Feature Chapters
v2.0.6+ Yes
v1.38 Yes
Configurable
Yes
Yes
Element System Element: area Element: img Element: nav Element: snd Element: txt Element: vid
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fullscreen mode
Yes
Yes
JavaScript API
Yes
Yes
Normal and stiff pages
Yes
Yes
Page Elements Right to left reading
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Description / Information Chapter based book structure. A lot of settings can be changed via the book definition XML. In version 2.0+ there are a lot more possible settings. See the project wiki article on the book tag for more information. Examples are page size, color, dragging behavior and loading behavior. Arbitrary number of elements per page. Allows defining interactive / highlighted regions. Allows loading images (JPG, PNG) and SWF files. Allows defining link lists, e.g. table of contents. Allows loading sounds (MP3). Allows displaying of text. Allows loading videos (FLV, F4V and more). Allows switching to fullscreen mode, to use the full available desktop size for the book's display. The book stays navigatable in fullscreen mode. Note: in version 2.0+ this is much more useful due to free scaling. The engine can be controlled via JavaScript to a large degree, making it possible to write HTML based GUIs or other advanced scripting. Also see the JavaScript plugin. Supports both normal "soft" pages, such as the inner pages of a real book, and "stiff" pages, such as the cover of a hardcover book. Some predefined page elements which should suffice for most use cases. Automatically adjust the book's behavior for right to left content via one setting. Some functionality is specifically meant to help users who are new to the page flip concept. Those include alternative cursor graphics when the mouse enters a region where a click triggers a page turn, or an automated "corner hinting" animation, which lifts a corner of the current page after the book has been loaded. This can be disabled, if unwanted.
Usability
Yes
Yes
Plugin: Anchors
Yes
Integrated
Allows using anchors in the book, i.e. naming chapters and pages to navigate to them.
Plugin: Background sounds
Yes
Integrated
Allows defining background sound for chapters (and in 2.0 also for pages, alternatively to the snd element).
Plugin: Batch pages
Yes
Integrated
Plugin: Console
Yes
Integrated
Plugin: Element IDs
Yes
Integrated
Plugin: Gallery
Yes
Integrated
Plugin: Help
Yes
Integrated
Allows defining multiple pages in one go. This is much more advanced in version 2.0.6+, also allowing localized and scale based content. Allows opening a debug console, which can be useful when searching for problems in the book (e.g. images not loading). Allows giving IDs to elements, to make it easier referencing in scripts. Allows defining high resolution alternatives for images (in 2.0: all elements) which will be opened in a gallery frame (optionally in fullscreen mode). Multiple elements can be grouped to allow navigation through one such group without leaving the gallery mode. Note: this is what was commonly referred to as "zoom" in version 1.38. Adds a help window, showing some basic information about the usage of the book.
Plugin: Keyboard navigation
Yes
Integrated
Allows navigating through the book using the keyboard arrow keys.
Plugin: Links
Yes
Integrated
Plugin: Navigation bar
Yes
Integrated
Plugin: Options
Yes
Integrated
Plugin: Overlays
Yes
Integrated
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Via PDF2SWF
Integrated Integrated Integrated Integrated Same as img Via PDF2SWF
Plugin: JavaScript
Yes
Decentralized
Allows setting links on elements. These links can be normal http:// links, or internal anchors. A control bar which allows opening the help and config frames, as well as navigating through the book. This also includes a thumbnail preview of the pages when hovering their respective buttons Adds an options window, allowing to set some graphics related settings (allowing the user to disable or enable them herself). Allows the use of graphical overlays for elements, which can be used to highlight elements on mouse over (e.g. if they are linked). Allows defining a password that has to be entered before the actual book contents are shown. Adds the functionality to have the book automatically flip pages. Adds SWFAddress support, making it possible to deeplink to specific pages. Allows setting titles for elements (tooltips). Allows loading animated GIF files. Convert PDFs using swftools' PDF2SWF utility to load them into a book. While in version 1.38 all JavaScript support was decentralized and always on, this can be now be centrally controlled in version 2.0+.
Localization
Full
Thumbnails
Yes
Zoom / Liquid scaling
Yes
Plugin: Password Plugin: Slideshow Plugin: SWFAddress Plugin: Titles Element: gif PDF support
Adjustable GUI
Extremely flexible via ASUL.
Arbitrary rotation ASUL Framework Book edge
Yes Yes Yes
Overall background
Yes
Page previews
Yes
Only GUI and some Language switching without reloading the complete book, only localized elements. attributes. Thumbnails are automatically generated from loaded pages. In 2.0+ it is also possible to define a path to pregenerated thumbnail images, making it faster to load those (not necessary to load the actual page content just to generate a Partially thumbnail). Adjusting the size of the pages either manually, or automatically to fit the browser window. Partially In 1.38 this only works when additionally scaling the GUI. Via code changes / In version 2.0+ it is possible to change the complete GUI via external XML files, allowing easy modifications, and even some by parameter multiple styles using the same engine. settings No E.g. for calendar like applications, flipping pages vertically. No Highly flexible GUI framework, based on XML definitions. See the project wiki for more information. No Generation of a visual book edge, adding depth and also allowing to navigate through the book. Set an overall background for the book. This makes the use of wmode : 'transparent' , which leads to reduced No performance, superfluous in most cases. No
Plugin Architecture
Yes
No
Plugin: Google Analytics
Yes
No
Plugin: Print
Yes
No
Plugin: Print PDF
Yes
No
Plugin: Search
Yes
No
Plugin: Sidebar Plugin: external Links
Yes Yes
No No
Scale based content
Yes
No
Spread pages
Yes
No
If a page thumbnail exists, an upscaled version of the thumbnail will be displayed until the page content is loaded. As of version 2.0 most additional functionality is realized using plugins, which are loaded on demand. In 1.38 all functionality was embedded directly, leading to a lot of invisible dead weight in case some functionality was unwanted. Adds Google Analytics support to the book, tracking clicked links inside the book. Allows printing single pages or page ranges from the book. Print alternatives for pages can be defined, too (e.g. SWFs for better quality). Very much like the print plugin, but instead of printing on a local printer saves the pages to a PDF Allows searching a book based on a given index. This also adds highlighting, if the page content allows it (must be SWFs with static text). Adds a sidebar which can hold context sensitive content (based on the current page number). Makes external Links in a PDF document available in the final MegaZine3 book Define different content to be used at different scale levels of the book, e.g. SWFs for higher zoom levels, JPGs for lower ones. Use dynamic content on double pages, i.e. using the full width of the book.