Customizing Calibre Cover Generator

[GloverEggs]

I apologize if this is already in these forums. I have been searching both here and online for over 3 hours and have had no luck in finding an answer.

So, I want to change/add to the text shown on the Calibre generated covers. I can get the text to work if I use the "standard" fields such as title, author, languages, publisher, etc. I cannot get anything to work if I try to use custom columns/fields.

For example, if I put in {title:lowercase()} it works. If I put in {#fandom:lowercase()} or {fandom:lowercase()} it comes up with EXCEPTION: Value: unknown field fandom. This would lead me to believe that I need to do something different for a custom field, but I have absolutely no clue what I need to do.



(#fandom was just an example. I have tried all of my custom column names in case type of field mattered. Every field gave the same error.)

I know a little java programming, but nothing in python. Anything you guys can help with is appreciated. Thanks!

[jbacelar]

Originally Posted by GloverEggs

EXCEPTION: Value: unknown field fandom

Yes, that appears when you are designing the cover.
But don't pay attention, because when you generate the cover, it will work well.

[GloverEggs]

No it doesn't. The cover shows exactly the same thing that the cover generation settings shows.





I wondered the same thing and tried many times hoping that it wasn't really an error.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by GloverEggs

No it doesn't. The cover shows exactly the same thing that the cover generation settings shows.

Attachment 175458

Attachment 175459

I wondered the same thing and tried many times hoping that it wasn't really an error.

I assume you actually have a #forum custom column and that wasn't supposed to be #fandom?

[GloverEggs]

Okay, yeah that test this morning was a typo. I fixed the typo to what I had used last night (I had saved it in a text file) and now it works. I'm pulling my hair out because I did this yesterday and got an error and now the $%^ thing works. Well, don't get me wrong, I'm glad it is working, but I'm going nuts as to why it didn't yesterday.

Regardless, thank you.

Is there anyway to pull in a field that is an active url link without it showing all of the html coding when it prints on the cover?


I have a field that is long text, html where I store the link of the file. The issue is that many of my items are stored on more than one website. So I have a couple of these fields. I want to be able to put the links on the cover.

Am I chasing something that can't be done? I really want it to just show the link and nothing else. While I don't care if the text on the cover is an active link, I want the field to be a link because I show it in the right panel of the Calibre screen.

[BetterRed]

If you replace the second URL, the one immediately before the </a>, with something like "AO3" - i.e. a user friendly name - it will still be clickable in the Book Details Panel.

If you use the link tool you just fill in the blanks - viz:



BR

[GloverEggs]

I did use the link tool. However, the link took shows plane text in the window and on the Calibre screen. The link tool shows the html text when I try to place it in the cover.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by GloverEggs

I did use the link tool. However, the link took shows plane text in the window and on the Calibre screen. The link tool shows the html text when I try to place it in the cover.

You need to type something into the "Enter name (optional):" field in the link tool dialogue - as you can see in my previous screenshot. Then it will appear in the Book Details panel, and you can click it to open the url in your browser - viz:



As for the Cover Generator - it would appear that it doesn't handle long text HTML columns as I would expect, i.e. show the rendered text rather than the HTML text. And I would regard that as a bug - you could report it at ==>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/calibre

Note: I cloak long text columns with icons in the book list to save space and keep things tidy, and I change them by pressing F2 on the book list cells.

BR

[GloverEggs]

Whether I fill in the "Enter name (optional)" or not, it prints exactly the same. Maybe it's because I'm putting the full address in as the name?

I don't show the long text columns on my desktop screen (they are hidden), but I do show the fields in the right side panel (or what you have on the bottom of your example). I actually want to see the address.


I will play around with it some more and if I still am hitting the wall, I'll put it in as a bug report. There's a good chance that I'm still screwing something up on my end, especially since I've been working this while watching football today.

THANK YOU for all the help!!