PBB - Converting pdf and epub to docx

Lee Herbst said:

Calibre is free. It is an eBook library manager and it has a lot of conversion tools. It can't convert to docx, but it can convert to rtf (which Word reads) and that works for me. Just another option for those looking to convert eBooks.

[Y] I totally agree that Calibre is wonderful.  Probably the most comprehensive document conversion tool out there.  Since its free, the price is PERFECT!

Hi, I use a OCR program to convert pdf (or pic files); it does not place the foot-End-notes at the bottom of each page, so one has to go through them in WORD to make (docx). for the mac there is a program called TUFO IS FREE [it also allows you to open password protected PDF], this open the PDF and you can copy paste into WORD (paste as text only (don't use the formet paste).

If someone whats their doc files changed to docx, I'd be able to do that conversion for you [this is me opening and saving the files only].

I really think a Word macro to create true footnotes from a converted PDF is quite possible, I just haven't gotten time to play much with it. Rosie did a post on a similar thought. In short it would:

-search for the next numerical footnote in the next (matching the superscript/format used in that document; this would need to be edited from document to document but not a big deal)

-once found - mark location - find that formatted number at end of document. Select all text to end of that section (or could be to select up to next superscripted number matching footnote format, etc.) - cut that text and the footnote number

- go back to the marked location - delete the footnote text, add a true endnote or footnote, then paste the text back in. Proceed to beginning until there are no more footnotes to process.

Maybe Steve can work on this, he is a macro guru? [8-|]

I use Calibre myself, but I find that HTMLZ is a better intermediary format than RTF, because it supports images and a few more formatting options. Word still opens it fine. I don't remember how it does with footnotes, but it wouldn't surprise me if they worked.

Michael Childs said:

Many public domain documents are in pdf format, and must be converted to docx before making a Logos PBB resource.

I have found that the AVS document converter does this pretty well, and it is pretty cheap.  It will convert between pdf, epub, docx, html and other formats.  So you can download a pdf or epub public domain book, and convert to docx in one step. 

I have no interest in promoting AVS or any other software, but I found this helpful and thought I would mention it.  Works for me. 

Of course once the document is converted you have some work to do in preparing it - depending on the type of resource.

Again, AVS Document Converter is not free, but it is very reasonable.  I bought it some time back because it has lots of uses.

HI, Michael,  before buying it, to know whether  it works with the link I have shown here, could you please try this and post it  in a screenshot? (From Romans)http://www.biblica.com/bibles/amharic/

Rusty Davidson said:

Microsoft Word 2013 has an automatic pdf converter so that you open a pdf and save as docx. I have been using the preview version for several days and it does a good job. Seems to be faster than Adobe"s OCR technology and some of the online versions (including Nuance, which used to be my favorite.) It seems to be much more accurate as well. Naturally, like all converters in has its flaws, but seems to be something Microsoft has actually done fairly well for a change. You can find Office 2013 in a preview version for now, but they have not released pricing or date of full release yet.

Yes, I also tried many converters (Adobe, Nitro, Calibre, AVS, etc. etc.) with not good results. I installed MS Office 2013 Preview version and it's converting ability from pdf to docx is very promising. Especially those pdf that have been saved from docx by MS Word are converted very well. 

What's the latest on this? Is Microsoft Word 2013 the best route? Calibre? I have a number of pdfs that I would like to convert to personal books, but I have yet to discover a good way of doing the conversion, especially with Greek fonts and footnotes.

[quote user="Michael Childs"]

David,

The best solution I have found - and it is very reasonably priced - is by Adobe.  For about $20 per year Adobe will convert PDF  documents to docx for you on line. This service is a part of the Adobe Reader program.  

[/quote]

Hi Michael. I want to see if it works fine with the Link I am sending.Could you please try it?

Word 2013 appears to create appropriate footnotes from a PDF. It worked on the free ebook Story of God Philippians. I have not done extensive research on it, but it looks like it did everything properly.

Hi Friends, I have been searching for months now how to easily create a .DOCX file for building a personal book in Logos and have given up several times, never finding a good solution. But once again I found myself experimenting this morning when I should have been working on a sermon and a million other things.

Conclusion: just before giving up again an idea popped into my mind half inspired by this thread and the other half by our kind and all wise heavenly Father. So I hope this solution helps you as much as it did me and happy fathers day to any fathers and to The Father of Lights!

Nine to 14 Simple Steps:

1. STEP 1: Create or download a PDF 
   
   Note: if 
   
   
2. STEP 2: Upload PDF to Microsoft OneDrive 
   
   Note: if you do not have a Microsoft account it is totally worth getting. Also, note that they let you use any email address to sign up, so you don't even have to manage a 
   
   
3. STEP 3-6: Open PDF in OneDrive / click, "EDIT IN WORD" / then a Dialogue Box will pop-up called 'File Conversion' click 'Convert' after the conversion the same Dialogue box will come back, this time click 'Edit'. 
   
   
4. Once the file is open and in edit mode, you can now make any changes you desire before saving it. 
   
   
5. STEP 7-9:  click 'FILE' in the menu bar / click 'Save As' / click 'Download a Copy'
   
   AND bada bing bada boom and your done...but if your not completely sure how to build the book, here are your final simple steps. 
   
   
6. STEP 10-14: Open 'LOGOS' / click 'Tools' / click 'Personal Books' under the 'Library Column' / click 'Add Book' in the new window that opens / then just file in parts 1 and 2 and then part 3 is the final click 'Build Book'. 
   
   As soon as your book is built it will open up and you can see if everything formatted perfectly. 

Note: This is the easiest and best way to build personal books in Logos 5. It's free, fast and highly functional. I haven't spent much time playing around with it, but all of the 5+ books I built that have chapter headings are automatically recognized in Logos. In other words, as far as I can tell, any headings that you want Logos to recognize need to be designated as "headings" in your OneDrive Word App. 

Hope this helps. 

God Bless you all!

I can echo Fredc's experience completely.... I have finally moved from Calibre to the best conversion tool I've found: Wondershare PDF editor Pro.  It costs $79 US, but so far it has been perfect, and as a side benefit.... also converts to any MS Office format and does a good job with OCR conversions.

This my be OT, but I am wondering why yall pay for converting pdf files?  I use this one online and it's free and I don't have to sign up for anything.  Am I missing something?  

http://www.pdfonline.com/pdf-to-word-converter/?utm_expid=127285-82.hVyA0iq5Q9ynae28757vDQ.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Robert M. Warren said:

BroMk:

How do to the files converted by Wondershare fare with regard to pictures? My experience with converting in Word 2013 is that the pictures/graphics in the docx generally do not make it into the PB when compiled, without a great deal of agony. Word does do a great job with footnotes, if they were "live" in the PDF. If Wondershare maintains live footnotes and the resulting docx has images that will compile in PBs without a lot of noodling around, it would be worth 80 bucks, indeed,

FWIW: I currently employ a hodgepodge of methods, depending on the source of the file and the relative prominence of footnotes vs images. See the two link in my signature.  

Robert,  Why not link a freely redistributable PDF with pictures, footnote references, etc. that you'd like to compare to a Wondershare converted file.  I'll convert it and post it here for everyone's review and comments.

David Sloan said:

I have yet to discover a good way of doing the conversion, especially with Greek fonts and footnotes.

The biggest problem here that I have is where the original document did not use Unicode Greek & Hebrew fonts but instead used custom pre-unicode fonts. The only way to deal with that I have found is to type in the words manually using unicode fonts. Sadly many theologians still do not seem to have discovered the virtues of unicode yet and still use specialist fonts. I do speak as a non-Greek/Hebrew student so might not appreciate possible problems of using unicode fonts!

Bishop Salamat Khokhar said:

I have experienced that the Hebrew and Greek  just  get messed up in the converted DOCX.

This is often the same with me!

This my understanding of things and if I am not correct I hope that someone will correct me.Briefly I know of no pdf converters that will always produce perfect results for Hebrew & Greek from all types of pdf. I am guessing that IF the original document had been a MSWord document that had been turned into a pdf using Word 2013 or OneDrive as suggested by Royce Odiyar might well usually work perfectly.

There appear to be several causes to the problem that you are facing (other than a pdf that is so poor that the software can't identify the characters correctly). One is associated with the method that was used to produce the original Greek or Hebrew and has caused most of my prodlems.

Before Unicode fonts were introduced, there were only 255 or so characters in any specific font so that special Greek or Hebrew fonts were produced and as long as the actual Greek or Hebrew words were formatted with the relevant Greek or Hebrew font all was well. Many (most? all?) pdf converters are unable to detect when a specialised font was used on the original document (and the font probably does not exist on the users computer anyway so could not be displayed) so on conversion  you get a bunch of gibberish.

If Unicode fonts were used in the original document (as Logos seems to)  Greek & Hebrew have their own specific dedicated characters which are usually included in the main common fonts used on most computers so the Greek & Hebrew usually comes through the conversion correctly.

Sorry not to give you a nice solution.

This is not to disparage the kind and helpful people in this thread offering workable solutions (thank you!), but like virtually everything else about this software, this seems like a ridiculously cumbersome thing to have to do. The "P" in "PDF" means "portable." Logos should just provide the ability to upload a PDF so it can be read in the software. What would be so difficult about that? I get that it would not be able to take advantage of some Logos functionality with the book, but I'd be OK with that. They can still allow all the convoluted mess described above to import fully functioning books, but forcing me to have to recreate and reformat a document from PDF to DOCX just to read it? Not exactly user friendly.

So much about this software is a user experience nightmare (like requiring obscure code to search for text across your library highlighted with a specific highlight style). It's a real shame they can't figure out a way to create a better user experience since the resources are so spectacular.