highlighting is not working in my read -along-book

Janis Friesler

Tagged: Read-along;

This topic has 10 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 11 months ago by Janis Friesler.

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- May 3, 2015 at 5:28 pm #75119
 
 Janis Friesler
 Member
 
 My epub validated just fine. The audio works just fine. The words don’t highlight.
 
 Can’t figure it out. I put this code in the content.opf and the CSS file.
 
 .-epub-media-overlay-active {
 color: #f09aec;
 }
 
 I can’t figure this out. Please help!
 
 Janis
- May 4, 2015 at 1:57 am #75123
 
 Ken Jones
 Member
 
 Please check out circularflo.com to see how we have solved this problem
- May 4, 2015 at 2:00 am #75124
 
 Ken Jones
 Member
 
 You need to add in audio tracks, mark each word in turn, accurately work out the timings of every word and then write this into an extra xml file and also make amendments in code to make the words actually highlight.
 
 The good news is that CircularFLO has solved this and there is now a way to create read aloud fixed layout EPUBs directly from InDesign CS6 or later using our unique tools and with no coding required. More info here https://www.circularflo.com/instructions/#read_aloud_tools
 - May 4, 2015 at 8:06 am #75141
 
 Janis Friesler
 Member
 
 I have all of the words in the XHTML files and all the uadio in the smil files. The audio part does work. I put the media overlay code in the content.opf and the Css file. I do not have a Mac, only an ipad or I would have used Circularflo before.
 
 Thanks for your help!
 
 Janis
- May 4, 2015 at 2:00 am #75125
 
 Ken Jones
 Member
 
 Free trial available for all Mac InDesign users of InDesign CS6 or later – https://www.circularflo.com/download/
- May 4, 2015 at 5:33 am #75131
 
 Anne-Marie Concepcion
 Keymaster
 
 Thank you Ken.
 
 It’s certainly easier w/CircularFlo, but it’s also possible to do manually, as Ken described.
 
 Download Liz Castro’s ebook ($5), Read-Aloud EPUB for iBooks, for step-by-step instructions and a sample file:
 https://store.kagi.com/cgi-bin/store.cgi?storeID=6FHNX_LIVE&page=ReadAloudMG&lang=en
 
 I’ve used her method successfully for manually-created FXL, but not for any exported from InDesign. If you do it, please let us know how it went!
 
 AM
 - May 4, 2015 at 8:19 am #75144
 
 Janis Friesler
 Member
 
 I did use Liz Castro’s mini-guide for the read-along. I also read “Epub Straight to the Point.” I did convert the book into a fixed-layout ePub using Indesign CC and your course on Lynda.com. I had to apply Liz’s directions to the code. I put the media-overlay into the Css and the content.opf. I am at a loss because I uploaded the eBook sample to iBooks through Dropbox. I don’t have a Mac, just an iPad. The audio and the automatic page turner woek on every page. The highlighting isn’t working. The eBook validated perfectly.
 
 I appreciate all the help I can get.
 
 Thanks,
 
 Janis
- May 4, 2015 at 7:50 pm #75165
 
 Anne-Marie Concepcion
 Keymaster
 
 Thank you Janis. So you used to have a Mac, though, right? (to use InDesign CC?) … I’m not sure how you can examine and troubleshoot the epub only with an ipad, and without a computer. Possible to get access to it?
 
 Assuming you can, I would first try validating it. The errors that you get back may help you figure out the problem.
 
 Or even from your iPad, I think you can use Joshua Tallent’s epubflightdeck, which gives *very* detailed error reports. I’ve never tested a read-aloud against it though.
 
 https://ebookflightdeck.com/
 
 AM
 - May 4, 2015 at 8:12 pm #75166
 
 Janis Friesler
 Member
 
 I did everything from my pc. I am only testing with my iPad. I have Indesign CC for the PC. I used epubcheck and it validated perfectly.
 
 I am going to borrow a mac to submit the iBook. I will keep plugging away.
 
 Thanks,
 
 Janis
- May 5, 2015 at 2:16 am #75170
 
 lizcastro
 Member
 
 I wonder if there’s something going on with the ID values—do they match EXACTLY, upper and lowercase letters, no spaces, etc?
- May 5, 2015 at 8:22 am #75179
 
 Janis Friesler
 Member
 
 I had InDesign CC convert the book first from print to ePub 3. The eBook validated right away and look perfect in iBooks. Then I went into the code and added the coding for the words. This is the exact structure for every word:
 
 the
 
 I added the Indesign did the rest.
 
 The things I am not sure of are:
 
 1, Did I put the media overlay in the wrong spot in the CSS. I put the code at the top. I also put it in the manifest. Should I put it as Css on each page? InDesign created a generated CSS for the whole book in one file.
 
 2. The audio in the book starts on page 5 because there is information in the preface for the parents not for the children.
 
 3. I did start some of the lines in the audio separately because I was afraid the highlighting would look weird when it moved from the last line to the new line. Should I go back and number line and attach each word to the next?
 
 I know these are a lot of questions, but I have put in so much work into this book. I coded over 700 words in the audio files, xhtml, and smil. It took me a long time to learn InDesign and to convert the book and then the audio. I took me three weeks to fix all the validation errors. I have become an expert on that. Now it is the highlighting. I did buy both of your mini-guides (fixed-layout and Read-along) and “Epub Straight to the Point”. So if you can help me, I would be so grateful that I will put your books on my website and link them to Amazon without an affiliate fee and write a blog about my experience lauding your books.
 
 Thanks for any help,
 
 Janis Friesler
 Assisting Authors Online
 [email protected]
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