13 replies to this topic

[dysert]

Is there a body of material "out there" that is waiting for someone to make e-Sword modules for? I'm willing to make modules if that need exists.

[Katoog]

http://www.biblesupp...odule-material/

Works of William Tyndale or grammar guides or dictionaries are interesting.

Start to practice with a small document to practice.

But search first if the module is already made.

Edited by Katoog, 08 December 2014 - 05:01 AM.

[APsit190]

Also, ensure that you got yourself a copy of T4 NT (TootTip Tool, NT) and really explore the program so that you can get to know how it works.

 

Blessings,

[dysert]

Ok. Maybe I'm all wet, but I was kinda thinking along these lines:

1. Find an interesting module to convert to e-Sword
2. Get the necessary tools
3. Read the available documentation
4. Proceed with the conversion

 

Well, right now I'm still at Step 1. Are all the "waiting" modules at the link that Katoog provided?

[LarryG]

I hope you don't consider this pedantic, but in the 'downloads' section of Biblesupport there is a section for 'Raw' files to be converted over to eSword modules. There are all types of files available, from commentaries to missionary biographies, including history, poetry and multi-volume works by men of great scholarship.  Actually there are over 100 pages of available works to be converted to eSword modules.

 

I suggest you find a topic or book that you're interested in, and then go to work on that text.  Scan through the forum headings and posts, there is an abundance of instructions on how to convert a text to an eSword module.  You will also need to use the Tool TipTool NT  v2.42.  This is software specifically developed for making eSword modules of all types.  When you download the software be sure to also download the Tooltip NT User's Guide.

 

Whatever your decision will be, I honestly suggest that you focus on Christ - the Light of The World.  There is scholarship aplenty, but only Christ can deliver.  Christ and testimonies of those who've followed hard after Him, pressing close into the Shekinah Glory, are what will build up the saints.

[dysert]

So I've been looking over several Raw data files. For almost all of them (that I've looked at) it seems they are little more than a .jpg and an OCRd .pdf file. Surely we don't re-key the .pdf file in order to make a module?! What's the trick?

[LarryG]

..... For almost all of them (that I've looked at) it seems they are little more than a .jpg and an OCRd .pdf file. Surely we don't re-key the .pdf file in order to make a module?! What's the trick?

Hmmm....  Trick?  There's no trick involved, just a lot of hard work correcting the OCR'd file, correcting spellings and punctuation, along with scripture references - then arranging your text into a professional, easy-to-read layout..  Josh Bond, the owner of this site is good doing this (IMO), but there are others also who have the ability to creat complex modules.

 

Making an eSword module, from my experience, is very labor intensive, laking dozens of hours just to make one small TOPX or DEVX module.  As you are probably aware, the 'ministry' to the saints is about 90% just plain hard work, mixed with about 10% spiritual labor.  I might have those percentiles wrong - ask your church janitor, he'll give you a more accurate breakdown.

[Josh Bond]

So I've been looking over several Raw data files. For almost all of them (that I've looked at) it seems they are little more than a .jpg and an OCRd .pdf file. Surely we don't re-key the .pdf file in order to make a module?! What's the trick?

 

There are a few "tricks". Larry is right, the bottom line is you have to OCR the text. And then proof that text against the original. The "trick" is the tools you use. Even with good tools, it's time consuming. With bad tools, it's unmanageable long term.

 

For the text I digitized, I bought the books myself and scanned them to get a higher resolution scan. Archive.org scans are ok for reading, but for digitizing text, you want a higher resolution scan IF the text is small (like with a commentary--not so much a 75 page devotional book with large print). A PDF scan is just a digital picture of each page. The better picture you take (high res scan) the easier the text will be to interpret.

 

The text interpretation is best done, in my experience, with Abby Finereader Pro. It's the most efficient with the least errors. I like how you can go page by page in a split screen mode, with the original PDF page on the left side and the digitized text on the right side. Words that Abby is uncertain of, or words that don't match a spell check are highlighted for your review. You can click a word in the digitized half of the screen, and that word's location is highlighted on the PDF side of the screen.

 

That's the trick: 1) scan resolution and 2) decent OCR software. You can do it without either, it's just a question of time--how much time it's going to take.

[APsit190]

Hi Josh,

For those who wish to enter into this kind of adventue, could you them an idea what the cost would be for the equiptment (gear)?

 

What is the equiptment you use to create the resource you've done?

 

Actually, I think what might be really interesting is to hear your story about this, and I think having this kind of picture would give budding resource creators an idea of what they are are going to get into.

 

Blessings,

[BaptizedBeliever]

Truly, making modules is a labor of love if you want it to be worthwhile, usable, and look nice.  If you happen to already have an electronic text to work with (as in html, MS Word, etc.), then the monotonous process of checking for OCR errors is eliminated, and (if it's been proofread already), you need only to format it properly.

 

But if your source is a PDF file, then it takes time to run it through a good OCR program (I cannot overemphasize the need for a GOOD OCR program), and check it for recognition errors.

 

But however you get your source text, the most important thing is to proofread it.  Sure, you'll probably miss a spelling error or two, and there will be some random commas or periods where there shouldn't be, but far too many modules (especially the ones from 2010 and before) are basically worthless because no one bothered to read through it--or even skim through it--to make sure it looked right.

 

Formatting is easy compared to the previous steps.

 

Like Josh said, though, if you can scan the book yourself, do it and make it the highest quality scan possible.  It'll make the work a LOT quicker.

 

-Brad