PDFCropper - Page 3

MrKyle · 12-31-2009, 04:19 PM

I decompiled PDFChopper to fix a bug I found, and even though Java DC's are generally pretty clean, the source was still a mess. One of many reasons why I wish the author could open it's source. It must be a money issue.

vstefanyuk · 01-04-2010, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrKyle

I decompiled PDFChopper to fix a bug I found, and even though Java DC's are generally pretty clean, the source was still a mess. One of many reasons why I wish the author could open it's source. It must be a money issue.

It is not freeware product. The latest version is 1.63, you can find it at www.pdfcropper.com

jessTay · 01-21-2010, 01:26 PM

Hi, I was just trying out the program, and my problem is that when I load in my original pdf files, I can do the first page fine and make it look great (it originally showed two pages to one pdf page and was able to split it into two pages), but when I click next page, it doesn't show the next page of my pdf... it's only the grey background. So I can't see my pdf to work with it.
I'm trying to reinstall to see if it just developed from an installing issue.

jessTay · 01-21-2010, 02:11 PM

Still not working even after reinstalled. One of my pdfs won't show ANYTHING when opened. Just the grey background. hmmm

greenapple · 01-22-2010, 01:59 AM

Is the project still in development? There hasn't been any update since 2008.

vstefanyuk · 01-29-2010, 02:56 AM

You can send me your pdf via e-mail. I can look at it.

My e-mail is vstefanyuk@gmail.com

vstefanyuk · 01-29-2010, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenapple

Is the project still in development? There hasn't been any update since 2008.

It is not under active development now. But I am going to release new version in spring.

DrZoidberg · 02-03-2010, 07:31 AM

I'm trying to crop a book (349 pages) with PDFCropper so I'm not in the mood to set the frame on every page. Is there a way to set the frame automatically on every page?

vstefanyuk · 02-05-2010, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrZoidberg

I'm trying to crop a book (349 pages) with PDFCropper so I'm not in the mood to set the frame on every page. Is there a way to set the frame automatically on every page?

You can send me your pdf (vstefanyuk@gmail.com). I will look at it and let you know about most optimal way to process it.

DrZoidberg · 02-05-2010, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstefanyuk

You can send me your pdf (vstefanyuk@gmail.com). I will look at it and let you know about most optimal way to process it.

I will thanks.

greenapple · 02-05-2010, 05:46 AM

I've used your program to work on a randomly selected PDF, as a test. The only parameters I changed were the screen size, as my jetBook's screen size is not preconfigured in your software.

However, on the PDF that was created, words were cut off on the left on some pages, and on the right on other pages. What is worse, I couldn't figure out what I needed to do to fix it.

I wonder if you could make your software more user friendly? Maybe a wizard to step through the essential settings?

Kralik · 02-09-2010, 07:02 PM

I'll share my experience in using PDFCropper for the jetBook. So far it has turned out to be a great help!

A bit of background: There are a few authors I like who have been releasing free versions of their books as downloads online. Unfortunately, they are only in PDF format -- mostly because they are scans (or perhaps PDF exports) of the books. As such, they don't work too well on the small jetBook screen. If I have it in portrait mode, the font is very small. In landscape, it's OK, but requires lots of scrolling. I don't like scrolling because over the overlap of lines... every time I scroll I have to mentally readjust to find my spot. Page turns are much better.

I had compensated by trying a bunch of free PDF tools, like PDFill and PDFSam. These let me crop, rotate, etc. the pages. So for a typical book, 5.5"x8.5", I would have to crop out the margins, the headers, etc. by trial and error. Then, I would create two copies of the book and cut them each in half... a top half and a bottom half. Finally, I would use a PDF merge to combine the top and bottom halfs, alternating pages... essentially leaving myself with 'half-page' turns. I used Full Page zoom with white cropping in the jetBook itself.

This worked OK but 1) It was tedious, 2) It lost the table of contents and 3) It created files double the original size. So I was very happy when I found that PDFCropper can do the whole thing in about 1-2 minutes instead of 10-15 min. per book. Actually, most is automatic, with me just waiting for it to finish its job.

Here's what I do for my PDF's in PDFCropper:

1) Adjust the gray lines around the PDF as the Frames Area to exclude headers and footers. I put them very close around the text, but not too close on the left or right, since odd/even pages are spaced differently. PDFCropper can actually handle these, but I don't have to worry about it since the jetBook can crop that white space.
2) Go to Edit Menu and run Auto Frames. This process takes about a minute and with its default settings nicely frames two halves to each page. For some books I might use thirds.
3) Then File Menu and Crop to crop into a new PDF! This takes a few seconds, and also lets me set the Title/Author information for the jetBook display.

Quite easy! I like the PDF result because it shows the original text as it appears in the real book. There is also a reflow option, which is quite decent! But I haven't needed to use it much. The Aluratek Libre firmware on the jetBook does support reflow, but it doesn't look nearly as nice as the original text divided into smaller screens.

I also like that if I ever buy another device besides the jetBook, it would be quick and simple to reconvert my PDF's to that device's specifications. It has a lot of features that should work for just about anything!

Hope that helps greenapple!

greenapple · 02-09-2010, 11:12 PM

Thanks, Kralik.

I followed your instructions carefully. But after applying auto frames to all pages the box frame seemed to work only on alternate pages (odd pages). I had to repeat dragging the grey box, re-apply the auto frames, to get the even pages done. Maybe a bug or I probably have missed something.

Also what's the purpose of "crop settings"? Is it necessary to set them to the jetbook screen size?

This software seems very powerful, I'm probably just scratching the surface. Even as a newbie, I've discovered a few advantages this software has over sopdf: a) all the pages in landscape mode are of the same size after cropping, b) it's able to visually crop off the headers and footers.

I'm also mystified by this statement on the site:
Tip: To make your license more flexible, take registration code when external USB drive (flash or HDD) is connected (you DO NOT need to install application to external USB drive). By taking this external USB drive to another computer you can reuse your license.

How does it work, in practical term? I don't understand it at all. Additionally if I replace my PC can I use the license again?

Again, thanks, Kralik.

Kralik · 02-10-2010, 10:25 AM

Ah, I forgot to mention this: PDFCropper can set different settings for odd/even pages. This is because they can have different margins, etc. so you may want to set them separately. However, I don't use this: when I open a PDF, I unselect both the Odd/Even and First Page is Title Page checkboxes. Then the grey area changes all pages.

Crop settings are for making it reflow, I think. There's a "Reflow Frame" option that I tried once before... you set the page size and it reflows the PDF into a PDF of that size.

As for registration, the program is registered to your computer, but if you have a USB hard drive or something like that, it can use the hardware ID of that drive in its registration. This means that if you ever get a different machine, as long as you still have that drive, you can use the program.

greenapple · 02-11-2010, 01:29 AM

Thanks!

I'm still not too sure how it works. I have 2 external harddisks, and one flashdrive. The external harddisks are almost never removed from the PC.

Say if my current PC dies, and I install the software on a new PC, I'd have to plug in the same external hardisks (both of them) as well as the flashdrive?

02-09-2010, 11:12 PM	#43
greenapple Evangelist Posts: 404 Karma: 664 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle DX, Kobo Aura HD	Thanks, Kralik. I followed your instructions carefully. But after applying auto frames to all pages the box frame seemed to work only on alternate pages (odd pages). I had to repeat dragging the grey box, re-apply the auto frames, to get the even pages done. Maybe a bug or I probably have missed something. Also what's the purpose of "crop settings"? Is it necessary to set them to the jetbook screen size? This software seems very powerful, I'm probably just scratching the surface. Even as a newbie, I've discovered a few advantages this software has over sopdf: a) all the pages in landscape mode are of the same size after cropping, b) it's able to visually crop off the headers and footers. I'm also mystified by this statement on the site: Tip: To make your license more flexible, take registration code when external USB drive (flash or HDD) is connected (you DO NOT need to install application to external USB drive). By taking this external USB drive to another computer you can reuse your license. How does it work, in practical term? I don't understand it at all. Additionally if I replace my PC can I use the license again? Again, thanks, Kralik. Last edited by greenapple; 02-09-2010 at 11:14 PM.

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12-31-2009, 04:19 PM	#31
MrKyle Writer Posts: 28 Karma: 326572 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle DX	I decompiled PDFChopper to fix a bug I found, and even though Java DC's are generally pretty clean, the source was still a mess. One of many reasons why I wish the author could open it's source. It must be a money issue.

01-21-2010, 01:26 PM	#33
jessTay Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 28 Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Greater Toronto Area, ON, CANADA Device: Kindle 2! YAY	Hi, I was just trying out the program, and my problem is that when I load in my original pdf files, I can do the first page fine and make it look great (it originally showed two pages to one pdf page and was able to split it into two pages), but when I click next page, it doesn't show the next page of my pdf... it's only the grey background. So I can't see my pdf to work with it. I'm trying to reinstall to see if it just developed from an installing issue.

01-21-2010, 02:11 PM	#34
jessTay Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 28 Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Greater Toronto Area, ON, CANADA Device: Kindle 2! YAY	Still not working even after reinstalled. One of my pdfs won't show ANYTHING when opened. Just the grey background. hmmm

01-22-2010, 01:59 AM	#35
greenapple Evangelist Posts: 404 Karma: 664 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle DX, Kobo Aura HD	Is the project still in development? There hasn't been any update since 2008.

01-29-2010, 02:56 AM	#36
vstefanyuk Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 12 Join Date: Mar 2007	You can send me your pdf via e-mail. I can look at it. My e-mail is vstefanyuk@gmail.com

02-03-2010, 07:31 AM	#38
DrZoidberg Connoisseur Posts: 72 Karma: 345846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Sony PRS-600	I'm trying to crop a book (349 pages) with PDFCropper so I'm not in the mood to set the frame on every page. Is there a way to set the frame automatically on every page?

02-05-2010, 05:46 AM	#41
greenapple Evangelist Posts: 404 Karma: 664 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle DX, Kobo Aura HD	I've used your program to work on a randomly selected PDF, as a test. The only parameters I changed were the screen size, as my jetBook's screen size is not preconfigured in your software. However, on the PDF that was created, words were cut off on the left on some pages, and on the right on other pages. What is worse, I couldn't figure out what I needed to do to fix it. I wonder if you could make your software more user friendly? Maybe a wizard to step through the essential settings?

02-09-2010, 07:02 PM	#42
Kralik Guru Posts: 609 Karma: 1013897 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Rooted NST	I'll share my experience in using PDFCropper for the jetBook. So far it has turned out to be a great help! A bit of background: There are a few authors I like who have been releasing free versions of their books as downloads online. Unfortunately, they are only in PDF format -- mostly because they are scans (or perhaps PDF exports) of the books. As such, they don't work too well on the small jetBook screen. If I have it in portrait mode, the font is very small. In landscape, it's OK, but requires lots of scrolling. I don't like scrolling because over the overlap of lines... every time I scroll I have to mentally readjust to find my spot. Page turns are much better. I had compensated by trying a bunch of free PDF tools, like PDFill and PDFSam. These let me crop, rotate, etc. the pages. So for a typical book, 5.5"x8.5", I would have to crop out the margins, the headers, etc. by trial and error. Then, I would create two copies of the book and cut them each in half... a top half and a bottom half. Finally, I would use a PDF merge to combine the top and bottom halfs, alternating pages... essentially leaving myself with 'half-page' turns. I used Full Page zoom with white cropping in the jetBook itself. This worked OK but 1) It was tedious, 2) It lost the table of contents and 3) It created files double the original size. So I was very happy when I found that PDFCropper can do the whole thing in about 1-2 minutes instead of 10-15 min. per book. Actually, most is automatic, with me just waiting for it to finish its job. Here's what I do for my PDF's in PDFCropper: 1) Adjust the gray lines around the PDF as the Frames Area to exclude headers and footers. I put them very close around the text, but not too close on the left or right, since odd/even pages are spaced differently. PDFCropper can actually handle these, but I don't have to worry about it since the jetBook can crop that white space. 2) Go to Edit Menu and run Auto Frames. This process takes about a minute and with its default settings nicely frames two halves to each page. For some books I might use thirds. 3) Then File Menu and Crop to crop into a new PDF! This takes a few seconds, and also lets me set the Title/Author information for the jetBook display. Quite easy! I like the PDF result because it shows the original text as it appears in the real book. There is also a reflow option, which is quite decent! But I haven't needed to use it much. The Aluratek Libre firmware on the jetBook does support reflow, but it doesn't look nearly as nice as the original text divided into smaller screens. I also like that if I ever buy another device besides the jetBook, it would be quick and simple to reconvert my PDF's to that device's specifications. It has a lot of features that should work for just about anything! Hope that helps greenapple!

02-10-2010, 10:25 AM	#44
Kralik Guru Posts: 609 Karma: 1013897 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Rooted NST	Ah, I forgot to mention this: PDFCropper can set different settings for odd/even pages. This is because they can have different margins, etc. so you may want to set them separately. However, I don't use this: when I open a PDF, I unselect both the Odd/Even and First Page is Title Page checkboxes. Then the grey area changes all pages. Crop settings are for making it reflow, I think. There's a "Reflow Frame" option that I tried once before... you set the page size and it reflows the PDF into a PDF of that size. As for registration, the program is registered to your computer, but if you have a USB hard drive or something like that, it can use the hardware ID of that drive in its registration. This means that if you ever get a different machine, as long as you still have that drive, you can use the program.

02-11-2010, 01:29 AM	#45
greenapple Evangelist Posts: 404 Karma: 664 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle DX, Kobo Aura HD	Thanks! I'm still not too sure how it works. I have 2 external harddisks, and one flashdrive. The external harddisks are almost never removed from the PC. Say if my current PC dies, and I install the software on a new PC, I'd have to plug in the same external hardisks (both of them) as well as the flashdrive?

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