7.1. Actual Version

v2.4.4.04

Major Version Change

!This is a major version change with modifications in some general data structures! Please read the following hints carefully!

Due to data consolidation to avoid inconsistencies (the same or similar data was kept in different files) the content of some config files changed.
This can result in unexpected behavior like incorrect page count and page sizes, missing languages or alike. The path of a former used PDF-File is not available and has to be selected again before being able to run a “Convert PDF” command:: Use Other PDF.
Once a PDF File again was selected, it will be assigned to the actual project and remembered again.

Most issues like incorrect page sizes can be solved using the “Commands – Update” function, which updates, adjusts and saves all config files.
In some cases it might be necessary to check and adjust the Basic Settings via Commands – Configure Basic Settings.

If you still have questions or your Mz3 Title does not show up as before, please contact us explaining in detail what you expect and what happens instead.

Overview: most important changes in this version 2.4.4.04

• Flash is no longer supported
• The MZ3 Project management features, all available in the “File” Menu, have been completely reworked:
  • New From Pdf
  • Open Recent Project
  • Open Project
  • Save Project As
  • Delete Project
• The function and program logic for the Publishing Command has been corrected and improved
• The “Edit Book – Custom Logo” window changed completely: Size and position now can be defined as pixel or % values. For mz3Viewer still the pixel values are relevant. For the (JavaScript) Browser version the relative % values are used and with that the custom logo becomes responsive, i.e. size and position are relative to the width of the window/viewport.
• The file structure of the (mainly) mz3ToolBookData.xml File has been modified/extended.
• Better support of positioning and sizing of AREA Elements
• Improved and extended Language Setting Window.
• Improved Add Page Images.
  Now several strategies are applied to find the best option for adding the selected images.
  Nevertheless, the assignments of images to pages should be checked and if necessary corrected making use of the several options available under “Advanced Settings”. But in most cases, the proposed setting should work as expected!
• Now both the mz3Viewer and JavaScript Book and Page parameter settings are supported. Only those parameters are listed that (should ;) ) work in the respective version
• Video-Preview Images now also can be taken from Videos with non square Pixels (PAR: Pixel AR other than 1:1; e.g. 4:3). The correct AR of the video is determined now from the video parameters and no longer the file parameters are used. As a result review images now always should have the correct AR.
• Menu commands “New from PDF” and “Use Other PDF” have the same look&feel now and provide more information in cases where a PDF cannot be loaded or could create potential problems in the browser or server, e.g.
  • Check for invalid characters like “#” in the file name
  • reporting page size and type in the “Use Other PDF Menu” now also
  • In “Use Other PDF” a warning is shown if page size and type differ from the actual book’s page size
• “New” Window completely overhauled and offering 4 options now:
  • New Book from Page Images (PIMGs)
  • New Photo Book
  • New Empty Book
    New Book from a converted PDF File
    
    Drag&Drop now fully supported. If a collection of images (or even a folder!) is dragged on one of the first three icons, the respective book is built completey automatically; no further click or decision needed!
    In most cases the result should be as expected ;-)
    The 4th icon accepts a PDF file. And again the conversion and creation of the book based on the PDF pages is run fully automatically.
    Remark: To save time and just get a first impression only the first 10 pages are converted.
    If one of the 4 icons is clicked, the next level (window) opens and provides more options: Parameters can be checked and modified. And depending on the icon clicked also additional information might be available.
    Files again can be dragged (on the input file or “Open” button now), and the book again is built automatically; this time based on the shown/modified parameters.
    Depending on your needs and knowledge you’ll find the best option for your needs pretty fast.

*Suggestion: Play a bit with a different number of files (or a complete folder) and use all offered drag targets. And watch what happens an d what the resulting book looks like.

You soon will get a feeling about the logic and value of the different options and find out what best fits your needs. Once the documentation is updated, you’ll see several examples and more background information.

• Open
• Open Automatically
• Redesigned Basic Settings and Javascript Settings Windows
• New Summary Window before a Publish Start
• New Window to Configure Navigation Bar / Burger Menüs
• Support of GIF Format 20190824
  Now also GIF images/animations can be placed on pages like JPG or PNG image.
• Completely new “start page” of the “New” Window, offering 3 choices: From (Page-) Images, Empty book, from PDF
  Drag&Drop for page images and pdf files is supported
• Custom Logo is responsive in the browser: percent based, relative to the defined page height; no longer absolute pixels

• Several general bug fixes and improvements
  Examples:
  • Burger Menu, Navigation Bar
    Under certain conditions (e.g. many icons) the menu did not show up correctly
  • New Project (empty Pages)
    The page width and height now only are checked after an “Enter” or “mouse leave”, i.e. when the mouse moves outside the input field.
    Before an error was reported, once the proposed/former value was deleted and a new value was started to be entered: It always was interpreted as being too short and blocked an update.
    Also: a “language-code type ending will be treated as language code, and later stripped from the name.
    This takes care if a language code was added at the end of the project name.
    It also is a quick way to modify the language code
  • The menu short-codes (not really used anyhow) inhibited e.g. a copy of a licnese key: The shortcut CTRL-v instead of inserting the code from the clipboard opened the “mz3Viewer Setting Window”.
    All menu short codes have been eliminated and the copy now works without problems
  • Navbar and burger menu logic dod not work as expected.
    Now the size of the icons is automatically scaled down to a height of 12px. If that’s not sufficient the burger menu is used instead.
  • Incorrect Video Size of some Videos
    If a video does not use square pixels, the “real” video aspect ratio is different than the ratio calculated from the dimensions shown in the file.
    Now the video size is read out of the (running) video and the correct aspect ratio calculated. As result a preview image with the correct aspect ratio can be captured from the video also in such (rare) cases.
  • 2 parallel functions “fighting” for the status window
    If several functions work in parallel and want to update the status window (e.g. during an “add Page Images” process, where images are copied and placed on pages), the result was a “flicker” of that status window. And the content was hard to read.
    The status window was simpliefied and now mailky shows the remaining number of outstanding copies. This saves process time and also improves reading the status
    Examples of status windows:.
    

FLASH no longer supported

Seeing that all browsers almost stopped Flash support (only those users with good computer knowledge still can find ways to use Flash in newer browsers, but the average user will give up), we decided to streamline Mz3Tool and take out all Flash support.

!If you still need Flash, please use an older version of mz3Tool (<= v2.4.3.13).

Open Recent Project Feature

This command was eliminated. The offered functionality now is included in ‘Open Project’.

Open Project

This became the main option for starting an Mz3 Project now. The command “Open Recent Project” is not needed any longer and was removed.
An additional column now shows the date of the last change of the Mz3 Title (i.e. the time that project was updated or opened the last time).
The data grid by default is sorted by this column now and the latest project you worked on is shown first and already selected.

This helps to easier find projects you are actually working on.

The data grid now shows all the information in one place. You easily can find books with the most pages, the languages used, the number of thumbnails and counts of all elements.

Now the original data of the Mz3 Project is used; no other redundant files are used any longer. And with this avoiding the risk of “out of sync” data.
The former mz3ToolPathsData XML file in the user-specific C:\Users\(userName)\AppData\Roaming\de.megazine3.air.mz3Tool\Local Store\settingsData folder (in the case of a Windows10 system) no longer is needed.
The additional columns “Modification Date” show the date of the last change/use. When the Window opens, the table is sorted after the modification data, showing the actual open project in the first row. It already is selected and can be opened (again) immediately using the “OPEN” Button or a double click.
Alternatively, any other project of the list can be selected with a click.

This former Pop-Up-Window now became a ‘real native window*, with full support to position and scale the window.
New details are presented in additional columns, providing excellent insight into each project
All columns can be sorted, giving answers on typical questions like:

• Are Thumbnails available?
• Are all pages converted?
• Which Mz3 Projects contain movies?
• Which languages are supported?
• Which books are multilingual books?
• What PDF files were used as a source, if any?
• What is the page size?
• Which projects support double pages?

Certain cells might one or more “?”. This usually is the case with projects created in earlier versions of mz3Tool, where not all data was saved in the project specific config files. In most cases, a simple “Commands – Update” command will refresh and update the data automatically.

Also new is the “status” columns with combined status information about the project.

• invalid
  No mz3 Project File and no bookData configuration file was found. This project is incomplete and cannot be opened.
• (empty)
  This is the standard case for single language books: All OK
• n mz3 xx
  This is the standard status of multilingual books: All OK
  “n” represents the number of mz3 project files found in the project.
  “xx” represents a special code defininge the “selection strategy” for the mz3 project.
  • ML
    A multilingual mz3 file was found and will be used. A multilingual ook will be shown.
  • SZ
    Size: The biggest mz3 file was selected. This typically is the one with the most changes.
  • LL
    Local Language: The book representing the local language will be opened.
  • New
    The latest/newest file is chosen

*Remark about “n”: Usually “n” will show a “2”, i.e. the language of the first book in that project, and the multilingual version for the project.
Once a second language is added to the first language, a multilingual version is built.

“n” might become bigger than 2 in cases where additional languages are used for a “single language” book (in hiding all other languages). Than an additional mz3 File for that language will be built

Delete Project

The data grid looks the same as the new Open Project Data grid, so also here you find all information to make a safe decision.
Once a project is deleted, it *cannot *be restored again!
Please consider making regular backups!

Commands – Publishing

The program flow and logic have been modified/improved to address and fix certain problems and to achieve a better user experience (better status feedback).

Better support of selecting the position and size of AREA Elements

Position and size of Area Elements now can be modified quickly.
A “full page Ad” now can be supported with a single click; without opening the ‘Advanced Edit’ Window.
A toggle button supports the selection of the following variants:

• Custom size and position
  This is the default setting and also selected if the element is positioned/sized manually
• Full Page
  The AREA element spans across the full opened page; either a single or double page
• Left Page
  The full area of the left half of the open book is used, In case of a single page book the left page will be selected, if the actual page was the right side.
• right half
  The full area of the right half of the open book is used, In case of a single page book, the right page will be selected if the actual page was the left side.

Improved Management of multilingual books

Now new languages can be added easily in entering the corresponding language code in the special input field.
A new language is only prepared and still “hidden”, i.e. not yet visible in the book. Only after adding it to the book (hit the button “use in book”) that language will show up and a language selector will appear.

    

As easy as languages can be added to the book they can be hidden again.
Now languages and the related content (all language-specific elements!) can be deleted physically as files and logically in taking all references out of the configuration files.

New Status Window (project summary) before Publish

A new condensed and color coded summary helps identifying portential porblems before publishing a package. With this bundling files that are not needed and only increase the size of the package can be avoided

Improved Logic for Adding Page Images

Once images of the size of the pages, i.e. images that will act as “page content” (page background), are selected, the names of those images are analyzed and the best strategy to add those images to the “correct”, i.e. intended pages, is proposed.
Although this is kind of educated guessing, surprisingly often the correct approach is proposed and immediately can be accepted.
In those rare cases where the result is not what was expected, the algorithm can be “tweaked” in detail.

The number of input fields was reduced (without giving up functionality) and the window is better structured and easier to work with now.

Support of Page Parameters for the JavaScript Version

Now are supported in the JavaScript version also.
Only those page parameters are listed, that work in the JavaScript version, i.e. the number of JS page parameters (5) is still less than the number of mz3Viewer page parameters (24).
Same is true for book parameter: Actually for 16 JavaScript and 49 for mz3Viewer.

h3.Open Automatically

The “Modify Elements on Pages” Window does not open automatically with every click in the book any longer. The default behaviour changed: Now the book can be fully operated, as long as neither the “Modify Elements on Pages” (Magange Elements) or “Add Elements” Window is open. I.e. vidoes can be started, pages flipped and links followed.
If you prefer the former behaviour, you can adjust this in setting the respective check box in Basic Settings:

Redesign Basic Settings and Javascript Settings Windows

Those two windows should be easier to use now: better strucutured, less buttons and options (without restricting functionality).

New Publish Status Window
With “Problems”:

No Problems (unused files had been deleted)

New Window to Configure Navigation Bar / Burger Menüs

All options for the navigation bar (and burger menu) configuration are now combined in one window, which not only is easier but also offers additional options like sorting of the symbols (rows).