Ventura encoded text files

[Matanya Ophee]

On 23/04/2012 5:29 AM, David Creamer wrote:
> I have a number of text  files that came from Ventura Publisher that look
> like this:
>
> @REF = 	II.3:2
> The means are<F38978M>e.<F255D>   to understand after the
> @BOOK = T-4
> @REF = 	IV.2:6
> is much<F38978M>e.<F255D>   than trying to think against it.
> @BOOK = T-6
> @REF = 	V.B.9:3
> step is<F38978M>e.<F255D>   than the first because it follows.
> @BOOK = T-19
> @REF = 	III.6:6
> <F38978M>e.<F255D>   to believe that you have been mistaken
> @BOOK = T-23
> @REF = 	II.21:5
> another, nor that return from one is<F38978M>e..<F255D>
> @BOOK = T-24
> @REF = 	VI.13:1
> believe it<F38978M>e.<F255D>   to see your brother's body
> @BOOK = T-25
> @REF = 	VI.2:3
>
> (This is just a random example.)
>
> I have Ventura Publisher 10 and it does not read them properly (although I
> am far from a VP expert--I tried the open and import menus).
> The client has Frame 6; I have Frame 8-10 on my system, but can install 7 on
> an older system.
> I know early versions of Frame has a Ventura import feature, but I don't
> know if it will work with these files.
>
> Is there any way to work with these files? Third-party program suggestions
> are welcome too.


Let me know if you find any. In my recent experience with two rather 
large books that I did in Venture 4.1 some 20 years ago, there is no way 
to automatically import these files into FM (I am on v. 8). The way I 
did it eventually, was by copying the Ventura text files (in WordPerfect 
5.2) and pasting them into FM as text, codes and all. Then, manually 
searching and replacing the codes as necessary. Yes, a time consuming 
procedure, but a bit faster and safer than scanning the existing books 
with OCR and producing text files that are importable into FM. That 
procedure, which I also did for some chapters of a book that the Ventura 
files for it were too corrupted to be of any use, is more time consuming 
because of the spell checking that must be done before and after scanning.


Matanya Ophee
Editions Orphée Inc.,
1240 Clubview Blvd. N.
Columbus, OH 43235-1226
Phone: 614-846-9517
Fax:     614-846-9794
mailto:m.ophee at orphee.com
http://www.editionsorphee.com
http://matanya.livejournal.com/
http://www.matanyaophee.com