"Importing" a PDF
Is there a way to "import" a PDF into Verbum/Logos?
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Simple answer..... wait for it.......NO!!!!
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Well yes- convert the PDF to JPG or PG file then create a personal book- but it is no better than the PDF inside Logos since it is unsearchable, etc.
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I have converted hundreds of books from PDF to docx then built PBB resources, but depending on what you are looking for it can be simple or very time consuming.
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Steve said:
Is there a way to "import" a PDF into Verbum/Logos?
As has been answered, no... at least not directly.
PDF is an unusual file format... Some PDF's are essentially photographs, while others have selectable text. If you are able to convert the PDF into selectable text and get that text somehow into a Microsoft Word document (.docx), you can import the text into Logos as a personal book. NOTE: This process can be VERY simple or VERY complicated based on several factors.
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I didn't understand what you meant at first, but I do now.Whyndell Grizzard said:Well yes- convert the PDF to JPG or PG file then create a personal book- but it is no better than the PDF inside Logos since it is unsearchable, etc
If the PDF is along the lines of a "photograph," you could do as you suggest and create a personal book of "photographs." In some cases, this would be perfect (i.e. if the original PDF was a photo book of biblical artifacts).
The answer, however, isn't an absolute "no" to creating a "searchable book" from a photo type PDF... but it is unlikely and potentially very costly. It would involve having excellent OCR software, time & patience to fix typos, etc. For most people and most projects, the "possible yes" would be a "practical no."macOS, iOS & iPadOS |Logs| Install
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JT (alabama24) said:
If you are able to convert the PDF into selectable text and get that text somehow into a Microsoft Word document (.docx),
which, in more recent versions of MS Word, may mean simply opening the PDF in Word as that will invoke an automated conversion. However, this may or may not provide satisfactory results, depending on the nature and quality of the PDF - the "photograph" type usually doesn't (which is the way many old books available from e.g. archive.org have been preserved: Scanned pages. There are ePub and txt versions of such books, but they are worthless due to abysmally bad OCR).
Have joy in the Lord!
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Thanks everyone. That helps.
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Some pdf are just pictures of the text, not actually text. If you want to convert that to Logos Personal Book that is searchable, then you must use an OCR program to convert the PDF to actual text. I have done that on a few books. It takes quite a bit of editing of the OCR document.
Nuance Omnipage is probably the best OCR, and it will convert the picture based text directly to a docx file, which is what it takes to make a Logos personal book. However, it will still require considerable editing before being ready to convert to a Logos Personal Book.
So, yes, it can be done. I am more optimistic than those who say it just can't be done. I have done it several times and got pretty good results. Of course, results vary according to how good the pdf was. The more blurry the PDF, the worse the OCR result.
It had better be a book that you really want, and you are willing to spend the time to do some editing.
"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley0 -
You are right enough OP. Text can be easy to covert but pictures aren't. It's jumbles all the time.
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What are PBB resources?
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Welcome Glen!
Glen Colley said:What are PBB resources?
PBB = Personal Book Builder tool. You can import material that is in Microsoft Word (.docx) file format. If you have more questions, feel free to create a new post in the L8 forum.
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Michael Childs said:
Some pdf are just pictures of the text, not actually text. If you want to convert that to Logos Personal Book that is searchable, then you must use an OCR program to convert the PDF to actual text. I have done that on a few books. It takes quite a bit of editing of the OCR document.
Nuance Omnipage is probably the best OCR, and it will convert the picture based text directly to a docx file, which is what it takes to make a Logos personal book. However, it will still require considerable editing before being ready to convert to a Logos Personal Book.
So, yes, it can be done. I am more optimistic than those who say it just can't be done. I have done it several times and got pretty good results. Of course, results vary according to how good the pdf was. The more blurry the PDF, the worse the OCR result.
It had better be a book that you really want, and you are willing to spend the time to do some editing.
Agreed on all points. Omnipage is excellent but still often needs some tweeking to get it to produce its best work.
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