[branlr]

W0rd, Sranshaft!

Axe the outrage towards all who oppose you, and you will do a lot better around here...


Personally DO like the idea of this because I've used XBMC as a comic reader and I enjoy using it this way. I think it's cool.

Honestly, all you would need to do to achieve this is find a way to convert a pdf into a cbr (which is nothing more than a rar file full of jpegs).... and voila! Xbmc now supports your desired content.

Someone ought to be able to do this without too much work! In fact, I'm surprised no one has...

OH wait! Maybe if I google "convert pdf to cbr" THIS will come up!

Well, hell! It sure did! Now all I need to do is set up an autohotkey script that will launch upon a certain directory being modified and spit the cbr's into my xbmc's source folder!

Wow! And it only took a single googling.

[TugboatBill]

I agree that this is a limited use feature and would best be done in a addon.

[therealjoeblow]

What makes you think I haven't tried it? I have and, in fact, even set up Advanced Launcher to read eComics to test it out. It's a pain in the ass quite frankly and something that is only suited to XBMC running on tablet PCs.

If what you're after is having a quick and easy way of reading your magazines using XBMC I've already suggested using Advanced Launcher. It's the closest you're going to get to seeing something like this in XBMC until a developer agrees with you and actually adds this feature.

On a personal note:

So what you're looking for is a thread full of 'That's an awesome idea! Why didn't I think of it?' comments and if anyone else has an opinion that differs from you, then opinions be damned? What's not productive is being told that just because someone's opinion is negative, that it does not matter. That is the whole point to a discussion. Seeing the positives and negatives of the issue and discussing the reasonings behind those opinions.

Actually no, I could care less if people's opinions differ from mine. What I take exception to is people trying to squash creative forward thinking by making statements like...

Code:

To be honest though PDFs and eMagazines in general really don't suit the 10-foot interface HTPCs have.

...as if that's the fact rather than their opinion. You just came across as a know-it all, and I was having a bad day.

So let's leave it at that, and please accept my apology for coming across as an ass. It wasn't intended.

Cheers
The REAL Joe

PS, I did try Advanced Launcher, thanks for the tip; however it has a fairly major bug that Angelscry is working on fixing. When that's done, it will be a very acceptable alternative for the time being.

[TugboatBill]

It's apparent who is coming across as the know it all.

[vtwin0001]

Ok ok...

Many of you have discussed about "written words" and all that...

To all those, maybe this will clarify your mind:

What if I (or you) want to """read""" a PLAYBOY? (or raunchier mag in that case).

[marcio]

Reading ebooks will be a great addition to XBMC, when its default, listed in the main option (VIDEO, IMAGES, BOOKS) and with the great navigation and library capabilities of the program, will be one of the BEST in the market. I ll put my entire library in XBMC if this thing came to work.
XBMC could be THE interface for a MEDIACENTER or even TABLETS if they want. Nobody beats XBMC. Not even closer.

[Soju]

Adding google chrome would get you this plus a lot more. It runs PDFs natively.

[analogscott]

For what it's worth, i second the need for a document viewer in XBMC.

I have been using XBMC for about a month, love it. I've been using my LCD TV for my computer monitor for years. I browse the internet, do graphic design in PS, web dev in DW, etc... in other words i do lots of reading on my TV. I actually have a 55 inch on the left and a 47 inch on the right. I sit on my lazyboy with a wireless mouse and keyboard and get my digital work done. I think it would be a great addition to XBMC to be able to view documents, that's why i found this thread. Just the fact that this thread was started 7 years ago says something about the needed feature.

I'd like to see XBMC become the best media center/server. Documents are media. XBMC has the ability to add/remove features, why not have the option to use the 1 major piece of media it currently doesn't support?

[tormi]

I would abolutely love this for XBMC. Just wanted to show support that side of the argument.

If it is core or as an addon I don't care. Has anybody done this with advanced launcher? Is there guide or explanation on how to get it going. I haven't used advanced launcher yet.

[Angelscry]

I would abolutely love this for XBMC. Just wanted to show support that side of the argument.

If it is core or as an addon I don't care. Has anybody done this with advanced launcher? Is there guide or explanation on how to get it going. I haven't used advanced launcher yet.

Yes it is totally possible to read ebooks, comics or mangas using Advanced Launcher. You just need to found the right applications for your system to read them.



I know that some users of Advanced Launcher use the SumatraPDF reader (under windows) to view PDF. For my part, I'm use qcomicbook (under Linux) to read mangas into CBR format. There is a lot of different application to read pdf, cbr or any other ebook format. You just have to be sure that the application have command line support to indicate it which ebook open.



Here is the user guide for advanced launcher : http://www.gwenael.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3 . And here a wiki page explaining how configure advanced launcher to read cbr files using qcomicbook : http://www.gwenael.org/xbmc/index.php?ti...Book#Linux . The configuration will not be so different for other ebook applications.

[pecospete]

How does one flip pages, etc. on the external pdf reader application with a remote? Does Advanced Launcher magically turn remote button presses into appropriate keyboard commands on the external app or something? (I'm on a harmony one + mac-mini/macosx, if it matters).

[Ebany]

1st'ly; As a PC user I must say I don't see a need for a Document viewer add-on for XBMC when there are so many stand-alone programs out there which are so user friendly (and even use CEC to allow you the ability of using your TV remote). Even the lowest of programs, like Internet Explorer, let you read/scroll/zoom Documents.

2nd'ly; Documents work wonderfully on a PC media center setup with voice commands on a 46inch LED LCD, absolutely fantastic.

3rd'ly; Documents are still digital (multi)media no matter how deeply it goes against your fundamental beliefs.

4th'ly; All things must grow and expand less they stagnate and pass into the mist of the past (like the X-Box should have ages ago)

Last'ly; No matter which way I view it, I simply cannot see the sense in adding a Document viewer into xbmc when there are so many other mod's which can improve the programs overall quality

....... but I am one small voice in a tiny minority, the majority would like to see it happen, who can ague against the majority

[Angelscry]

How does one flip pages, etc. on the external pdf reader application with a remote? Does Advanced Launcher magically turn remote button presses into appropriate keyboard commands on the external app or something? (I'm on a harmony one + mac-mini/macosx, if it matters).

You understand that those kind of configuration depend of the reader application and of the remote used. When you start an application with Advanced Launcher, the active application is not anymore XBMC, but the started application. So button and key press binding have to be done directly between the reader application and the remote. Advanced Launcher cannot manage this.

[pecospete]

You understand that those kind of configuration depend of the reader application and of the remote used. When you start an application with Advanced Launcher, the active application is not anymore XBMC, but the started application. So button and key press binding have to be done directly between the reader application and the remote. Advanced Launcher cannot manage this.

That's what I suspected. This is one reason I'd much rather have xbmc handle the file rather than an external app. I suspect people that claim launching an external app is good enough to mainly control xbmc with a keyboard or mouse.

[Angelscry]

That's what I suspected. This is one reason I'd much rather have xbmc handle the file rather than an external app. I suspect people that claim launching an external app is good enough to mainly control xbmc with a keyboard or mouse.

Ok, so they need a dedicated add-on for this. Advanced Launcher will never do that natively (too many different applications, too many remote models and too many different uses and expectations). Only solution I see with Advanced Launcher is to use an intermediate script that, before start the reader application, will map the remote keys to the reader application control (using any kind of remote mapper software).