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Problem with Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Translation & Graphical Layout


tmykkanen

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Hello,

 

For some reason, the graphical layout does not appear to be working or formatted correctly for the ZECNT (at least the Colossians part). For example, I've attached two images. One is the graphical layout as it should appear for Colossians 1:1-8, the other is a screen capture from the way it appears in my copy. Is this how everyone else's copy looks or is there something wrong with my display preferences that is causing this? Right now, the argument tracing part of the commentary is unusable because of this and that's one of the primary reasons I purchased it.

 

Thanks for the help!

 

-Tyler

 

Colossians how it's supposed to look:

post-33201-0-63349600-1495590705_thumb.png

 

Colossians in Accordance:

post-33201-0-00516600-1495590715_thumb.png

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I cannot find this in Accordance. Can you supply a page number? Are you sure it's ZEC-NT?

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I cannot find this in Accordance. Can you supply a page number? Are you sure it's ZEC-NT?

 

 

Helen,

 

It's page 45 in the ZECNT module. Here's the link (not sure if these are unique to each users machine): accord://read/ZEC-NT#58579

 

And here's a screenshot with the module info:

post-33201-0-81255700-1495642819_thumb.png

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Thanks, we definitely should be able to improve on that. We could do an image chart but we prefer the text be searchable, hence it looks like the developers tried something else.

 

I used Report a Correction to send it in to the text developer/correction department.

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Thanks, we definitely should be able to improve on that. We could do an image chart but we prefer the text be searchable, hence it looks like the developers tried something else.

 

I used Report a Correction to send it in to the text developer/correction department.

 

 

Thank you, Helen. I appreciate you looking into it. Searchable is nice, but more important (to me at least) for this feature is that the graphical layout is accurate.

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  • 3 months later...

Considering the current ZECNT sale, I am wondering whether this formatting problem been fixed? I too appreciate the argument tracing part of this series in the printed volumes, how does it now look in Accordance?

Thanks Paul

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Paul,

 

Super strangely, Colossians 1:1-8 (the section I mention above) now has an image matching the one I posted above instead of the jumbled text. However, all of the other sections in Colossians are garbled like the 1:1-8 passage I posted above. Philemon is the same. I didn't check the others.

 

Perhaps Helen or someone else can update us? Helen, your report a correction might have flagged 1:1-8, but the whole module needs to be fixed (IMO).

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I have seen a sample PDF of the Acts volume in the series, and frankly I was disappointed with the layout/typesetting of these outline charts in the print edition.

 

While the chart I saw in the Accordance module of Acts was more or less the same (similar problem to the one reported by the OP), this is clearly a situation where the Oak-folk can improve on the printed version.

 

Even if I disable "limit text width" in preferences I am getting these "translation" charts with weird alignment.

Is it an issue with tabbing? I have tried changing the display font, and I have looked in different sections of the module (Acts Colossians James etc) and it seems consistent throughout.

 

UPDATE A quick analysis of a chart taken at random reveals it to be a disastrous combination of hard spaces and tabs. I think that's where your problem lies.  See attached image of text pasted into Pages and set to show invisibles. There is no excuse for attempting to align text with spaces and not tabs. Your "developers" must have trained on manual typewriters. I am not impressed (former professional typesetter speaking here).

 

post-101-0-46264000-1506210615_thumb.png

 

And seeing as this is a digital module, please separate Philemon from Colossians and put the books in the usual canonical order.

Edited by Alistair
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Thanks, we definitely should be able to improve on that. We could do an image chart but we prefer the text be searchable, hence it looks like the developers tried something else.

Helen, the way you referred to "the developers" makes it sound like you did not develop this module in-house, but had it done by a third-party—is that right?

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I meant our team of module developers, those who prepare etexts and convert them into Accordance modules.

 

I see that the update to the ZECNT which is currently on sale does have the chart mentioned above (Col 1:1-8) as an image which appears correctly. However, the subsequent "Translation" charts are left as text. As we said above, the text versions are searchable, and it seems to me that in most places they are quite understandable. However, with Paul's extended sentences, the loss of the diagram can make the chart incomprehensible.

 

Your feedback is welcomed as we consider how best to handle these cases.

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With the graphical layouts, would it be too cumbersome to include both an image chart (to fully preserve formatting) *and* converted text (to fully preserve searchability)? 

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If they were correctly laid out with tabs you could indicate that that the user should expand their window/disable "limit text width".

 

Or you could program it in such a way that it would open up in another tab/panel/frame/pop-up window or whatever.

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In the recently released volumes we did a much better job at representing the print ed's very complex formatting (which varies per volume) for these sections (see a screen shot below). We do plan to go back to the older volumes (released in 2012) and update them, but this will be a lot of work and may take some time until an update is released.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

post-5629-0-83115900-1506366067_thumb.png

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I think you should make "eating wild locusts and honey" align with "wearing camel's hair etc" in the line above it. (6a and B) as in the original.

 

And 5c should align with 4b&c, even though the original also gets it wrong IMHO

 

Otherwise your layout looks very good to me.

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Helen,

 

 

     I noticed that there was an update to the ZECNT but it didn't correct the issue concerning the epistles of John not properly tied to my bible in parallel tab, maybe that update wasn't for that or maybe it is on my end should i uninstall and reinstall to see if it corrects the issue?

 

thx

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     I noticed that there was an update to the ZECNT but it didn't correct the issue concerning the epistles of John not properly tied to my bible in parallel tab, maybe that update wasn't for that or maybe it is on my end should i uninstall and reinstall to see if it corrects the issue?

 

 

The latest ZECNT-11 update was to provide support for the transfer of highlights from the original ZEC-NT module. The other module issues have not yet been addressed.

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In the recently released volumes we did a much better job at representing the print ed's very complex formatting (which varies per volume) for these sections (see a screen shot below). We do plan to go back to the older volumes (released in 2012) and update them, but this will be a lot of work and may take some time until an update is released.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

attachicon.gifScreen Shot 2017-09-25 at 2.59.36 PM.png

 

Thanks Rick, that looks much better! I'm sure it's a lot of work to update the previous modules. I'm glad there is a plan to do it.

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  • 4 months later...

In the recently released volumes we did a much better job at representing the print ed's very complex formatting (which varies per volume) for these sections (see a screen shot below). We do plan to go back to the older volumes (released in 2012) and update them, but this will be a lot of work and may take some time until an update is released.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

attachicon.gifScreen Shot 2017-09-25 at 2.59.36 PM.png

 

With todays announcement that there is a pending sale on ZECNT on 01-Mar, I'm wondering if the graphical layout problem addressed above has been fixed on the older volumes or which volumes remain to be fixed? I'm interested in investing in this set but decided to wait until this had been corrected, so March may be the time to re-evaluate...

 

Thanks Paul 

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Any word on this? I see 4 ZECNT volumes are on offer from today...

 

Thanks Paul

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Any word on this? I see 4 ZECNT volumes are on offer from today...

 

Thanks Paul

 

Hi Paul,

 

We have not yet set aside time to go back through the initial volumes, but we will do so. I cannot say exactly when, but it will not be within the next 30 days. We are preparing for other major releases that are already in motion. In hindsight we should have formatted this differently, and have done so in the latter volumes. We will make this right. 

 

I will leave it to you (or others) about purchasing the current publisher special. We will update this thread when progress is made, and of course it will be a free update despite the detailed work it will take to make it right.

 

Thanks for your patience and support.

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Thanks Rick,

 

Appreciate the update and Accordance’s commitment to customer care.

 

Paul

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  • 7 months later...

With today’s announcement that this set is back on sale I’m wondering if the formatting issue has been corrected for the whole set now or what progress has been made through the volumes? Thanks

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Is there any update on this? Am keen to invest in this set but am concerned about the formatting issue. Thanks

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Is there any update on this? Am keen to invest in this set but am concerned about the formatting issue. Thanks

 

Paul, I do not believe it has been satisfactorily corrected. If you want a screenshot from any particular passage for verification, please let me know.

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Thanks Rick, what volumes are left to correct and what is the expected timescale to complete the corrections? I believe it’s been a year and a half since the problem was highlighted so am hoping it’s almost completed by now. If that’s the case I’ll likely pick up this set. Thanks

Edited by pbgroover
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