & " "
    Selection.Find.Text = letra & "^p"
    Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
    Next
    Selection.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphJustify
    
End Sub


Sub EliminaHeaders()

'Select undesired header and execute this

If Len(Selection.Text) < 3 Then
MsgBox ("Sin texto seleccionado o texto muy pequeño")
Exit Sub
End If

If MsgBox("You sure want to delete selected header(s)?", vbYesNo, "Alert") = vbNo Then Exit Sub


    Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
    Selection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
    
    Dim arreglo As String
    
    
    With Selection.Find
        .Forward = True
        .Wrap = wdFindAsk
        .Format = False
        .MatchCase = False
        .MatchWholeWord = False
        .MatchWildcards = False
        .MatchSoundsLike = False
        .MatchAllWordForms = False
        .Forward = True
        .Replacement.Text = ""
        .Text = Selection.Text
    End With
        
       Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
   
End Sub

Sub EliminaNumerosPagina()
    'Delete undesired page numbering (when copied from pdf)
    On Error GoTo Fallo
    
    Dim strNum
    
    strNum = InputBox("Type original page number", "Delete page numbering")
    num = CInt(strNum)
    
    For a = num To 0 Step -1
    letra = Str(a)
    Selection.Find.Replacement.Text = " "
    Selection.Find.Text = a & "^p"
    Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
    Next
       
    MsgBox ("Complete")
   Exit Sub
Fallo:
  MsgBox ("Something wrong happenned, please check: " & Err.Description)

End Sub

Hope it is useful, now I have made several books using this method and I am very satisfied, books look neat and professional on the prs, now is a real pleasure to read!
Leo

[Locheil]

Leo,

I've never used scripts before.... how do I run it?

...Alan

[LeoRivas]

Hi Alan

Do this in MSWord:

1.-Open Word
2.-Create a new doc or open an existing one
3.-Press alt-F11 (the same as selecting tools/macro/visual basic editor)
4.-Paste the script code into the code editor and save it
5.-To run, select 'RemoveParagraph' on tools/macro/macros and press run (you may also assign a button on the toolbar)

*Tip: if on step 3, vb editor opens but with no document, on left hand bar, right clic on Normal, then select Insert/Module. You can add macros to the current document or to Normal.dot file, I recommend creating macros on 'Normal' template , because that way the macro will be available for this and other docs.

*Tip2: As I said in the post above, this script is not that elegant, is more like a work in progress, so when you run it, you might be asked several times that "search string not found, start from beginning?" thing, but just click ok, it will do its job. This is because I first created the script to be executed on some selected text.

The RemovePageNumber function is to clear that annoying page numbers that appear everywhere when you copy/paste to word from pdf, the only drawback is that there is a risk that it may delete real numbers from the text... well, it will do it only if is followed by a carriage return... that is another thing to improve.

You are of course invited to modify it as you like with the only condition that if you improve it, share it with the rest!

Cheers
Leo

[Locheil]

... Thanks Leo!

...Alan