Highlights on Version 2.6

Read Aloud

This new feature allows you to record your voice for the book content. The audio will be played and the word will be highlighted at the same time when reading book using iBooks. You can complete all tasks in CBB and there is no need to use additional tools.

Steps:

1. Type your text. CBB will split the paragraph into word according to space. E.g. "This is my dream" will become "This", "is", "my", "dream".
2. Record your voice according to text. Just speak at the suitable speed. You do not need to record each word separately.
3. Tap "Mix" button to get started. The recorded audio will be played. And then you tap word to match the sound of the word until all words are matched.
4. Optionally, you can adjust beginning time and ending time of each word manually.
5. Finally, play the mix to see the result.

Points to note:

• EPUB 3.0 is required. 
• The latest version of iBooks app is required.
• This feature is only available for Fixed Layout books.
• Each page can contain only one Read Aloud element.

Chart

This new feature allows you to create simple chart at the easiest way. There are 6 types of charts supported: Pie, Bar, Line, Donut, Horizontal Bar, and Radar. The generated chart is displayed as an image in the book. You can customize the chart with different text colors, axis label, font, background color, margin, size, etc. Chart is powered by RGraph.

Points to note:

• By default, the chart type is pie and there are some corresponding data.
• Tap settings icon to change chart type.
• Tap cell in the table to change value or column.

Creative Book Builder v2.6

Creative Book Builder v2.6 is released.

Here are new features:

1. Read Aloud

2. New Chart Element (Pie, Bar, Line, Donut, Horizontal Bar, Radar)

3. Resource Library

4. Copy fixed layout book and convert it to classic book

5. Change style for all elements in whole page or whole book at one time

6. Share individual page

7. Open In support for images, videos, audio recordings (export file to other app)

8. Change chapter or page title according to prefix and number

9. Add more book information to cover image

10. Configure table font style

11. Configure question font style

Creative Book Builder v2.5.1

Creative Book Builder v2.5.1 is released.

Here are new features:

1. Auto save features for paragraph, title, markdown & HTML element

2. Configure authoring preference: auto save time interval

3. Fix rotation bugs

4. Compatible with iOS 7

If you have upgraded device to iOS 7 and updated CBB app and the problem still exists, please send email to our support.

iOS 7 Issues

There are some issues for CBB when it is running on iOS 7.

We are still fixing the problems and will release new version as soon as possible.

Please do not upgrade your device to iOS 7 until new version of CBB is ready.

Highlights on Version 2.5

Video Hosted Outside Book

This new feature allows you to use video hosted in any servers within books. You only need to input the direct link of video. It greatly reduces the size of books.

Points to note:

• EPUB 3.0 is required. 
• The latest version of iBooks app is required.
• Before viewing the book using iBooks, please enable Online Content in Settings app.

If you want to use Google Drive to host video, you can follow these steps:

1. Create folder in Google Drive
2. Select folder, click "More..." and then select "Share"
3. Change Sharing Settings of the containing folder to enable Public access
4. Upload video to that folder
5. Select video file, click "More..." and then select "Detail"
6. In detail screen, there is a hosting part
7. Finally, copy this link 

Soundtrack

This new feature allows you to add soundtrack to the whole book or pages. When you are reading the book using iBooks, the soundtrack will be played automatically if soundtrack is enabled in iBooks.

To do this, tap settings button and then select "Book Soundtrack" for the whole book.
Tap tool button at the bottom bar and then select "Page Soundtrack" for the page.

You can select song from Dropbox or Google Drive directly, or music library. You can even record audio for the soundtrack.

Points to note:

• The latest version of iBooks app is required.
• Please enable Soundtrack at the top bar of iBooks. 
• This feature is only available for Fixed Layout books.

Right-to-left Books

You can change page turn behavior in iBooks from left-to-right into right-to-left. To do this, tap settings button and select "Book Style" to change page turn behavior.

Points to note:

• EPUB 3.0 is required.
• The latest version of iBooks app is required.
• This feature is only available for Fixed Layout books.

Pop-up footnotes

You can add any footnote pop-ups to any words or sentences. To do this, select any text, tap link button, and then select "Link to footnote" option. Finally, you can add new footnote or select the existing one.

Points to note:

• EPUB 3.0 is required.
• The latest version of iBooks app is required.

Creative Book Builder v2.5

Creative Book Builder v2.5 is released.

Here are new features:

1. Generate right-to-left books (EPUB 3 is required, fixed layout)

2. Add soundtrack for each page or whole book (for fixed layout only)

3. Support video hosted outside book to reduce book size (EPUB 3 is required)

4. Mark chapters or pages as draft version

5. Create pop-up footnotes (EPUB 3 is required)

6. Upload multiple books at one time

7. Revamp audio recording interface

8. Option to include draft or glossary in the generated book

9. Find and replace string for elements

10. Configure default book style

11. Download font file from Dropbox

12. Update YouTube SDK

13. Paste from clipboard directly if there is only one item

14. Fix text indentation issues for new iBooks

15. Fix resizing image issues for PNG images

16. Fix validation errors when uploading via iTunes Producer

Important Changes For Version 2.4

"Section" changed to "Group"

From the first version, the term "Section" mentioned in CBB means a set of chapters and sub sections. It works like "folder" in file system.

However, we did not aware that "Section" has different meanings in the book. Under chapter, it contains a set of sections. Therefore, it causes a lot of confusion.

From version 2.4, the term "Section" is changed to "Group" to reflect the meanings defined in CBB.

Trash function

When you delete any elements in chapters or pages, they are moved to trash now. You can restore elements, delete elements or empty trash at any time.

Add Your Own Font

Before using your own font, you need to upload font file in TrueType or OpenType format to Google Drive first. Then you can download the font file from Google Drive to CBB in order to set up font via "Custom Font" function.

Creative Book Builder v2.4

Creative Book Builder v2.4 is released.

Here are new features:

1. Merge, delete & copy multiple books at one time

2. Add your own font

3. Trash function to restore deleted elements

4. Tap navigation bar's title to edit book name, group name, chapter name or page name

5. Look up dictionary

6. Copy pages from other fixed layout books

7. Search pages & glossary for fixed layout books

8. Word count for each chapter or page

9. Copy elements from other book to current book

10. Add image from Dropbox & Google Drive directly for cover, background, question, song & audio recording

11. Show thumbnails when selecting files from Dropbox & Google Drive

12. The term "Section" is changed to "Group" to avoid confusion

13. Fix bug for paragraph element editor

Tips for Editing Classic Book

Here are tips for editing classic book:

1. After selecting book, tap settings icon at the bottom bar and the select "Book Information" to change book information, e.g. book title, author, subject, etc.

2. Tap "+" button in chapter list view and then select "Chapter" to add new chapter.

3. After selecting chapter, tap action icon (at the bottom bar on iPhone, at the top bar in the right side on iPad) and then select "Chapter Heading" to change chapter's heading.

4. After selecting chapter, tap "+" button in element list view to add new element.

5. After selecting chapter, tap "Import" button and then tap "Document From Google Drive". After downloading document, new chapter will be imported.

6. After selecting chapter, tap "Import" button and then tap "EPUB From Dropbox / Google Drive". After downloading EPUB file, those chapters will be merged to the existing book.

7. Tap "+" button in chapter list view and then select "Section" to add new section.

8. After selecting section, tap "+" button to add new sub chapters or sub sections.

9. After selecting section, tap action icon and then select "Edit Section" to edit section name.

Creative Book Builder v2.3

Creative Book Builder v2.3 is released.

Here are new features:

1. Revamp Question Element:

• Insert image for question and answer
• Answer layout (number of columns)
• Show or hide radio button
• Radio button position

2. Change appearance for Audio Recording & Song Element:

• Use your own image
• Tap image to play or stop audio
• Option to hide audio control 

3. New Drawing Element

4. New Vimeo Video Element

5. Update Google Drive SDK

6. Import Google Document to fixed layout book

7. Import PDF as image to fixed layout book

8. Import EPUB to existing fixed layout book

9. Add glossary for fixed layout book

10. Fix bug when selecting photo from photo library

11. Fix bug for pdf version

Tips for Editing Fixed Layout Book

Here are some tips for editing fixed layout books:

1. Tap "+" button at the bottom bar to get started.

2. Tap the element displayed on the page to edit element.

3. Drag the element to move to the desired position.

4. Drag the black box at the right hand bottom corner of the element to resize the element.

5. Tap tool button at the bottom bar (next to "+" button) and select "Page Background" to change page background.

6. Tap new page button at the top bar (next to "pages" button") to add new page.

7. Tap settings button at the top bar and select "Cover Image" to change cover image.

8. Tap settings button at the top bar and select "Book Background" to change page background of all the pages.

Classic vs Fixed Layout

For those who are familiar with Classic book, here are some differences between Classic and Fixed Layout books to help you learn more about Fixed Layout books.

Classic	Fixed Layout
Consists of chapters and sections (group of sub sections and sub chapters)	Consists of pages
Each chapter has unlimited number of elements	Each page has limited number of elements since the page's size is limited
The number of pages in chapters depends on the rendering of different EPUB readers and number of elements	The number of pages is the same among different EPUB readers
Elements are displayed in the vertical ordering	Elements are absolutely positioned on the page
The term "Ordering" means the display ordering	The term "Ordering" means the layer ordering
Chapter heading is displayed on each chapter by default	Page title is not displayed on each page by default
Page Break, Anchor Bookmark, List are supported	Page Break, Anchor Bookmark, List are not supported
No page and book background	Support image as page (includes two-page spread) and book background

New Fixed Layout Books (WYSIWYG)

We are excited to announce that Creative Book Builder supports Fixed Layout now. In order to distinguish from this, all existing books are called Classic books. You can view Fixed Layout book using iBooks app on both iPad and iPhone. Editing Fixed Layout book is available on both iPad & iPhone. Editing Classic book remains unchanged.

Advantages of Fixed Layout:

1. Pages can be edited in WYSIWYG mode.
2. Page's background can be changed.
3. All elements are absolutely positioned on the page.
4. All elements can be resized.
5. Better rendering for PDF version

Creative Book Builder v2.2

Creative Book Builder v2.2 is released.

Here are new features:

1. New Fixed Layout Book (WYSIWYG)

2. Bigger cover image

3. Option to use user-defined cover image (Image Mode)

4. Option to use <p> for paragraph element

5. Support user-defined CSS

6. Show raw storage for each chapters and books

7. Add alternative text and link to image

8. New element: Anchor Bookmark

9. New number input UI

10. Import EPUB from URL to existing book

11. Fix the screen bug when using external keyboard

12. Fix bug when listing filename with uppercase from FTP Server

13. Fix bug for importing book with EPUB version 2.0

iTunes U Course Manager

If you are using iTunes U Course Manager, please choose EPUB 2.0 version when generating books since iTunes U Course Manager may have problem with EPUB 3.0.