File conversion

[Donald]

I need to convert 2 files to .pdf, from .chm and .djvu. Both sort of obscure formats I guess.

I've tried online services and most do the conversion and email you a link to download the file but of course you have to pay and/or create an account etc. I'm also a bit skeptical about downloading a program just to convert 2 files, given that most still need an account or are rammed with malware.

Plus let's remember I'm a OS X idiot

From some skim reading I've gathered that there's a way to convert .chm in Windows without the need to extra software or something, but of course I don't really know the details.

Anyway, neither are viewable with Adobe Reader and while there are viewers in the Mac App Store I'd rather have them as .pdf so I don't need viewers on all my devices (both iOS and Android = effort). Especially when its just for these two files.

Can anyone help?

If it makes a difference at all the .chm is around 22mb and the .djvu 89mb.

Alternatively if anyone can locate the files in .pdf we can take it to PM.

[wurlycorner]

.djvu is massively annoying... It's not that uncommon but I'm yet to find a free reader I used to have a reader for it on my old work computer (lots of the old drawings had been scanned as .djvu) but not where I work now.

I could probably ask someone there to convert the .djvu to pdf (print to pdf) for you, if it's a one-off? *

Don't know about .chm ?


EDIT: * and if it's not pr0n!!!

[Donald]

It's not pr0n and yes just a one-off, all depends on how much hassle it is really. The .djvu is around 1400 pages and the .chm 800 or so. Could end up being quite large once converted - from what I've gathered these formats are generally much smaller in size than a .pdf, hence their use.

As said there are readers available, but it's inconvenient. Even more so when I would need versions for different systems and some are paid, some are free, some are limited by file size etc.


Also while we're sort of on the subject of documents and pages, @Merlin and @cantaffordannsx IIRC you work with/have extensive knowledge of biotechnology or a similar area? If you still have any relevant books you're willing to part with/recommend, I may be interested, mainly after the medical side of things though.

At the moment I have a self-compiled reading list of:

[spoiler]Basic Pathology: An Introduction to the Mechanisms of Disease (Lakhani et al.)
Infectious Diseases from Nature: Mechanisms of Viral Emergence and Persistence (Peters & Calisher)
Medical Physiology (Boron & Boulpaep)
Molecular Biology of the Cell (Alberts et al.)*
Pharmacology (Rang & Dale)*
Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain (Bear, Conners & Paradiso)
Principles of Development (Wolpert et al.)

*the two I need converting[/spoiler]

So if you have any suggestions that may complement/be better than, or actually have a physical copy of these, I'm all ears.

[Merlin]

Sorry dude I am ~10 years out of uni so my books are either out of date by now or have been lost.

[Donald]

No worries. Back to the file conversion though @indigolemon, any ideas? Can you ask your penguin about it?

[indigolemon]

Yeah, could convert both to PDF for you. Free software available for both formats. Out just now, but pm me file details.

[Donald]

Thanks will PM once I have them upped somewhere.

And if course thanks for the offer also wurly.

[Scott560]

can you print from any application that will open those files?

you can install something like CutePDF, a virtual printer driver that will capture printer output, and dump it to PDF..

Oh, just read you have a mac, not sure if such a tool exists for you guys...

Have used a few times to convert some vector clip art to PDF and works a treat (in that it would preserve the vector nature of the files, but works equally well for text).

[Donald]

I imagine you can but as said the majority of applications that will open these files are paid or ones that require an account, chm is actually a Microsoft invention so of course there are always issues with that sort of thing

Anyway, lemon has kindly converted them for me

[wurlycorner]

You can get pdf printer drivers for macs (I've put one on Lisa's mac). It was the reader for the other filetypes that was the biggest issue.