Suggestion: Book reading view

The discussion on this topic about the pros and cons of electronic vs paper books makes me wonder if you could mitigate against one of the negatives (remembering the position of text on page) with a book-reading view of some sort. The most obvious candidate would be fixing reading mode which at the moment is almost unusable to me (reading line by line all the way across a widescreen monitor just causes eye strain).

Instead of:

I don't see why you couldn't do something like this for any book that has page numbers:

This would be particularly brilliant in the iPad app, where it would feel like sitting down to read a book...

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spitzerpl

Bob has pretty much committed to providing multi-column support to reading view. I'm hoping it comes sooner rather then later.

EDIT: Then again, I'm hoping that of many features :-)

Roberto Bustamante

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/121384#Comment_121384

I too look forward to this new feature. question: will we see the page numbers? What I mean is...like the ibooks app, I would love to see Logos develop a reader that essentially retains the pagination of the printed page. That would be great for my studies...I haven't made that leap to e-reader yet, meaning that I still want to see at least a virtual page of the hardcopy book. I hope, I hope, I hope...

Jon

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/121385#Comment_121385

I don't think it could replicate the printed page exactly but I don't see why you couldn't approximate it for any book that has page numbers in the electronic version (all books except bibles I think). If they stored metadata for the number of lines per page / characters across in the print version I think you'd get very close...

I think that this would be much more useful than having random columns in reading view...

spitzerpl

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/121386#Comment_121386

For me it doesn't need to replicate the printed page exactly as long as everything looks the same every time I go to that page. I would have something that uses the same settings for any book, scaling pictures and charts down on a page till they fit. you would set the settings yourself (margin, page size, font size, etc) and it would use those settings regardless of what you have set the regular panel to. pages in this view could only be turned, not scrolled.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/121385#Comment_121385

will we see the page numbers?

You are aware, I assume, that you can turn page numbers on and off so that you can see them now if they exist in the resource.

Roberto Bustamante

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/121436#Comment_121436

Yes, I'm aware. But there's just something about seeing the book in the same way that it is on the printed page...you know?

I think for me it's sort of a memory thing. I like seeing the page numbers and the pagination because then I can remember: "such and such page, middle of the 2nd paragraph, etc."

That's why I really, really like the ibooks app and the whole "flipping the page" motion they have. that's nice!

Keith Gant

I was the one who started the topic Jon referenced, and would like to add my voice as one who would love to see a "reading view" something like his sample image. Just to be sure we're on the same page (pun intended) I'd want the following:

- The top of the page in the reading view corresponds to the page break in the printed book.

- Full functionality for notes, clippings, and applying highlights while in this view.

- Able to optionally display the table of contents pane and/or the locator pane as in other views.

- Able to include other windows like Rosie described here: http://community.logos.com/forums/p/15881/120533.aspx#120533

On my personal wish list, this would rank second only to full topic searching.

Bob Pritchett

To implement column reading, we need to add pagination to our "infinitely scrolling" display engine. This is underway. (Left and right-aligned graphics with text wrapping around them, tables with multiple rows (and row-spanning cells), etc. all make laying out for pagination a little more complicated. But once it's done, it allows reading view, printing, etc.)

Floyd Johnson

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/121806#Comment_121806

Thanks for the update.

Timothy Ha

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/121806#Comment_121806

To implement column reading, we need to add pagination to our "infinitely scrolling" display engine.

Thanks, Bob for the good news. With reading view now tapping on Tablet PC will work. And there will be no need for me to look for an iPad :-)

I have one question: can this new engine also help optimize Logos4 work with long articles? I had huge delays in switching between tabs when I worked with John Owen's Hebrews Commentary. Switching between windows and tabs while working with Bibles is pretty fine.