[bksvol-discuss] Re: Editing without Word

  • From: "Lori Castner" <loralee.castner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:45:24 -0700

Monica, Thanks for the clear and comprehensive answer!

Cat Lover Lori

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Monica Willyard 
  To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 4:25 AM
  Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Editing without Word


  Hi, Lori. Yes, you can edit rtf files in Openbook. In fact, you'll find that 
using rtf feels very much like using Openbook's ark format. Once you download 
your file, Openbook will open an rtf file just like when you download and open 
an ark file. Openbook will keep the page breaks, and your reading commands will 
work normally. If you're concerned about messing up, you can always keep a copy 
of the file you download in another folder so you have something to refer to. I 
did validation in Openbook for over a year before moving to Word and then 
Kurzweil. Each program has its strengths, and you'll do best with software you 
feel confident in using. If that's Openbook, go for it! (smile) 

  There is one issue regarding rtf files that you may need to know about, and 
this affects both Openbook and Kurzweil. Rtf files made by people using the 
stand-alone version of FineReader 8 and 9 seem to include section breaks 
instead of page breaks. Openbook and Kurzweil don't seem to interpret these 
correctly, and these files need to be edited in Microsoft Word. Books submitted 
by Carrie Karnos are the ones I notice this situation in the most, and it's not 
her fault or that she's doing anything wrong. It's just an incompatibility in 
software packages. It's a shame because she produces excellent scans with 
equipment in the Bookshare office. What I do is use word to fix the section 
breaks and then finish proofreading in Kurzweil. I could just as easily finish 
validating in Word, but I like the Kurzweil interface and the way it reads to 
me. Since rtf files are new for you, I would suggest going with files made by 
someone using another scanning package, files by people like Shelley Rhodes, 
Jane Dickison, Jim Pardee, Mayrie ReNae, Jim Rawls, or Jamie Yates. Once you 
get comfortable with how Openbook handles standard rtf files, you'll be in a 
better position to handle files with special issues. 

  I hope this helps you and Mike. Please post if we can help you as you're 
branching out into rtf files.

  Monica Willyard


Other related posts: