uBook - what do you want? - Page 2

waveydavey · #11 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 12:20 PM

I definitely agree about the white space remover. That's a real pain in the rear.

cyclist · #12 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 12:53 PM

I'd like to be able to save two sets of settings and flip from one to the other in the UI. I can do this already by swapping settings files, but that's messy. The reason for wanting this is that I speed read fiction in my native language using scrolling, but I also need a static display for reading non-fiction that needs close attention or fiction in a foreign language (which is about half my use of the program).

µBook · #13 (**permalink**) 13-08-2008, 06:04 PM

I'll try to address a few issues:

- The variable rate on Auto-Scroll is already there (use left and right arrows while in AS mode) AS mode can be started easily in <-> Cursor Page mode by hitting the down arrow.
- Skinning does need a tutorial, other than reading the spaced.usk file
- The menus already are skinnable
- I'll review any new icon design that somebody would provide...
- Depending on the book format (TXT for example) it tries to minimize extra spaces and/or combine some lines based on case. There are a lot of options sometimes in 'advanced mode' (+/-) in the Book section of Options...
- Swapping config isn't a bad idea, but I guess some basic config would need to be shared?

windows · #14 (**permalink**) 14-08-2008, 08:35 AM

Right so it looks like some of us need to delve into the dreaded options again

cyclist · #15 (**permalink**) 15-08-2008, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by µBook

Swapping config isn't a bad idea, but I guess some basic config would need to be shared?

I share a lot of the config between my two sets. One scrolls one doesn't and the fonts are different sizes. Things likes columns and tables are the same for me, but other people might want to vary that. I would make control settings common; skins is arguable either way.

Anonymous · #16 (**permalink**) 17-08-2008, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FekketCantenel

1) Like in PalmFiction (for Palm OS), a mode that makes the page slide steadily upward would be nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by µBook

1) I did the current mode to save on battery use, as I am convince that constant scrolling of the whole page is way more power hungry than just a few lines overdrawing... But I didn't try drain tests...

I'm in exactly the same position as FekketCantenel: I'm currently migrating from PalmOS to WM6 and looking for a program to replace PalmFiction. And the full-page smooth scrolling is actually the mode that I strongly prefer - not for prettiness, but for the ability to read without touching any buttons or moving my eyes all over the screen. It seems, there are no readers for Windows that support it properly, and uBooks seems to be the only one where the author is interested to look in this direction

By the way, the autoscroll speed is much better solved (as, once again, done in PalmFiction) by smoothly changing the scroll speed to keep constant the number of words or characters (probably an option) that pass through the screen per second.

Basically, the algorithm is simple enough: take a "window" in the middle of the screen of, say, 5 lines of text (the ones that you are actually looking at). Compute the number of words or characters in it. Set the scrolling rate for the next line of text to achieve the constant reading rate. Linearly interpolate by pixel-lines between text lines so the scrolling speed is very smooth. It's implemented in PalmFiction and it works great - I'm reading for hours without touching any buttons very comfortably. And it doesn't seem to drain the battery too much - the reading time is very good.

µBook · #17 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 07:08 PM

Doesn't anybody look at all the options (including the advanced one -> +/-) or, even, maybe, read the manual?

windows · #18 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 08:02 PM

Oh I do look through the +/- options... manual though, no ideas what one of those is?

LOL

FekketCantenel · #19 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by µBook

Doesn't anybody look at all the options (including the advanced one -> +/-) or, even, maybe, read the manual?

Sarcasm hurts feelings and causes confusion. Could you be more specific? And yes, the manual is a bit of a tome to read through; I usually can't find what I need in it, anyway.

Anonymous · #20 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by µBook

Doesn't anybody look at all the options (including the advanced one -> +/-) or, even, maybe, read the manual?

Well, sorry for not reading the manual - after all, I'm looking for a reader, and installing each one to try it is not a good option: it's Windows, after all. So I did try to find some info about Autoscroll options on the site, failed, and assumed there is no WPM option.

Now I've installed uBook and WPM autoscroll is there, and it's great, thanks! So I'll just have to join the guys asking for the smooth full-page by-pixel autoscroll, as it exists in PalmFiction, AlReader and IceReader. Together with WPM it would be just perfect...