kcc/README.md

# KindleComicConverter

`KindleComicConverter` is a Python app which aim is to convert comic files or folders to a comic-type (Mobipocket) ebook to take advantage of the new Panel View mode on Amazon's Kindle.
It also optimizes comic images by:
- enhancing contrast
- cutting page numbering
- cropping white borders
- resizing larger images to device's native resolution
- quantizing images to device's palette

## INPUT FORMATS
`kcc` can understand and convert, at the moment, the following file types:  
- CBZ, ZIP
- CBR, RAR *(with `unrar` executable)*
- flat folders
- PDF *(extracting only contained JPG images)*

~~For now the script does not understand folder depth, so it will work on flat folders/archives only.~~
As of v. 1.50, KCC supports subfolders!

## REQUIREMENTS
- `kindlegen` in /usr/local/bin/
- [unrar](http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm) CBR support.

### for compiling/running from source:
- Python 2.7+ (included in MacOS and Linux, follow the [official documentation](http://www.python.org/getit/windows/) to install on Windows)
- [Python Imaging Library](http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/) for comic optimizations like split double pages, resize to optimal resolution, improve contrast and palette, etc.
  Please refer to official documentation for installing into your system.

## USAGE

### Standalone `comic2ebook.py` usage:

```
comic2ebook.py [options] comic_file|comic_folder
  Options:
     --version             show program's version number and exit
     -h, --help            show this help message and exit
     -p PROFILE, --profile=PROFILE
                           Device profile (choose one among K1, K2, K3, K4, KDX, KDXG or KHD) [default=KHD]
     -t TITLE, --title=TITLE
                           Comic title [default=filename]
     -m, --manga-style     Split pages 'manga style' (right-to-left reading) [default=False]
     -v, --verbose         Verbose output [default=False]
     -i, --image-processing
                           Apply image preprocessing (page splitting and optimizations) [default=True]
     --upscale-images      Resize images smaller than device's resolution [default=False]
     --stretch-images      Stretch images to device's resolution [default=False]
     --cut-page-numbers    Try to cut page numbering on images [default=True]
```

The script takes care of unzipping/unrarring the file if it's an archive, creating a directory of images which should be then filled with a `.opf`, `.ncx`, and many `.html` files, then:  
1. Run `Kindlegen` on `content.opf`. Depending on how many images you have, this may take awhile. Once completed, the `.mobi` file should be in the directory.  
2. (optionally) remove the SRCS record to reduce the `.mobi` filesize in half. You can use [Kindlestrip](http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96903).
3. Copy the `.mobi` file to your Kindle!

### AppleScript Droplet (may be outdated)

Drop a folder or a CBZ/CBR file over the app, after a while you'll get a comic-type .mobi to sideload on your Kindle.
The script takes care of calling `comic2ebook.py`, `kindlegen` and `kindlestrip.py`.

> **WARNING:** at the moment the droplet *ALWAYS* uses the **KHD** profile (*Kindle Paperwhite*).
> If you want to specify other profiles, please use the script from command line.


## CREDITS
This script born as a cross-platform alternative to `KindleComicParser` by **Dc5e** (published in [this mobileread forum thread](http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192783))

The app relies and includes the following scripts/binaries:

 - the `KindleStrip` script © 2010-2012 by **Paul Durrant** and released in public domain
([mobileread forum thread](http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96903))
 - the `rarfile.py` script &copy; 2005-2011 **Marko Kreen** <markokr@gmail.com>, released with ISC License
 - the free version `unrar` executable (downloadable from [here](http://www.rarlab.com/rar_add.htm), refer to `LICENSE_unrar.txt` for further details)
 - the icon is by **Nikolay Verin** ([http://ncrow.deviantart.com/](http://ncrow.deviantart.com/)) and released under [CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) License
 - the `image.py` class from **Alex Yatskov**'s [Mangle](http://foosoft.net/mangle/) with subsequent [proDOOMman](https://github.com/proDOOMman/Mangle)'s and [Birua](https://github.com/Birua/Mangle)'s patches

Also, you need to have `kindlegen` v2.7 (with KF8 support) which is downloadable from Amazon website
and installed in `/usr/local/bin/`


## CHANGELOG
  - 1.00 - Initial version
  - 1.10 - Added support for CBZ/CBR files in comic2ebook.py
  - 1.11 - Added support for CBZ/CBR files in KindleComicConverter
  - 1.20 - Comic optimizations! Split pages not target-oriented (landscape with portrait target or portrait
   with landscape target), add palette and other image optimizations from Mangle.
   WARNING: PIL is required for all image mangling!
  - 1.30 - Fixed an issue in OPF generation for device resolution
   Reworked options system (call with -h option to get the inline help)
  - 1.40 - Added some options for controlling image optimization
        Further optimization (ImageOps, page numbering cut, autocontrast)
  - 1.41 - Fixed a serious bug on resizing when img ratio was bigger than device one
  - 1.50 - Added subfolder support for multiple chapters.
  - 2.00 - GUI! AppleScript is gone and Tk is used to provide cross-platform GUI support.

## TODO
  - Add gracefully exit for CBR if no rarfile.py and no unrar executable are found
  - Improve error reporting
  - Recurse into dirtree for multiple comics

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2012-2013 Ciro Mattia Gonano. See LICENSE.txt for further details.