Creating PDF for Pompeii Oven plans

[james]

I receive requests many a PDF version of the Pompeii Oven plans, and Forno Bravo don't have the available resources to do the project.

So, in the spirit of the Open Source movement, I wanted to ask if anyone wanted to collaborate on the project. It would involve working with us to take existing material and creating the downloadable and printable PDF plans. The material would be posted on www.fornobravo.com for free download (we would not charge for it and we would pay for the hosting space and download traffic costs), and the document would remain the property and rights of Forno Bravo.

Are there any Acrobat experts out there with a little available time for a good cause? Plus, we would finally get all the typos out of the plans.

Let me know by email.
James

[jengineer]

Pdf

James - I could possibly do it. In my research I downloaded just about everything off of the web site that I need to make the Pompeii. Let's not hit on the ethical side of this just yet. I then dumped everything into a series of Word files. It is pretty much a snap from that to dump it into a PDF file. This is what I do when I need to send out official documents that we don't want other folks modifying and such. If you would like I can email you the word files, you can edit either edit them for correctness or send me changes and when they are in the form you like it is quite easy to pdf it. It then takes time to make it "easy" to use by adding in shortcuts/index to the pdf.

We would need copyright clearance from the folks that have supplied photos as I have included the other James, Robert Musa and a few others to my version.

I just checked my memory stick and I don't have the files with me. If I remember correctly I have about 6 word files each about 2 Meg in size (photos run up the tab real quick).

Hit me offline
lostdiver61@yahoo.com
ldiver61@yahoo.com

patrick

[Marcel]

Generous pdf transfer offer by Patrick.

( M) Hey, Patrick,

(M) That was a very generous offer to help with the .pdf transfer.

(M) I don't know about the other folks who have contributed photos on other forums, but I can't imagine any in our FornoBravo community who would have any objection to this Forum using their photos in a .pdf format. I also don't know if you and James even want any of the shots I supplied but just to get the ball rolling let me offer you both full, unrestricted access to any images &/or text I offered.

(M) I may have misread your concern and perhaps using this Forum's images of the respective builders' photos is not an ethical or copyright problem. Perhaps your concern is only about other sources. Not to put too fine a point on this but I hope that if any of your concern relates to the use of this Forum's existing photos that any contributors will also grant you &/or James unrestricted use of their oven building images & text.

Ciao,

Marcel

[james]

Patrick,

Thanks for jumping in. Let's start talking about this in email. I am james@fornobravo.com.

Finding helpful and illustrative photos from the forum and inserting them in the right places in the text in the PDF file would be really useful, and could take a little time -- beyond moving the text from HTML to Word to PDF. That would require an OK from the folks who submitted the photos, but that shouldn't be difficult. I am definitely available to collaborate and contribute.

James

[jengineer]

copyright

thank you Marcel

Professional or those trying to break into the professional realm of photography can get a bit persnickity when it come to not getting credit where credit is due. The scuba diveing phtotgrasphers in southern california have a "circle c" on all the photos they post on the web. Some of the photos have shown up in a local rag and one or two glossies.

I think I should be able to identify the source for 98% of the photos. I envision a blanket statement along the line of "all photos by Jim ___ except wheree noted" since about 90% of the shots are of his build.

On a side note I think that a few of the members should do their own full write up with photos of their builds in their copiouos free time (finger pointing at paulages). Musa has done this with his web site! There ae quite a few builders that have great artisan capabilities.

[james]

We can always pick photos that are easy to get approval. A lot has happened since Jim built the first oven, including the use of foam forms, the 36" oven, various site layouts, and there are some interesting enclosure styles.

James

[Robert Musa]

i hereby grant approval. i also have the full ($$$$) version of acrobat should the same be needed to produce the pdf's.

[DavidK]

Patrick, Robert, Marcel and James, the pdf part is easy. I'm happy to proof the copy or serve as a second set of eyes. I too am sure that anyone approached would be happy to share their pictures, since they've already done that on the boards, as long as no one's making money from it. Frankly, I wouldn't care one way or the other-I've gotten so much value from the site--and I'd be surprised if anyone else felt differently. Anyway, count me in for whatever you need. Having just gone through the building process, I have a good list of photos I'd recommend for reference.

[james]

David,

Thanks.

Patrick has forwarded me the .doc files. I think we can benefit from multiple sets of eyes. It seems like the flow is the following:

1. Pick one person for master document control (the owner)
2. Accept input from multiple sources
3. Create clean text as a .doc.
4. Pick the right photos and insert them in the .doc in the right places
5. Export to pdf
6. Compress with Acrobat

If anyone wants to see the .doc and either edit within word, or write on hardcopy, let me know.

Patrick, do you want to take control over the master .doc file, and accept input.

James

[jengineer]

review and edit

So I started a private message to James but as I was doing that I ran to the forum....

yep edit it in Word. You will see that when I first did this I added in the Napoli Pizza recipe at what I thought was the end, before Jim's gable enclosure. An editor would put this at the very end or in an Appendix. As for the steps to take , yes I agree with the possible exception of loading in the pics after the text is written. You would do this is you were starting from scratch. I did not save the pics seperate from the word documents (there are 6 files and each file is less than 1.3 meg). There are also about 4 pdfs that could possibly be added to the files. Since this is an already written document it would be easier to make suggested text changes, delete photos that are no longer accurate to today's builder and then add in members photos as appropriate.

Some comments to add would be stipulation for local building code and other CYA verbiage. South California may now allow dry stacking. I think the major place for editing is the hearth. The classic instruction is vermiculite mix, followed by the reinfoced thermal layer concrete mix. If I understand the current train of thought you would now place the structural cement first followed by the vermiculite insulating layer and then either place the floor of the oven directly on the insulating layer or pour a thermal island for more heat mass.

Looking at Yahoo I believe I can upload the 6 word files and a few text strings on wood and proper use of olive oil into a Briefcase folder. Once there , according to Yahoo, I could then invite users to pull out copies of the files. Of course freebies have limits - when you upload it says it limits you to 5 meg - not a problem since my files are cut up and the total Briefcase size is 30 meg. I will upload the first cut of this tonight and then james can tell me who to send them to. Right now the instruction string with photos is over 80 pages.

David is correct, making the word file a PDF is the easy part. The hard part is to mark up what I have done.

Decision for James
- Who to choose for editors , James should have the final say
- Yes I will volunteer to clean up what I have written, I will even use a spell checker :-). My next step is to take what I have done and mark it 06V000
also known as 2006 Version 000.


James back to you.

patrick

[Alf]

I think this is a great idea and will benefit lots of people, of course being over the pond we in the old world have the correct terminology for building terms, much different from you younger cousins. Joking apart ? a UK version would be great so I will volunteer to convert / edit it into UK builder format. Any other daft Brit / European around with experience / ideas who would want to contribute?

Alf

[fdn1]

Lessons learned chapter

I also believe updating the plans in some format such as PDF would be most appreciated by those planning to build a Pompeii style oven. I have always found in the past that one can profit considerably from a review of past mistakes in any effort made and thus would suggest that a chapter on lessons learned by the members would be a most valuable addition to the effort-if one was not already contemplated.

[james]

There is a lot good input here. We'll even be able to read the instructions in "real" English, thanks to Alf. Does anyone want to be responsible for taking over control of the American .doc editing? I think that is the first important step -- taking multiple inputs and creating the text and graphics file.

Let me know.
James

[jengineer]

James - I "talked" to Alf and sent him the links to the word files. It is a rather simple step to include the units, however NASA has had problems with that in the past.

Editors (yeah you need to volunteer) please drop me a line and I will send you the first cut word files. Right now the documents are a total of ~4.5 Meg. Then send me inputs. Fred - if those that have built an oven will step up to either be an editor or write up what they would have done or did diffferently and send the photos then we can incorporate the wall-of-tribal-knowledge into the instruction string or have an appendix of lessons learned.

I have asked Alf to write up a section with photos for the hearth that he builds. He has dropped the concrete reinforced hearth for a mild steel tray with supports and then pours the vermiculite into it followed by the island.

We are dedicating my mid-life crisis this weekend so I will not be able to clean up the .doc files this month In the next 2 weeks I will make the obvious edits to the documents and then send them out to the contributing editors.

When I find out who the editors are we will have some discussions off line.

James - I will take responsibility for the american .doc

patrick

[james]

Grazie molto Patrick,

We can send message around offline. Thanks for taking this on -- we're all looking forward to seeing the final plans.

James