Id like to create book to help beginners about solarus editor

[Zeror]

What is also important is think if the images in the pages, the explications of the images should be very details; just in case if the interior of the pages would be printed in black and white, by some publisher even if the images where in colors; or some person that buy an ebook and want to print it in black and white. As you can see, i try my best to think of diverse possibilities and probabilities. To make it a great book.

If you want to make sure that images comes out great in black and white (greyscaled) then it's best to use a good high contrast in those images. Make sure black is really black and white is really white. Also use a proper resolution to have nice sharp images. That can be tricky because you use screenshots, which are always 72dpi, but for good printing results you need actually 300dpi (you need nearest-neighbor scaling for this actually for the best results).

[oclero]

If we do a commercial book, why not crowdfunding ?

[Zeror]

If we do a commercial book, why not crowdfunding ?

No offense to Solarus, but i think it would fail. I would not recommend that.
If you want, let's say, 500 copies produced then the costs are already around the 2.750-3.400 dollar / 2.500-3.000 euro pricerange at minimum. Let's say everyone funds 12 dollar / 10 euro you still need 300 people. I don't see that happen.

[20degree]

Me the free pdf guides ive writen in the past has 96dpi images into. The images in it is not 72dpi. I know that 72dpi is the standard for web imagery. But what i wonder Zeror, if for a free pdf guide or commercial that 96dpi is enough or if it should be 300dpi as you say?

It's because i think of the total file size weight.

Thank's for your time and thank's to others also.

A+

[20degree]

I have think for peoples looking for free and legal images as on the website of OpenArtist, i think it could be a good idea that the authors them self be a member here; and write here there acceptances for putting images "printscreens" of there file for the book. This to protect the administrators, the other Solarus members; and even the peoples that would like to make some games.

I think it's important that the authors files and components write here publicly there acceptances to help for this free book. Like if some image is way too long (example: http://opengameart.org/content/18x20-characters-walkattackcast-spritesheet), that it can be cut for the pages. Also as images zoomed "but respecting there size properties",wich i mean not stretched; briefly make the images into the pages respecting the authors.

I have made (not so far 3 pages). The first page "welcome", second "terms", third "for who is this book". The next thing i'll do for this free pdf guide is write the chapters. But by experience all the pages must be made before linking them. This because i have made the error in the past to create some pages that i have said this is linked to as page 4, this on page 10, etc. But i have not think that some chapters could have more pages then others; wich resulted in links to pages that was incorrect.

Beside that i help an old person that i know, help some friends. Also i have helped a bit an none lucratif organism that have an .org site; helped for web pages to help lives and could maybe even saves lives of peoples. But this dose not mean that i dont care for this personnal free project. Also as a beginner with Solarus that id like to create my own free snes zelda style games to show to some friends.

Once again thank's for the peoples help and for your great and fantastics talents that you share. Some of you might find my self disturbing telling so many times my thank's to your self. I find it important to appreciate peoples that surround us. Me i tell it to my mom, my dad, my brothers and friends. I dont know when there time alive gonna pass by and be no more. If ive touched hearts, please tell to your surrounding also as i do your appreciations and love to your surrounding.

Again thank's to all and thank's beiing part of this personnal free project of mine.

A+

[Diarandor]

I still think it would be much better to use LaTeX, as someone said before. LaTeX is very professional (it's usually the one used to write scientific articles) and you would not have that problem with the links to reference other pages when the pages change. If you change your mind I might help you using Tex when I have some free time.

[Zeror]

Me the free pdf guides ive writen in the past has 96dpi images into. The images in it is not 72dpi. I know that 72dpi is the standard for web imagery. But what i wonder Zeror, if for a free pdf guide or commercial that 96dpi is enough or if it should be 300dpi as you say?

It's because i think of the total file size weight.

Thank's for your time and thank's to others also.

A+

The amount of dpi depends on the distribution method. Will be it be shared as PDF file then 72 or 96 dpi is just fine, but when you want sell it as an actual printed book then you should use 300 dpi images for the best results (actually most printing offices require you to use 300 dpi).

[Christopho]

But by experience all the pages must be made before linking them. This because i have made the error in the past to create some pages that i have said this is linked to as page 4, this on page 10, etc. But i have not think that some chapters could have more pages then others; wich resulted in links to pages that was incorrect.

Are you serious? Never hardcode page numbers, use references to do them for you.

[20degree]

Dont worry Christopho i dont link to the page numbers. What i do on some pages i simply choose to "insert some bookmark". Later i simply select the text (by putting the cursor before the text i want, after holding the shift key and clicking with the mouse on the last word); so it select multiple words. Then i choose the option to add some link to the selected text, after i choose link to this document to some bookmark. This turn the words to some clickable phrase to some bookmark. I have done this terrible error in the past, but trough time ive learned fiew things. That's what i did with my previous free pdf guides, that the clickable text link point to the corresponding bookmark or to some external web url.

To respond to you Zeror, the intention is mostly do a free pdf guide, not a commercial guide. The interior image quality it is important for me that they are of 96dpi at leass. Because i have notice by my own experience in the past that 72dpi interior images when the pdf file was openend. By zooming id did not take too much time that the images of 72dpi became pixelized, beside 96dpi image into the pdf file; and i think of peoples that would want to learn Solarus that could have bad eye sight vision.

Now to respond to you Diarandor i have downloaded last day the software http://www.libreoffice.org and installed it wich is version 5.0.1. Then from the same official website ive done a search with the word: Latex. I have find some extension wich i downloaded. Today ive installed the LibreOffice software, after from the software have choosed "tools" then "add extension" and have gone to the "Latex" file ive downloaded. The software LibreOffice told the message, there is no need to install it because it is already in the LibreOffice software. After it asked if i want to still install or cancel. So i cancelled because the software told that it already have "Latex".

I have to told to you Diarandor, that i'm totally blind with the software LibreOffice at leass i notice that it have some tools similar as OpenOffice. Ive opened my OpenOffice file with LibreOffice. But from there i'm really lost, this because i dont know the software and dont know Latex at all. I even wander if Latex is already active or not? I feel very small right now, beside peoples that know LibreOffice and Latex; as some kids that is crawling before walking. But i'm glad that you Diarandor and other peoples that know Latex with LibreOffice could teach me things.

Once again thank's to all!

A+

[Diarandor]

I have never used LibreOffice and never heard about it before, so I don't know how it is. LaTeX is something like a text editor and a programming language at the same time, and has hundreds or thousands of libraries to do whatever you want (although for your purposes you do not need that). All serious science  researchers of physics, maths, and other sciences use it to make their articles, although it can be used to write a book or whatever.

Of course, LaTeX is very very active, but normal people without programming knowledge are afraid of these things and use programs like Word and convert it with PDFCreator or other tools (much easier but not professional and bad quality).

LaTeX is not hard to to learn (at least compared to Lua, and Lua is a very very easy programming language, so don't be scared of it). I use the Miktex distribution (you can find it with google) but there are others. You also need an editor to use LaTeX, and there are lots of choices (the one I use is TeXnicCenter, which is free and multiplatform if I am not wrong, but there are other good and better editors too that you can find using google). (I use it to write my math articles, and currently to write my PhD thesis. So I would gladly help you if you choose to use Tex.)

Anyway, this was just my opinion. You are free to use the program you want, and it will be a huge work in any case. Good luck with this work!!!

[oclero]

LibreOffice is just the new name of OpenOffice. Actually, OpenOffice development was stopped a few years ago. Since the code was open-source, some people took the following. You should use LibreOffice instead of OpenOffice, much more stable, fast and better

[Zeror]

Since you like open-source, why not using Scribus? It looks like a solid tool and it's an alternative to Adobe Indesign, which is in my opinion the tool to create nice books and stuff.

http://www.scribus.net/

[20degree]

I want to thank for the link http://www.scribus.net. Why i seem to want open and free softwares? Well the reason is just because the montly money i have is very not much; i can say that i survive with the help of some peoples. But i wont complain, because some peoples have lived worst beside my self. The other reason, is simply because i want to be legal. I have heard on the web there are a lot of free softwares, but some peoples say there are software that are free with no limits but there are not free. So it's quite confusing for me.

I have find the site: http://www.texniccenter.org/, ive downloaded but not installed because i have find an other website: http://www.texstudio.org/ that i also downloaded but not installed. I'm not sure but i think that "TexStudio" may have many more features beside "TexNicCenter". Why? Well first the latest news on there sites, "TexStudio" have some dated news that seem more recent. The second reason its because of the comparaison of "TexNicCenter" and "TexStudio", the file size of "TexStudio" weight more; wich could possibly make me think (more features and options). So i wonder wich one should i install because they both have "LaTex" and seem have very similar tools and options (seeing the images on the web)? What is important is that it can save the document and turn it to a pdf file that can be opened with Adobe Reader and other pdf readers.

A+

[20degree]

Just sharing this link to the 3 pages pdf file "unfinished". I have change a bit some text, to make it also protect the authors of OpenArtist.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B60m6W-FuLPHQXJtMk5jMlNpN1k/view?usp=sharing

I dont know much things about "Terms and others of this type". But i hope that the text's is good?

Also for peoples, please dont rush for helping me. I understand that you also have your ways of life, as i do also.

As i say some good fruits start from a seed, it need to be harvested good; before it is reached.

I would find fantastic if this free pdf guide, could bring many peoples interest into Solarus.

A+

[oclero]

If you want to use Latex:
If you're using Windows, install MikTeX. Here is a tutorial, since I can see you don't know his software.

• 1. Install MikTex
• 2. Install an editor. When I use Latex under Windows, i use Texmaker.
• 3. Learn Latex basics. Here is a tutorial. Begin with the basic stuff. Don't try to do formatting as the beginning, just write each part.

Once again, it is not a "direct" editor, you don't directly see what the document will look like. You have to "generate" the document each time you want to see the actual result. But is has lots of advantages, like it's very professional (every pro in the scientific domain uses this).
Once you've discovered Latex, we can show you how to create a Git repository to store your files, if you don't know, so that people can contribute and modify just one file without modify the original document. You'll see, it is so much better than one unique big single file (or one unique big single Google document).

And after that, we can also help you to improve the aesthetics of the document. First, don't use the logo as a background, it prevents from a good readability. The background has to be all white, it the best, for clarity and for economy. We'll see later for other improvements when you have gone further in the writing.

Since you like open-source, why not using Scribus? It looks like a solid tool and it's an alternative to Adobe Indesign, which is in my opinion the tool to create nice books and stuff.

Yes Adobe InDesign would be the best But it's really expensive. I've never really tried Scribus. The last time I tried, it was not really handy. Do you use it ?