losing line spacing when converting with Calibre

Stensie4JC · 01-13-2010, 05:18 PM

When I first got my reader I downloaded Calibre and batch-converted my library, which consisted mostly of .txt, .lit, and a few word files, to epub. The conversion went smoothly, but when I opened my files I discovered one solid block of text, without any breaks for paragraphs. each book is one massive paragraph. By then it was 2am and I had discovered my device read .txt files just fine, so I shelved the whole thing and forgot about it for awhile.

Now I've got some new .lit files I want to convert. I converted first to pdf, and got a few pages of correctly formatted text, then blank pages. I flipped through about fifteen blank pages and never found the rest of the text. So I re-converted my .lit files to .txt, and and chose the option "insert line breaks" on one of the menus, hoping to fix the problem. Still no good, I have a book-long paragraph.

Am I missing something? I'm not really tech-savvy, I just want a convenient way to read books.

kovidgoyal · 01-13-2010, 05:19 PM

Why not convert the lit file directly to EPUB?

Stensie4JC · 01-15-2010, 02:52 AM

I did in the first batch. Didn't work. Just a big paragraph.

DoctorOhh · 01-15-2010, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stensie4JC

When I first got my reader I downloaded Calibre and batch-converted my library, which consisted mostly of .txt, .lit, and a few word files, to epub. The conversion went smoothly, but when I opened my files I discovered one solid block of text, without any breaks for paragraphs. each book is one massive paragraph. By then it was 2am and I had discovered my device read .txt files just fine, so I shelved the whole thing and forgot about it for awhile.

For text files you have a few things you could try in the text input section. I usually check the Treat each line as a paragraph option.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stensie4JC

Now I've got some new .lit files I want to convert. I converted first to pdf, and got a few pages of correctly formatted text, then blank pages. I flipped through about fifteen blank pages and never found the rest of the text. So I re-converted my .lit files to .txt, and and chose the option "insert line breaks" on one of the menus, hoping to fix the problem. Still no good, I have a book-long paragraph.

First pdf is not a great format to convert from and should be avoided as any intermediate option.

I often convert lit files to epub and on very rare occasions I end up with a block of text as the output. When I get that as an output I usually trash that file. Most of the time lit files convert to epub beautifully. Lit files are my favorite input file to get an excellent epub. Of course I view the lit file prior to conversion and view the epub after. After all a poorly formatted lit file will still look poor after being converted.

In version 0.6.26 one of the features added I thought corrected your problem.

LIT Input: Handle LIT files that are really TXT files. Some poorly created LIT files are really just one big block of text. Now calibre will automatically convert that TXT into paragraphs based on blank lines. This will prevent errors when trying to convert the LIT files to EPUB.

Bottom line is once it is in the format of a solid block of text I don't think you can fix it without manually correcting the file.

As a last resort see if your lit files convert to prc or lrf. If either format is successful then convert that format to epub.

Good Luck

&

Stensie4JC · 01-19-2010, 02:32 PM

Thank you! I will give that a try.

edbro · 01-20-2010, 01:17 PM

I would convert it to an editable file and fix it in your word processor. I usually have to do this with text files. Most text files I get have a paragraph mark at the end of each line, not just at the end of a paragraph. So, I replace each set of double paragraph marks to an em dash, then replace each remaining para mark to a space, and finally replace all the em dashes with double para marks.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-19-2011, 08:16 PM

I have this same problem too. When I view the lit file in MS Reader, it looks fine, but conversion makes it one big paragraph. I tried the "treat each line as a paragraph" option, but the result was a non-text-wrapped file that crashed ADE.

Converting to mobi didn't result in a workable epub file, and converting to lrf created an lrf that calibre wouldn't convert at all. (I do have an older version of calibre, so I may have to update it before continuing.)

ldolse · 01-19-2011, 08:20 PM

Enable the preprocess option under Structure Detection - there is workaround code in there for this issue.

There is also a fix for this problem that just got checked in, the next release will convert these types of lit files correctly without any special settings.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-19-2011, 10:31 PM

Either that, a latest version of Calibre, or both, seemed to do the trick.

macthekitten · 01-23-2011, 04:47 PM

I get a goofier result once in a while - it's more like a few lines and then a half sentence followed by a few blank lines, and then a half sentence again... repeat....usually in about 3 or 4 line chunks. Believe me i have to REALLLY want to read that book to continue with it LOL but i have!

01-13-2010, 05:18 PM	#1
Stensie4JC Book Diva Posts: 76 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Nook Color	losing line spacing when converting with Calibre When I first got my reader I downloaded Calibre and batch-converted my library, which consisted mostly of .txt, .lit, and a few word files, to epub. The conversion went smoothly, but when I opened my files I discovered one solid block of text, without any breaks for paragraphs. each book is one massive paragraph. By then it was 2am and I had discovered my device read .txt files just fine, so I shelved the whole thing and forgot about it for awhile. Now I've got some new .lit files I want to convert. I converted first to pdf, and got a few pages of correctly formatted text, then blank pages. I flipped through about fifteen blank pages and never found the rest of the text. So I re-converted my .lit files to .txt, and and chose the option "insert line breaks" on one of the menus, hoping to fix the problem. Still no good, I have a book-long paragraph. Am I missing something? I'm not really tech-savvy, I just want a convenient way to read books.

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01-13-2010, 05:19 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,564 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Why not convert the lit file directly to EPUB?

01-15-2010, 02:52 AM	#3
Stensie4JC Book Diva Posts: 76 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Nook Color	I did in the first batch. Didn't work. Just a big paragraph.

01-19-2010, 02:32 PM	#5
Stensie4JC Book Diva Posts: 76 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Nook Color	Thank you! I will give that a try.

01-20-2010, 01:17 PM	#6
edbro Banned Posts: 640 Karma: 4911 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Grapevine, TX Device: iPad4	I would convert it to an editable file and fix it in your word processor. I usually have to do this with text files. Most text files I get have a paragraph mark at the end of each line, not just at the end of a paragraph. So, I replace each set of double paragraph marks to an em dash, then replace each remaining para mark to a space, and finally replace all the em dashes with double para marks.

01-19-2011, 08:16 PM	#7
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I have this same problem too. When I view the lit file in MS Reader, it looks fine, but conversion makes it one big paragraph. I tried the "treat each line as a paragraph" option, but the result was a non-text-wrapped file that crashed ADE. Converting to mobi didn't result in a workable epub file, and converting to lrf created an lrf that calibre wouldn't convert at all. (I do have an older version of calibre, so I may have to update it before continuing.)

01-19-2011, 08:20 PM	#8
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	Enable the preprocess option under Structure Detection - there is workaround code in there for this issue. There is also a fix for this problem that just got checked in, the next release will convert these types of lit files correctly without any special settings.

01-19-2011, 10:31 PM	#9
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Either that, a latest version of Calibre, or both, seemed to do the trick.

01-23-2011, 04:47 PM	#10
macthekitten Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 289 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Ontario Canada Device: PRS700	I get a goofier result once in a while - it's more like a few lines and then a half sentence followed by a few blank lines, and then a half sentence again... repeat....usually in about 3 or 4 line chunks. Believe me i have to REALLLY want to read that book to continue with it LOL but i have!