ePub errors

This forum is for all Flare issues related to PDF, eBook, Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker, XPS, and XHTML book targets.
Post Reply
Isleofgough
Propeller Head
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:05 am
Location: Seattle WA

ePub errors

Post by Isleofgough »

Epub targets have always been unstable for me, when generated from Flare. For at least five years, Flare has generated ePubs with compressed mime attachment, which violates ePub standards. I have notified them several times and they have not fixed it.

But a more recent problem:
ePubs generated from Flare documents in which equations are used get cut off. Generating ePubs targets with the options to convert "enable MathML to png" selected gives a huge equation image in an ePub. I can make the conversion outside of Flare and set the style option to fix this, but it is broken in Flare. The default with the conversion unselected cuts off the equation, but apparently randomly. The exactly same equation pasted in two different areas will generate problems at one point and none at the other. Here is an example of a file in Flare and the ePub target pulled up in iBooks and Adobe Digital editions for the equation <MadCap:equation>$T_{load}=T_{hold}*e^{\mu\theta}$</MadCap:equation>. I've tried various combinations of with and without the dollar sign and created the formula just using the equation editor, and all have this same issue.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Isleofgough
Propeller Head
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:05 am
Location: Seattle WA

Re: ePub errors

Post by Isleofgough »

Is ePub target going the way of Framemaker import/export? Does Madcap plan to deprecate print targets to concentrate their resources on web based output?
Isleofgough
Propeller Head
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:05 am
Location: Seattle WA

Re: ePub errors

Post by Isleofgough »

It doesn't look like good news. There are three errors in ePubs from Flare: the compressed mime attachment, corrupt MathML equation output, and numerous errors with ePub checker. (46 errors and one warning with my latest ePub). I have Bronze support and the reply from MadCap was that "it" was a known issue and had been logged. I will be notified if this is fixed in the future. I received similar responses from tech support before Framemaker import and export were deprecated. I do wonder if Flare really was the right choice for a technical document creation software, as its roots are really as a HAT (unlike Framemaker, Ventura, Interleaf, LATEX, etc.). It really is a great program when it works, and I don't know any other that really can deal with multiple targets the way Flare can (without extensive programming).

I did come up with a solution, but it is pretty labor intensive. I used MathType to convert all equations to 300 dpi gif images. I converted these to png in Photoshop. I added conditions so that the pdf version uses the Flare equations, but the ePub version uses the linked images. All linked equation-images had to use a paragraph style
p.imgscale
{
transform: scale(0.4) translate(8%, 2%);
display: inline-block;
}
All this did create a ePub that basically worked and got rid of all the errors except for the compressed mime attachment.
Isleofgough
Propeller Head
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:05 am
Location: Seattle WA

Re: ePub errors

Post by Isleofgough »

The mime compression error is fixed in today's update. Hurrah! And they brought back Framemaker import and updated to FM 2019. I haven't tested MathML yet, but I was very happy to see these changes. Unfortunately, MathML in ePubs is still broken. Basically one needs MathType to convert the formulas to images.
Post Reply