Help with FanFic Downloader for Calibre

[Beans McFiction]

Unfortunately, I am not as computer saavy as I thought.  I cannot figure out how to get the FanFic Downloader to work with Calibre.  I have copied a URL and gone into FanFic Downloader and clicked on Add New from URl and I see my fic sitting there but then no matter what I select after that I get an error code that says "None of the 1 URL/stories given can be/need to be downloaded".  I might not understand what this FFDL is used for.  I thought I could put in WIP fics and then as they updated, the mobi version would get updated as well.  And once the fic was completed, I would have a full mobi copy of it.  If I am not understanding that right, can you please let me know.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Bean...@yahoo.com

[Jim Miller]

On 4/6/2013 1:48 PM, Beans McFiction wrote:
> ... I cannot figure out how to get the FanFic Downloader to work with Calibre. ...

1) Are you sure that story has been updated since you added it? If
you're using 'Overwrite if Newer' (default with mobi) or 'Update EPUB if
New Chapters' (default with epub), it won't do anything if there hasn't
been an update since you downloaded it.

2) FFDL only updates stories when you tell it to. It doesn't
automatically go out and get updates. I suggest using the
follow/track/whatever features of the sites you read from to get emails
when stories you read are updates.

3) If you have FFDL downloading epub (for updates), but are using the
mobi version, you either need to convert it manually, or use FFDL's
'Delete other existing formats' feature so calibre knows to convert it
again when you send it to your device.

--
Jim Miller
Retie...@gmail.com

[Beans McFiction]

Thanks for that info.  I guess my real problem is that they are not showing up in my list of fics.  None of them have actually updated because this is the first time I am trying to add them.  But now I do understand that I will have to update the fics when I come into calibre and I may have to delete the old versions first.  But it's getting them to show up that is stumping me at the moment.

[Jim Miller]

On 4/6/2013 6:08 PM, Beans McFiction wrote:
> Thanks for that info. I guess my real problem is that they are not

> showing up in my list offics. None of them have actually updated

> because this is the first time I am trying to add them. But now I do
> understand that I will have to update the fics when I come into calibre
> and I may have to delete the old versions first. But it's getting them
> to show up that is stumping me at the moment.

I don't understand what you mean by "not showing up in my list of fics".

If you mean that FFDL isn't overwriting or adding it's versions of
stories you already have, perhaps you should use the 'Overwrite Always'
or 'Add New Book' options for 'If story already exists'.

Jim

--
Jim Miller
Retie...@gmail.com

[Tara Li]

My usual technique for using FFDL in Calibre runs as follows

1) Click FanFicDL -> Add New From URL(s)

2) Leave box open while I run through mail picking up new URLs or surfing favorites/C2s however I find a story.

3) Either copy & paste URL into box, or drag URL from address bar in browser.

4) Collect up a set, click OK

5) The plug-in downloads the metadata for the files, and then downloads the files (if they're all new) or tells me something along the lines of "FFDL found X good and Y bad updates.  See log for details.  Proceed with updating your library?"  the View Log button with the ladybug on it shows me a list of files, including how many new chapters for good downloads, and why there's a bad one (often, I've already downloaded, occasionally , there's more chapters than the website shows for one reason or another - perhaps I got it from another website as well...)

6) Click Yes, and FFDL starts up a Job to download and update everything - you can continue on from where you were, maybe opening a new box to start downloading more.