'Fast Tracks' book in digital format
#1
Posted 01 July 2012 - 01:28
I plan to have it available in either Mobi (Kindle) format and generic Epub format.
I am about halfway through scanning the text and maps, and I have built a pilot epub to see if it will work--and it does. I started doing it mainly for my own entertainment and as an exercise is learning how to build an ebook. (I have a Kindle). If there is enough interest, I'll probably put it up on my website www.terrywalkersplace.com as a free download.
What do you guys think?
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#2
Posted 01 July 2012 - 02:48
Regardless, I agree it's a great [and perhaps a now necessary] idea.
#3
Posted 01 July 2012 - 02:50
So will the book be updated and enhanced?
Off the top of my head I can think of one entry that needs a word or two added, I always thought it might be handy to stick the word Katoomba on the Catalina page.
#4
Posted 01 July 2012 - 04:33
On fully updating to 2012--no, I no longer have the software I used for drawing the maps (Intellidraw); or rather I still have it, but I need a very old PC and Windows 3.1 to run it on, as it doesn't work under anything later. So no neew maps, no new tracks (and I have tried other vector drawing programmes eg Corel Draw etc, and they are bloody prickly compared with the amazing ease and simplicity of Intellidraw).
I intend correcting one or two glaring errors: wrong track layout of Woody Point, and an error in the Carey Park text caused by a misreading of a race report. The final Carey Park (Bunbury) meeting, 1963, was described as being on the "inner circuit" which I misread to mean the old, inner-city circuit. In fact, it was a much-shortened Carey Park public road circuit track inside the old spacious one.
I also discovered, many years later, that the official map in the early Northam race programmes was of a circuit never actually used; a heavy crash in practice for the inaugural event forced a last-minute change to the route.
Apart from that, my initial intention is to keep the text the same.
The screen resolution of the Kindle is 500 pixels by about 750, and at that resolution the maps come up quite readably. I simply resize the map scans to 30 percent.
On track names, eg Katoomba, ebook readers have search functions, and searching for Katoomba will bring up Catalina Park. I tried at the time to use the "official" circuit names, rather than colloquial ones-- eg Mt Panorama, not Bathurst; Catalina Park, not Katoomba, and so on, as headers.
Opinions and suggestions gladly sought!
Edited by Terry Walker, 01 July 2012 - 04:37.
#5
Posted 01 July 2012 - 07:21
Words like Mobi, Kindle or Epub don't mean anything to me, however - how about a pdf-version ?
#6
Posted 01 July 2012 - 07:29
#7
Posted 01 July 2012 - 07:40
I wasn't suggesting calling the track Katoomba, I was just mentioning that nowhere in the profile did it mention in what town the track actually was located.On track names, eg Katoomba, ebook readers have search functions, and searching for Katoomba will bring up Catalina Park. I tried at the time to use the "official" circuit names, rather than colloquial ones-- eg Mt Panorama, not Bathurst; Catalina Park, not Katoomba, and so on, as headers.
#9
Posted 04 July 2012 - 06:03
#10
Posted 06 July 2012 - 03:58
I haven't done a .pdf format yet, but I think I'll give it a try and see what happens.
My present system is to build a document in Word, using rich text format, then save as filtered html, an option in Word. Then use my ancient Dreamweaver website building software to finish the document, making all the links etc. I then upload this into some software called Calibre, freeware widely used by the ebook world, and then convert it to epub, mobi or other formats. Then, at last, load the final mobi version onto the Kindle. Ebooks are basically html docs (websites) with top and tail to suit the specific reader.
Edited by Terry Walker, 06 July 2012 - 03:59.
#11
Posted 06 July 2012 - 04:07
I've done gobs and gobs of pdf conversions, typically from InDesign. If I can help, just ask or PM.