The ability to get an ePub out of a RoboHelp project was okay in RoboHelp 8 and easier and more reliable in RoboHelp 9. However, the ePub process just didn't seem to fully integrated within RoboHelp. For instance, in RoboHelp 9, you created an ePub layout on the Single Source Layouts pod, but you didn't use the layout to generate the physical ePub. To do that, you visited the File menu and chose Generate > ePub.
Once you had your ePub, you needed to use a few different processes to both validate the ePub (ePub's will not be accepted by most vendors, such as the Apple iBookstore, unless the ePubs validate) and convert it to the mobi format for use on the Amazon Kindle. Neither of these processes were available in RoboHelp. To validate my ePubs, I have always used a free tool provided by the International Digital Publishing Forum. To convert to the mobi format, I used a converter found in Calibre, a free ePub reader.
In RoboHelp 10, the process of creating an ePub is seamless! If you visit the Single Source Layouts pod, you'll notice that there is an eBook layout by default.
Double-click the eBook layout and the eBook Settings will open.
The most significant options for me were located in the General group. When creating the eBook, I can generate both the EPUB format (version 3, which is the latest and greatest format) and the Kindle Book format. (There's no longer a need to take my ePub into Calibre.)
Just as awesome, take a look a bit lower down the dialog box and you'll see two options for validating the ePub and Kindle files.
All I have to do is click the Save and Generate button and RoboHelp does all of the heavy lifting.
If this were any easier, I wouldn't have to show up for work. Hey Adobe, in RoboHelp 11, is there any chance you can work it out so that RoboHelp actually does all of the writing for me? Thanks.
Comments