kindlegen plugin for Sigil

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by AlanHK

Everything else seems to work, BUT when I tried to run Kindlegen 0.53, which was working fine in Sigil 0.9.10, I get this error:

This problem is most likely caused by the legacy installer, because the plugin failed to import the PIL library, which should be bundled with Sigil. (The plugin works fine with the 64bit version.)

As a workaround comment out (or delete) the following sections from the code:

line 11

from PIL import Image

lines 556-569

    #------------------------------
    # check minimum cover width
    #------------------------------
    img = None
    if cover_id and os.path.splitext(bk.id_to_href(cover_id))[1][1:].upper() != 'SVG':
        imgdata = bk.readfile(cover_id)
        img = Image.open(BytesIO(imgdata)).convert('L')
        width, height = img.size
        if width < 500:
            plugin_warnings += '\nWarning: The cover is too small: ' + str(width) + ' x ' + str(height)
        # check recommended dpi
        if prefs['check_dpi'] == True:
            xdpi, ydpi = img.info['dpi']
            if (int(xdpi) or int(ydpi)) < 300:
                plugin_warnings += '\nInfo: Amazon recommends 300 dpi cover images. Your image has: ' + str(int(xdpi)) + ' x ' + str(int(ydpi)) + ' dpi.'

lines 897-915

        #================================================
        # generate mobi thumbnail image for eInk kindles
        #================================================
        if img and prefs['thumbnail'] == True:
            thumbnail_height = prefs['thumbnail_height']
            img.thumbnail((thumbnail_height, thumbnail_height), Image.ANTIALIAS)
            if prefs['add_asin'] == True:
                img_dest_path = os.path.join(dst_folder, 'thumbnail_' + asin + '_EBOK_portrait.jpg')
            else:
                if prefs['kfx'] == True and KFX_ASIN is not None:
                    img_dest_path = os.path.join(dst_folder, 'thumbnail_' + KFX_ASIN + '_EBOK_portrait.jpg')
                else:
                    img_dest_path = os.path.join(dst_folder, 'thumbnail_EBOK_portrait.jpg')
            img.save(img_dest_path)
            
            if os.path.isfile(img_dest_path):
                print('\nThumbnail copied to: ' + img_dest_path)
            else:
                print('\nPlugin Error: Thumbnail creation failed.')

[AlanHK]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

As a workaround comment out (or delete) the following sections from the code:

Yes. that works!

Thanks

-- PS however, it does not generate the thumbnail cover.
Since the fix was to comment out the code making that image, should have expected that.

[DiapDealer]

PIL (Pillow) is still bundled with the legacy version of Sigil 0.9.12. In fact the Kindlegen plugin works just fine for me when the legacy version of Sigil is installed on Windows 7 or Windows 10. I'm not near an XP machine (physical or virtual) to test why it might not be working there, but I suspect it has something to do with the update to the latest version of Pillow. Considering that the highest version of Python I can use on XP (3.4) is deprecated, and that Pillow is dropping support for Python 3.4 very soon (the next version of pip will drop python 3.4 support), my options to make it work might be limited.

[DiapDealer]

So apparently the Pillow v5.4.1 whl file explicitly created for 32-bit Python3.4 on Windows doesn't actually work for 32-bit Python3.4 on Windows XP (even though Python3.4 is supported on XP). Go figure!

This should be fixed now in the latest legacy build of Sigil (with no workaround necessary).

[LittleMissS]

I have Windows 10. I installed Sigel 0.9.0 and the Kindlegen plugin from links the in same YouTube video. …….However, when I try to create the preferences folder so I can change the compression by going to Plugins>Output>Kindlegen then click Start…. instead of getting an OK button to click so I can continue (so I can create a preferences file and change the compression number to make a smaller file size) I get the following error message…

Status: failed

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages\cssutils\util.py", line 18, in <module>
File "site-packages\cssutils\_fetchgae.py", line 7, in <module>
ImportError: No module named 'google'

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Program Files\Sigil\plugin_launchers\python\launcher.py", line 134, in launch
target_script = __import__(script_module)
File "C:\Users\bears\AppData\Local\sigil-ebook\sigil\plugins\KindleGen\plugin.py", line 14, in <module>
import cssutils
File "site-packages\cssutils\__init__.py", line 111, in <module>
File "site-packages\cssutils\util.py", line 20, in <module>
File "site-packages\cssutils\_fetch.py", line 8, in <module>
ImportError: No module named 'encutils'
Error: No module named 'encutils'

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by LittleMissS

I have Windows 10. I installed Sigel 0.9.0

Sigil 0.9.0 is outdated, please uninstall it and install the latest version.

Originally Posted by LittleMissS

[...] and the Kindlegen plugin

The latest version of the KindleGen plugin comes with a GUI and doesn't require any manual preference file edits. You also don't need to create a Preferences folder, because it'll be automatically generated by Sigil.
(You can access it by selecting Edit > Preferences > Open Preferences Location.)

[DiapDealer]

There's a Youtube video about installing the Kindlegen plugin in Sigil?

Holy carp! There's all kinds of Sigil videos on Youtube.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Holy carp! There's all kinds of Sigil videos on Youtube.

And most of them are outdated and reference program versions that are antiques.

[LittleMissS]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

Sigil 0.9.0 is outdated, please uninstall it and install the latest version.


The latest version of the KindleGen plugin comes with a GUI and doesn't require any manual preference file edits. You also don't need to create a Preferences folder, because it'll be automatically generated by Sigil.
(You can access it by selecting Edit > Preferences > Open Preferences Location.)

Thank you Doitsu

I installed 0.9.13 but forgot that you said

Originally Posted by Doitsu

(You can access it by selecting Edit > Preferences > Open Preferences Location.)

so I followed steps to create the preferences file. I am not sure if it was created as I don't know what to expect. I am not IT savvy.

Then I try to follow the steps to change the compression number but I cannot see the KINDELGEN.INI

Steps:
Open Plugins>ManagePlugins>Open Preferences>open Plugins folder>open Kindlegen folder>open Kindlegen.ini with notepad>line 20 Set compressions to 2


The bold bit I cannot do as I don't see Kindlegen.ini

Also, when I have missing TOC (whatever that is) and other things but I cannot find how to get the URL of the screen grabs to insert the screen grabs in here.

Do I need to update the Kindlegen plugin that I installed when I installed Sigil 0.9.0 or will the same plugin work with 9.0.13? If I have to update it How/where do i find the Kindlegen plugin to go with 0.9.13. I Googled but was left unclear.

[LittleMissS]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

Sigil 0.9.0 is outdated, please uninstall it and install the latest version.


The latest version of the KindleGen plugin comes with a GUI and doesn't require any manual preference file edits. You also don't need to create a Preferences folder, because it'll be automatically generated by Sigil.
(You can access it by selecting Edit > Preferences > Open Preferences Location.)

Thank you Doitsu

I installed 0.9.13 but forgot that you said

Originally Posted by Doitsu

(You can access it by selecting Edit > Preferences > Open Preferences Location.)

so I followed steps to create the preferences file. I am not sure if it was created as I don't know what to expect. I am not IT savvy.

Then I try to follow the steps to change the compression number but I cannot see the KINDELGEN.INI

Steps:
Open Plugins>ManagePlugins>Open Preferences>open Plugins folder>open Kindlegen folder>open Kindlegen.ini with notepad>line 20 Set compressions to 2


The bold bit I cannot do as I don't see Kindlegen.ini

Also, when I have missing TOC (whatever that is) and other things but I cannot find how to get the URL of the screen grabs to insert the screen grabs in here.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by LittleMissS

Then I try to follow the steps to change the compression number but I cannot see the KINDELGEN.INI

The latest version of the plugin no longer uses a KINDELGEN.INI file, because it comes with a GUI. If you installed Kindle Previewer in the default folder, all you have to do is run the KindleGen plugin via Plugins > Output > KindleGen.

[LittleMissS]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

If you installed Kindle Previewer in the default folder, all you have to do is run the KindleGen plugin via Plugins > Output > KindleGen.

I am assuming 'default' folder. you mean the folder Previewer would have downloaded to without me choosing? I don't recall now if I moved it or chose where to put it or just left it where it was installed.

1) Would reinstalling Previewer, Kindlegen and Sigil 0.9.13 in the same folder work? Is it even necessary?

A friend (who I cannot currently contact for a day or two) installed Kindle Previewer for me after I had Sigil 9.0.9 installed.

2)Will I need a different Kindle Previewer with Sigil 9.0.13?

[Doitsu]

1. You'll need to install the following:

a) Sigil 0.9.1.3

b) Amazon Kindle Previewer 3.30.

c) The KindleGen plugin (only if haven't already installed it)

When asked, accept whatever installation folder the installer suggests.
(If Sigil or Kindle Previewer is already installed, the installer will automatically update the existing version.)

After the installation, open an epub with Sigil and select Plugins > Output > KindleGen. This'll display a settings dialog box, which you can use to customize settings such as the compression value. (The plugin will remember this value.)

[LittleMissS]

I was given a link to post this here but can only see a Reply button. So sorry if wrong to use it.

Using Sigil 0.9.13 I did Table of Contents for both ePub and mobi (at least I think it did it for both).

When I then went to make the Kindle file via Plugins>Output>Kindlegen
I didn't get the Start button.

Instead I saw the words 'Status running' and saw a progressing motion type thing (green). I also got a box come up with 'SRL not found' 'Cover not found' (I've not added a cover {or images} yet I just want to create the kindle file and save at this stage so I can see the size before I add cover and images).

I had

Status: success

Plugin terminated by user.

Please click OK to close the Plugin Runner window.


As there was no Start button I clicked 'OK'.

I am confused about why it says Status: success but I see nothing telling me the file size or anything to let me know the file has been created.

[Doitsu]

Your problem is that the Youtube video that watched referred to software options that no longer exist.

For example, there's no Start button, because the current version of the KindleGen plugin starts automatically.

When you run the plugin for the first time simply ignore all the warning messages and don't click the Cancel button.

Eventually, you'll see the KindleGen messages that you're expecting to see.