[GUI Plugin] Generate Cover

[JimmXinu]

New Test Version

2022-09-08
- Fix for 'Corrupted Config file' on Add Setting.

I thought it was an interaction between Add and Save, but it was just Add.

2022-09-07
- Move where GC puts temporary files during setting Import/Export to plugins/generate_cover instead of resources/images/generate_cover.
- Include file name when warning about image file overwrite.

It would be better if GC used a proper temp file, but the JSONConfig class it uses insists on something relative to the calibre settings dir.

2022-08-30
- Move where GC stores cover images from resources/images/generate_cover to plugins/generate_cover

Attached version uses the new dir and does a one-time copy(not move) of configured images from resources/images/generate_cover to plugins/generate_cover.

Tested with Calibre 2, 5 & 6, but only on Win10. I don't have mac or linux available to test with right now. I did try to use a cross-platform safe method.

UPDATE: Test version removed pending review. May be going in a different direction with the resources/images/generate_cover move.

[madame_newbie]

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre_plugins.generate_cover.action", line 68, in _generate_cover
File "calibre_plugins.generate_cover.dialogs", line 1397, in __init__
File "calibre_plugins.generate_cover.dialogs", line 1689, in display_preview
File "calibre_plugins.generate_cover.draw", line 343, in generate_cover_for_book
File "calibre_plugins.generate_cover.draw", line 198, in create_cover_page
File "calibre_plugins.generate_cover.draw", line 116, in draw_sized_text
TypeError: QRect(): arguments did not match any overloaded call:
overload 1: too many arguments
overload 2: argument 3 has unexpected type 'float'
overload 3: argument 1 has unexpected type 'int'
overload 4: argument 1 has unexpected type 'int'
overload 5: argument 1 has unexpected type 'int'

Hi, I recently ran into this trouble after updating calibre. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling but it keeps giving me this whenever I tried to use generate cover.

Never mind I found out it was some cover image error. Sorry to bother.

[kiwidude]

Release Notes:
https://github.com/kiwidude68/calibr...e_cover-v2.3.0

[ownedbycats]

edit: never mind, figured it out

[ownedbycats]

I'm re-generating covers for a bunch of my books. For certain individual books, I might need to tweak the font size. (SomeFanficAuthorsHaveLongNamesWithNoSpaces.)

Every time I do this, it prompts me to save the current profile. If I press 'discard,' it reverts before generating the cover. So I have to keep clicking "don't save yet" and then re-open the dialog to revert.

Could perhaps a "use, then discard" button work here?

[ownedbycats]

Another thing: the GC option to populate a column doesn't work when the generate_cover_for_book() method is called in FFF. I'm not sure if this is intended or not.

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I'm re-generating covers for a bunch of my books. For certain individual books, I might need to tweak the font size. (SomeFanficAuthorsHaveLongNamesWithNoSpaces.)

Every time I do this, it prompts me to save the current profile. If I press 'discard,' it reverts before generating the cover. So I have to keep clicking "don't save yet" and then re-open the dialog to revert.

Could perhaps a "use, then discard" button work here?

I agree that dialog needs a rethink. It should really have a Cancel option too. But then that is five options which is too many overwhelming the user. Perhaps a checkbox option or two might help or something. Or maybe the main dialog needs more options than just "OK" and "Cancel"...

Currently there is:
- "Save Changes" (generate with new settings, save the changes)
- "Discard Changes" (generate with reverted settings, discarded changes)
- "Don't Save Yet" (generate with new settings, don't save the changes)

I think Discard Changes in it's current form is redundant if I added a Cancel button. As there is already a Revert option on the main dialog.

And maybe "Don't Save Yet" needs to sleep with the fishes in favour of this new option. You either made temporary changes you want to discard, or if you are wanting to keep either this iteration or some subsequent tweak to it then just go ahead and Save the changes.

So including your suggestion I think the options a user needs to have (ignoring how they get represented in the UI for the moment)...
- Generate cover, saving changes
- Generate cover, discard changes afterwards
- Cancel

Thoughts?

[ownedbycats]

Yes, that sounds good - i also noticed the lack of a 'cancel' option but forgot to mention it.

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Another thing: the GC option to populate a column doesn't work when the generate_cover_for_book() method is called in FFF. I'm not sure if this is intended or not.

The updating of the custom column is tied into this plugins dialog code, which is not invoked by FFF calling generate_cover directly.

I would have to shuffle some code around to make it work for both scenarios, can put it on the list.

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Yes, that sounds good - i also noticed the lack of a 'cancel' option but forgot to mention it.

Yeah in hindsight with a fresh look that dialog was very badly designed. No idea what I was thinking at the time, most likely rushed something in while juggling a bunch of other things rather than taking a step back.

So the only question now becomes what do we call the three buttons?
"Apply & Save" or "Save Changes" or ...
"Apply & Revert" or "Revert After" or ...
"Cancel"

[ownedbycats]

"Apply & Save/Revert" reads a little clearer to me.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

The updating of the custom column is tied into this plugins dialog code, which is not invoked by FFF calling generate_cover directly.

I would have to shuffle some code around to make it work for both scenarios, can put it on the list.

Good - for now, I just have the action chain I run on newly-downloaded fanfics set to let me manually fill it.

[kiwidude]

Any feedback on this dialog in terms of better names for the buttons?

Don't want to irritate the translators by renaming them constantly...

[ownedbycats]

It's clear what they do. The + seems a bit odd though, I'd expect an ampersand.

[ownedbycats]

also, for future reference: Is it bad practice to edit the images directly in \AppData\calibre\plugins\Generate Cover\?

I did it a few days ago without any problems, though I restarted Calibre afterwards (not sure exactly what point the plugin loads the images in).