Splitting a Book into 2 Volumes?

[TedPark]

I'm quite new, so don't know my around your site very well yet - so pardon if this question is covered elsewhere.

I download a VERY large book from MS Reader site and did LIT to LRF conversion using calibre software. Seems to have done a spiffy job. However, the single LIT file actually contains the entire contents of a 2 volume set. It would be much better - for several reasons - if I had 2 LRF files - 1 for each volume. Is there a relatively easy way to do that?

Also, the file has embedded the following note. Does this mean anything for LRF files? If so, how can I do this?

-----------------------

The New Athena Unicode font (NEWATHU.TTF) will enable the presentation of the ancient Greek text in the book. If you do not install it (or have an equivalent), some of the Greek characters will appear as boxes. The font can be downloaded free of charge from http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~pinax/...download.html; installation instructions are at http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~ancgre...l#greekUnicode.

[HarryT]

Rather than do the LIT to LRF conversion in one step, run "ConvertLIT" manually and "explode" the LIT file into an OEB book - ie an OPF file + one or more HTML source files. You can then split the HTML into two separate books, and convert each half into a separate LRF file. Not trivial, but it certainly can be done.

[Patricia]

I have been known to make a book twice, deleting the first half, then the second half, respectively.

[HarryT]

That's exactly what I've done myself, Patricia. Load the whole book into BD twice, and then delete the unwanted part.

[TedPark]

I was hoping for something I already know how to do. I know how to do HTML a little, but it sounds like a lot of work. Perhaps I need to just go ahead and learn how to use Book Designer.

PS - what about the fonts issue?

[Patricia]

If you use Book Designer then you can select the font size.

[TedPark]

Oh, I meant specifically the special font to render the ancient greek text that is mentioned in my first post above.

[Patricia]

Ah. Harry's the one who knows about that. He's embedded Greek character fonts into Book Designer and produced a book or two of Homer.

[RWood]

BD's support of Unicode seems spotty in my experience.

What you need to do is to download the referenced free font from Berkley and install it on your computer. Then under either calbrie or BD reference the font as the one used in the book. The font can be redistributed free. The native fonts in the Sony Reader will not support the Latin/Greek glyph coding scheme.

For splitting larger books into smaller volumes I have always used an external text editor such as UltraEdit. This is much faster and easier than messing with it in BD.

[TedPark]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Rather than do the LIT to LRF conversion in one step, run "ConvertLIT" manually and "explode" the LIT file into an OEB book - ie an OPF file + one or more HTML source files. You can then split the HTML into two separate books, and convert each half into a separate LRF file. Not trivial, but it certainly can be done.

OK - Mr HarryT, now what? I figured out how to run CLIT.EXE and converted my LIT file. This created a folder of a half dozen HTM files and a folder with a gaggle of images and an OPF file. Working first on Vol 1, I just edited out all the Vol 2 text (approximtely the last half of the HTM file).

Now, how do I put it all back together?

[HarryT]

You have two choices (at least):

1. Use "calibre" to convert the OPF to LRF. There are people who can advise you on that; I'm afraid that I can't.

2. Load the HTML into "Book Designer" and create the Sony book from that.

[TedPark]

AAARGH - the plot has thickened considerably - enough to try the patience of a saint - and further mixed metaphors - - -

After poking aound and experimenting with the book (and not a little reverse engineering) - here is what I have.

This is a large 2-volume set. More than 700 pages each volume. Then there is a huge detailed single combined index for the set. And each and every entry in the index is hot-linked to the main text. And then - there are copious footnotes and every footnote is a hot link to a separate page with the footnote. That page has a return link so you can go right back to where you were reading. AND THEN - there are a bazillion latin phrases and sentences (remember, a hundred years ago it was a sign of great learning to do that - the reader be damned!), and each of these phrases are hot-linked to their own page with the translation. All in all, it is the most complex and dynamic eBook I have ever seen.

I don't think I'm going to be able to prise it apart any time soon!! <SIGH>

[HarryT]

Hmmm. Not all of us need to have Latin translated for us. .

[RWood]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Hmmm. Not all of us need to have Latin translated for us. .

I do not a read Latin and the years have not helped. These days I'm more or less lost after we get past Cesar's famous line, "I came. I saw. She conquered."

While to know Latin was the norm a hundred years ago, it was not taught in any school I attended prior to the university. Even there it was limited in its value as it did not count toward completion of the foreign language requirement. Likewise, Hebrew did not count toward the foreign language requirement.

To include the Latin translations makes the book accessible for others who have not studied Latin. While it looked great, your posting of Howard's She would have been useless for me if the Greek had not been translated within the text.

So please be kind to us non-English language challenged readers.

[HarryT]

I was joking. I'm very well aware that my own very peculiar hobby of reading Latin and Greek for fun is not shared by most .