The SIL Pathway program (another project I work on) converts language data into multiple output forms. Once installed on your Windows computer, it works as a “plugin” to Paratext and FieldWorks, allowing you to convert your data into e-books, .PDF and OpenOffice files, among others. Pathway is currently under development, but parts are already stable enough for you to use for draft data.
I’ve been experimenting lately on how to use Pathway in conjunction with Adapt It, so that adaptations can also make use of this tool to provide more options for village checks and final copies. I’ve come up with some steps that you can use to create output forms of your documents that can be read on cell phones, e-book readers, etc.
Important: before performing these steps, be sure you are aware of and are complying with the intellectual property and publication policies of your organization – especially when dealing with images and fonts. Non-compliance can cause you to run afoul of copyright laws and put your organization at risk of financial liability. If you are unsure, contact your area’s publishing coordinator for your organization.
Requirements:
- Windows XP or 7 for Paratext / Pathway portions
- A recent version of Adapt It – download link
- UBS Paratext 7.1 or later – link
- A recent build of Pathway – which can be downloaded from this link
Export from Adapt It (Windows / Mac / Linux)
- Start up Adapt It.
- In Adapt It’s main window, select the Export-Import / Export Translation Text… menu command. The Export Document dialog will display.
- In the Export Document dialog, verify that the Standard Format Text File (.txt) option is selected, then click the OK button.
- Select the filename for the exported draft file and click the Save button.
- Close Adapt It.
Import into Paratext (Windows)
- Start up Paratext.
- Select the File / New Project… menu command. The New Project dialog will display.
- Fill out the fields as appropriate for your adaptation project, and then click OK. A document window will display in the main area with a message: “Book does not exist” and two buttons to create Book(s) and Import Book(s).
- Click the Import Book(s) button. In the dialog that displays, navigate to the text file that you exported from Adapt It and click the Open button.
- In the Import Book(s) dialog box, make sure the checkbox next to the file you are importing is selected, and then click the OK button.
- At this point, the file should be in Paratext – but it might not be the currently active book in the list. In the toolbar, click on the book dropdown and select the book that you imported in the previous step:
In this example, I’ve imported the book of Romans.
If the export / import went correctly, you should see your data from Adapt It display in Paratext.
Create the scripture draft via Pathway (Windows)
- Start up Paratext if it isn’t already open.
- Select the File / Export to Pathway menu command. Pathway’s Print Via… dialog will display.
- In the Print via dropdown list, select the desired format for the Scripture draft.
- In the Select Layout, select the desired layout style. These styles are maintained by Pathway’s Configuration Tool.
- Verify that you are complying with your organization’s copyright and Archiving policies by selecting the last checkbox (if you are not sure about this one, click on the “Intellectual Property Info” link or contact your area publication coordinator).
- Click the OK button to start the draft creation process. Note that some of Pathway’s output formats will require some user interaction – you’ll need to follow the instructions on the screen as they appear.
- Once the Scripture draft has been created, it will be saved in your Documents directory under “My Documents\Publications\
\Scripture” — where is the name of the project you specified when you imported into Paratext.
