On 06/10/10 13:32, Jochen Merz wrote:

> The situation has not changed since Norman tried it 3 days ago without
> success.

Afternoon gents.

The latest situation with the PDF version is as follows:

I have downloads a trial version of the Calamus program for Windows and
I've run it with a small test file provided by Jochen.

* I really really hate the program! However, the interface is as was on
the Atari, so I can't really complain. Jochen, on the other hand, seems
to do quite well with it!

* I also installed a number of PDF "printers" and each time I try to
create a PDF, the 15 pages start printing and then the CPU hits 100% for
a couple of hours. This is totally unacceptable in my opinion.

* Printing one page to PDF works, but takes far too long as well.

* The PDF created is a massive file, for one page it is about 4.5 Mb
which implies a certain amount of bitmapping is going on. This too is
unacceptable.

* The full 15 pages eventually filled my disc!

* There do not appear to be any programs that can extract the contents
of a Calamus data file (*.CDK) although the versions of Scribus greater
than 1.3.5 are supposed to be able to import Calamus Vector Graphics
files, version 1.3.7 doesn't appear to be able to display them or print
them to PDF. Sigh!


So, at the moment, creating a PDF from the Calamus program is not a
viable option at all. Jochen doesn't want to spend time (undertsndably)
learning a whole new system (Scribus for example) in order to produce
the magazine.

He's also not keen on Open Office, unlike me, and tried it out for a
customer only in the last couple of months. Granted hsi troubles were
with the conversion of Word documents and not with creating a magazine -
but that's where we stand.

As I've mentioned previously, my own Docbook to PDF version of all the
QL Today Assembler articles, created a file of about 890Kb for 220 plus
pages (110 plus actual A4 pages), most of them full of text and with
very few screen dumps. So it can be done.

Docbook is not the best way to create a regular magazine though! It's
quite intensive - unless we can get evertone to create their articles in
Docbook format of course! (There are special editors like XML Mind's XXE
that allow you to use "What You See Is Almost What You Get" but it's
still a steep learning curve and suitable for WIndows or Linux and not
the original QL.

I'm not giving up though. ;-)

I'm pretty sure I can do it in Open Office - somehow - but as I only use
this for the off letter for my business (so far) I've got a bit of a
curve myself!

I'll be keeping on trying and I'll let you know how I get on.


Cheers,
Norman.

-- 
Norman Dunbar
Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd

Registered address:
Thorpe House
61 Richardshaw Lane
Pudsey
West Yorkshire
United Kingdom
LS28 7EL

Company Number: 05132767
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