ComicRack Manual 0.9.1 PDF

The ComicRack Manual
1 Preface
1.1 Preface to The ComicRack Manual 6
2 Introduction
2.1 What is ComicRack ? 9
2.2 Features 10
2.3 Supported Languages 12
2.4 System Requirements 13
3 Installation
3.1 How to Install ComicRack 15
4 Getting Started
4.1 Opening ComicRack 19
4.2 Start a new library 20
5 ComicRack User Interface
5.1 Main Window 22
5.2 Menus 26
5.3 State Indicators 30
6 The Browser
6.1 The Library Browser 33
6.2 The Search Browser 38
6.3 The Folders Browser 39
6.4 The Pages Browser 41
7 The Reader
7.1 Overlays 45
7.2 Reader Toolbar 46
7.3 Using the Reader 49
8 Configuring ComicRack
8.1 Preferences 51
8.2 Editing Comic Metadata 59
8.3 Customising the Browser 64
8.4 Comic Display Settings 67
8.5 Creating custom Smartlists 71
8.6 Exporting eComics 73
8.7 Workspaces 74
8.8 Managing List Layouts 76
8.9 Others 78
9 Network Sharing
9.1 Enabling network sharing 81
9.2 Network sharing tips 82
10 WebComics
10.1 What are WebComics ? 84
10.2 Basic elements of a WebComic 85
10.3 How to create WebComics ? 86
10.4 Using WebComic Templates to make WebComics 87
11 Tips & Tricks
11.1 Setting A Full Screen Interface 90
11.2 Current Popular Scripts 92

11.3 How to use ComicRack to read online manga 95
12 Donations
12.1 Why should you donate and support ComicRack? 98
12.2 How to Donate ? 99
13 Acknowledgements
13.1 Acknowledgements 101

Preface
The ComicRack Manual - 5 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

Preface to The ComicRack Manual
Its a pleasure to present to you the ComicRack Manual.. a 100-page pdf that tries to cover all (well, almost
all..) the features of ComicRack. From an overview of ComicRack to the installation and configuration to
advanced features, the manual aspires to be the new ComicRack bible.
The Good:
1. ComicRack users have always felt the lack of exhaustive documentation. This manual will try to fill that gap.
2. The manual follows a highly visual style to introduce the full range of features provided by the ComicRack
software, thus increasing the new user acceptance.
3.Many sections from this manual can also be used for updating the wiki.
The Shortcomings:
I have been working on this project for the past few months, and after multiple revisions (alphas?) and
re-revisions (beta?), I have gathered sufficient courage to release it out. However, I know that it is far from
perfect. Why? read below:
1. To quote PCWorld, "ComicRack is not just features rich, it is Bill Gates features rich". So, there is so much
to cover that some omissions are inadvertent.
2. Since I am no web designer or software geek, the manual's look is still amatuerish despite of my hard work.
3. Some sections are shamelessly copied from the ComicRack wiki.
4. Inspite of using ComicRack for many years, I am still not completely familiar with some features (like
Network Sharing and and terminologies(like anamorphic scaling).
The Solutions to these problems:

1.I intend to keep on improving the manual, and releasing new "versions" from time to time, both to add the
features that I missed, and to add the new features as they are introduced.
2.I'll try my best to give the manual a professional look.
3.In newer versions of the manual, I'll replace the wiki-copied sections with my own.
4. I'm still learning ! :-)
How can you help the ComicRack Manual Project:
Please download the manual and give it a read. Please point out any errors (of both omission and
commission) and I'll try my best to rectify them in the next update. Please do give suggestions as to how we
can further improve the look of the manual. If you dislike anything in the manual (or the whole of it), please
feel free to give constructive criticism. In case you like it, do give me some good karma. :-)

Introduction

What is ComicRack ?
ComicRack is the best eComic reader and manager for

Windows computers. It is an all-in-one solution to read
and manage your eComic library. It is actively maintained,
has a strong user base and is FREE. ComicRack uses
Comic Book Archive files, which have the extension .cbr
or .cbz and are simply renamed RAR or ZIP files,
respectively. The files are archives of individual page
images with a new extension for convenience.

Features
ComicRack is the iTunes for eComics. It's both an organizer and a viewer, letting you create libraries and
filtered lists of your comics, as well as displaying them for viewing, with many choices as to page layout and
display features, including a right-to-left "manga mode", page rotation, and much more.
The Reader
Read your eComics the way you want: Fast navigation,

auto scrolling, auto rotation, dynamic zooming, automatic
page fitting, magnifier, manga mode, full screen reading,
dual screen support, multi-tab interface.
The Library
The powerful integrated library allows you to bring your

whole collection to live. With different ways to group, sort
and present all the data of your eComics it helps you
rediscover your hidden treasures. Quick search and
definable smartlists make managing your eComics a snap.
Comic Info
ComicRack allows you to edit and show the information of

your eComics. You can even change the color and
sharpness of comic pages.
Comic Pages
Edit eComic pages, rotate them to your needs, change the

reading order or add additional information.

Convert
ComicRack can batch convert your eComics to all

important formats (including PDF). And all this in done in
the background while you're keep on reading.
Configurable
ComicRack can be adapted to your needs. Optimize page

display, share your library in your local network or change
the user interface language.

Supported Languages
ComicRack is multilingual: English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and other language
packs are available. The latest release of ComicRack always contains all Language Packs in the setup.

System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Processor: 400 MHz Pentium processor or equivalent (Minimum); 1GHz Pentium processor or equivalent
(Recommended)
RAM: 128 MB (Minimum); 2 GB (Recommended)
Hard Disk: Up to 40 MB of available space may be required
CD or DVD Drive: Not required
Display: 800 x 600, 256 colors (Minimum); 1024 x 768 high color, 32-bit (Recommended)

Installation

How to Install ComicRack
Double-click the ComicRack setup file. Click Next to

continue.
Accept the Licence Agreement
Choose which features of ComicRack you want to install.

Choose the folder in which to install ComicRack.
Please wait while ComicRack is being installed.
ComicRack will self-optimize itself for your system.

Click Finish to close the wizard.

Getting Started

Opening ComicRack
Double-click the ComicRack icon to open the program. It can be

found on the desktop or under All Programs in the Windows
Start Menu.
You will be greeted with the ComicRack splash screen.
A dialog will open requesting you to Donate to ComicRack

if you wish. To know more about Donations, please read
the Donations chapter. Even if you decide not to
donate, ComicRack is fully functional. In this case, click
Skip for now.
The default ComicRack window is open, and your

program is up and running !

Start a new library
Inform ComicRack where to look for Comics.
From the menu, click FileAdd Folder to Library. Alternatively,

you may simply do Ctrl+Shift+A to add your eComic folder.
Browse to where your comics are.
Select your eComic folder, and click OK. ComicRack will

scan the folder and add all eComics to the Library.
Allow ComicRack to search your library and populate the

library. The search action logo on the status bar at the
bottom of ComicRack will spin while searching.

ComicRack User Interface

Main Window
This chapter is essential for getting familiar with the terminologies used to describe the various parts of
ComicRack.
The main components of the ComicRack window are:

1. The Sidebar
2. The Browser Window
3. The Reader Window
4. The Browser Toolbar
5. The Reader Toolbar
Just below the Main Menu (1) is the Library Tab Bar (2).
This is the Reader Tab bar, which has 2 main

components: the opened eComic tabs on the left (1) and
the Reader Toolbar (2) on the right.
The Library Tab Bar contains tabs for the Library Browser
(1), Folders Browser (2), and Pages Browser (3), which are
all integrated with the Browser window and the Browser
toolbar.
The Browser toolbar contains a number of options for

viewing a number of comic layout styles in the Browser.

The Sidebar carries all the reading lists and smartlists. Extenders
above (1) and below (2) the sidebar add two other windows (Favorites
window and Small preview) to it.

The Favorites window at the top, the Sidebar in between and a Small
Preview at the bottom comprise the complete Library Browser.

The search browser helps organise the comics views in
the main browser.
The Comic Reader is the area where the open eComics

are displayed in a tabbed interface, and has its own
Reader Toolbar.

Menus
The ComicRack Main menu contains a number of self-explanatory menus. Here is a brief overview of these
menus. For details, please read subsequent sections, or browse via hyperlinks. The ComicRack main menu
can be hidden using the Shift+F10 combo, and can be subsequently toggled on/off using the Alt key.
File Menu
The File menu comprises 6 sections, the main functions of

which are as follows:
1. Opening or Closing ecomics
2. Creating a new tab
3. Organising and updating the library folders and files
4. Opening remote libaries
5. History
6. Exit or Restart

Edit Menu
The Edit menu comprises 5 sections, the main functions of

1. Opening the eComic Info dialog
2. Editing the Comic pages, plus rating and bookmarking them
3. Copying/exporting pages
4. Refreshing ComicRack
5. The Preferences dialog
Browse Menu
The Browse menu comprises 3 sections, the main functions of

1. Quick links to toggle ComicRack components on/off
2. Shift back and forth the comic lists
3. Browsing/Editing workspaces and list layouts

Read Menu
The Read menu comprises 4 sections, which have the

following main functions:
1. Shifting between eComic pages
2. Shifting between individual eComics
3. Shifting between Tabs
4. Options for Autoscrolling
Display Menu
The Display menu has 3 sections, which contain:

1. "Comic Display Settings" dialog
2. Page customisation options (Layout, zoom, rotation)
3. User interface customisation options
The Page Layout options can also be accessed from the

Reader Toolbar.

Help Menu
The Help menu conatins important links to the ComicRack

forum and homepage. The "ComicRack documentation"
links to the ComicRack wiki page. A "suppot" button is
there for users wishing to donate and maintain
ComicRack.
The Right-click Menu
Right-clicking any comic ( or group of comics) opens up

the context menu, that contain a multitude of options.
While most of these options are self-explanatory, some
require a brief introduction to the new user. We shall
briefly discuss some of these features in the subsequent
sections.

State Indicators
ComicRack makes use of a number of small icons, called as State Indicators to provide a lot of at-a-glance
information.
Ribbons
The Green Ribbons indicate the Read State of an eComic.

From completely unread to partially read to completely
read, the position of the Green ribbon gives at-a-glance
information of the read state. A yellow ribbon appears
when an eComic is partially/completely read, and scrolls
down with the eComic pages (if re-read) till it reaches the
green ribbon.
Stars
You may occasionally see coloured stars on eComic thumbnails or in the state column if you use the list view.
Each star has a specific meaning.
Red: The Webcomic has been updated with new pages.

The number is the number of new pages.
Blue: The eComic in the current list that was last opened in the reader.
Green: The eComic is currently open in the reader.

Orange: Data is pending to be written to the eComic file.
Pending Tasks Indicator
If there are any currently under-process assignments

(called Pending Tasks) then an animated icon in Status
Bar is shown. This is the Pending Tasks Indicator.
Double-clicking on it opens the Pending Background
Tasks dialog.

The Browser

The Library Browser
The Library Browser is the section of ComicRack that allows the user to interact with archived eComics.
Archiving eComics gives the user the advantage of storing metadata, creating both simple lists and
smartlists, and creating folders to store these lists. You can create lists for specific tasks, like running
importers on those files that haven't yet been tagged, or lists for only particular characters or publishers. The
library browser gives you an interface for these and more.
The Library Browser Toolbar
Favorites is the first icon, the golden star. When you

select this icon, a small window will open at the top of the
Library Browser: This is the Favorites window.

Select any item in the library browser (The Library, Folder,
or List), right-click, and you will be able to add it to the
Favorites window.
Note that individual ecomics cannot be added or displayed

in this window. Its purpose is for Browser items that you
use frequently and would like quick access to. This is
especially helpful when one has a large assortment of lists
and folders.

New Folder Creator
The second icon will create a new library folder. Note that
this folder is not a folder that exists outside of ComicRack
and on your computer; it exists only within ComicRack and
serves the purpose of collecting your lists.
List Creator
Third from the left, this icon will create a simple list in the
folder of your choosing. A simple list has no rules, and
ecomics must be manually added. A list of this type can
be used to add random comics that couldn't be filtered
through any rules using a smart list, and you can sort by
sequence of addition, through the Position arrangement.

Smartlist Creator
Third from of right, this icon will create a smartlist in the

folder of your choosing. Smartlists allow the user to filter
comics through rules. The Smartlist is one of the strongest
features of ComicRack, and more can be learned in the
article Creating Custom Smartlists.
Current List In New Window
Second from the right, this icon will open the currently
selected library, list or folder in a separate window.
Current List In New Tab
Last icon on the right, this icon will open the currently
selected library, list or folder in a tab. You can return to
the library and leave the tab open, or open multiple tabs.

Previous & Next Arrows
The two arrows on the far right of the Library Browser

Toolbar enables the user to move through the succession
of lists recently browsed.
The Comic Preview
This small window at the bottom of the Library Browser will

display a comic, whether opened on not, without changing
it's read state and bookmarks.

The Search Browser
The Search Browser is present above the main Browser window, and can be toggled off/on via the dotted
extenders. It helps in quickly finding an eComic or a set of eComics based on the metadata present. To know
more about eComic metadata please read the chapter on Editing Comic Metadata.
The Search Browser contains 3 drop-down menus, all of

which can be chosen to display the eComic metadata
attribute of your choice.
Choosing a particular metadata attribute delimits the

eComic search results in the Browser accordingly. The
Negative icon (exclamation marked) helps in excluding a
particular set of results from the Browser.

The Folders Browser
The Folders Browser is the section of ComicRack that allows the user to browse their computer for eComics
folders in an explorer-like fashion.
Selecting a folder opens the contained eComics in the

browser.
Similar to the library browser, the folder browser can have

a Favorites window (1) above, and a Small preview
window (2) below.

Adding folder to favorites
Any folder can be added to the favorite window for quick

access.
Include all subfolders
The "Include all subfolders" icon is useful for toggling off

and on the sublders of a favorite folder. To use it, click on
a folder in the favorites window. Next, click on the "Include
all subfolders" icon. All subfolders shall now display in the
library. Clicking on the icon again will toggle the
subfolders off.

The Pages Browser
The Pages Browser is the section of ComicRack that allows the display and organising features for the pages
of an eComic.
Viewing Pages
The pages can be views as thumbnails, tiles, or details view.
Toggling Pages Types
To change the page type of a comic page simply

right-click (1) on a pages or a selection of pages. Go to
the Page Type option (2) and click on the option that best
fits (3).
You can also use keyboard shortcuts to set page types:
* Front Cover: Alt-Shift-A

* Inner Cover: Alt-Shift-B
* Round Up: Alt-Shift-C
* Story: Alt-Shift-D (Default page type)
* Advertisement: Alt-Shift-E
* Editorial: Alt-Shift-F
* Letters: Alt-Shift-G
* Preview: Alt-Shift-H
* Back Cover: Alt-Shift-I
* Other: Alt-Shift-J
* Deleted: Alt-Shift-K

Reordering Pages
You can reorder pages by simply clicking and dragging them to where
you want them to be. A black line shows where it will be reinserted.
Page Filter
The Page Filter menu can be used to toggle types of pages on and off.
These changes also apply to any other comics as well as the reader view.
For example you can un-check the Advertisement setting and you will never
see a page marked as Advertisement as you're reading a comic.

Deleting Pages
To delete a page select a page or group of pages,

right-click on them (1), from the Page type menu (2)
choose the Deleted option (3). Alternatively you can press
the Del button on the keyboard or choose deleted under
the Page Type menu. A red cross (4) would be visible on
the page, indicationg that it has been marked as deleted
and will not show while reading, while it is not actually
removed the eComic file.
This only marks the pages as deleted, it does not actually

remove the page(s) from the comic file. To remove the
page(s) from the file you must export the comic with
Deleted selected under Remove Pages in the export
menu. See Exporting eComics for more information.
Exporting Pages
You can export page(s) as a single image file(s). To do so

select the pages you wish to export, now go to Edit -->
Export Page (if you cannot see the edit menu press Alt on
the keyboard to show it), choose where you want the
pictures to be saved to and click OK.
An alternate way to export pages is to simply to drag the

pages to a location on your computer from the pages view.

The Reader

Overlays
The ComicRack Reader makes use of a number of Overlays to display live information regarding the eComic
currently being read. These overlays can be enabled/disabled via the Preferences dialog.
Current Page Overlay displays the page number (along

with the number of total pages) and, if enabled, the page
name.
Navigation ovelay (at the top) displays a filmstrip of all

the pages of the currently open comic. Quick browsing is
via the horizontal scroll bar, and the first / last page arrows.
Visible Page part Overlay (below) displays the portion of

the page currently visible onscreen with a thumbnail of the
entire page currently open in th reader.

Reader Toolbar
The Reader Toolbar can be accessed from the top right of the Reader window. It contains important shotrcuts
to display, navigate and customise the eComic pages reading.
The first set of buttons are the Previous / Next arrows, which
assist in quickly moving to the first / last page in the eComic open
in the reader. A Random eComic can also be opened using the
Next arrow.
Next are are Page layout buttons, which have a number of

self-explanatory options. The Page Layout options can also be
accessed from the Display menu.
The Zoom and Rotate buttons are next. The Zoom and Rotate
options can also be accessed from the Display menu.

While reading eComics, ComicRack has a Magnifier to temporarily
enlarge the desired page portion. The Magnify button in the
Reader Toolbar contains options for controlling width, height,
opacity and zoom of the magnifier. It also has options for enabling
the magnifier's activation with a long mouse click.
At the end of the Reader Toolbar is the Tools menu, which is a

completely reorganized and easier-to-use ComicRack menu,
having multiple important options from all over ComicRack in a
single pane. Notable is the Show Main Menu option, which when
enabled hides the main menu, which can then be toggled on via
the Alt key.

The Reader Toolbar opens eComics in a tabbed interface.
Hovering the mouse over the eComic title in its tab brings
out a tooltip displaying a brief summary of the comic.

Using the Reader
The Reader is the most important window of Comicrack,as it is where the eComic pages are displayed and
read onscreen. Scolling the mouse wheel moves the open page up or down, and scrolling beyond the end of
the page opens the next page of the eComic. This is the simplest way of navigating the Reader. For further
customisations, please see the chapters on Preferences and Keyboard map.
A single click (1) of the mouse in the Reader window

closes the browser and the sidebar, thus providing the
complete space in the ComicRack to the Reader.
Alternatively, clicking on the dotted extenders achieves
the same result.
Further double-clicking (2) in the Reader window now

takes it in the Fullscreen view. Please read the Setting A
Full Screen Interface chapter for further details. It is
noteworthy that the steps 1 & 2 will work even if they are
not in this very sequence.

Configuring ComicRack

Preferences
The Preferences dialog can be opened either via the 'Edit' menu, or by using the Ctrl+F9 keyboard combo.
The Preferences dialog contains 5 tabs. These are:

1. Reader Setup
2. Libraries
3. Behavior
4. Script
5. Advanced
Reader Setup
The Reader Setup tab has 6 sections: General, Hardware

accelaration, Overlays, Keyboard, and Mouse.Most of the
options are self-explanatory. A brief introduction of some
important features shall be discussed.
The General section contains 3 options:
Turning High Quality option off increases page display

speed on slower machines. Anamorphic Scaling
stretches the eComic page to fit the screen in both
dimensions. With Smooth Auto Scrolling enabled,
moving from one part of the page to the next is more
smooth.

As we have already seen, during installation, ComicRack
self-optimizes itself for your system. Most of the settings in
the hardware accelaration section have already been
selected by ComicRack, and are the ones recommended
for your system. If you do not desire the page display
change animations, you may disable it.
The Adjustments section provides easy changes to the

saturation, brightness, contrast and sharpening attributes
of the comic pages.

The Overlays section contains settings for a number of
enhancements for the reader window. Please read the
Overlays chapter to understand details regarding their
nomenclature.
ComicRack can be completely controlled by the keyboard.

This section provides the default keys for various actions,
all of which can be customised according to the user's
choice.

You can adjust the mouse wheel scrolling speed to your
liking.
Libraries
The eComic Folders section helps in adding folders

containing eComics to the library. These folders, if
checked, would be watched for changes (move / rename)
while the program is running.

The Scanning section has 2 important options. The first
option, if enabled, removes missing files from the library
during the scanning process. The second option comes in
handy when you decide not to add a file to the library,
while that file resides witihn an eComic folder that is
already added to the library.
The Sharing and Server Settings sections are used for

sharing of libraries over the internet. Please read the
Enable network sharing chapter for further details.

Behavior
The Behavior tab contains a number of self-explanatory

options for customising the ComicRack experience to your
liking.
Scripts
Scripts are essentially plugins or add-ons that extend the

functionality of ComicRack. They can be found in the
News & announcement sections of the ComicRack forum
or in the Downloads section. They are usually distributed
as a zip file.
ComicRack includes a script manager to simplify installing

and removing scripts. To install a script:
1. Open the Preferences dialog

2. Go to the Scripts Tab
3. Click the Install button and browse to the downloaded
zip file
Restart ComicRack and the script will be installed and

available to use.
Removing a script is as easy as installing it.
1. Open the Script Manager

2. Select the script you want to remove from the list of install Script Packages

3. Click the Remove Button
4. Restart ComicRack
5. Done!
Currently, a large number of ComicRack scripts are being actively developed and maintained. Please read
the chapter on Current Popular Scripts to find about some of them.
Advanced
As the name suggests, the Advanced tab contains a

number of sections that should be handled with caution.
The Languages section at the top helps select the user
interface language of your locale. Restart ComicRack for
the language changes to take effect.
Next is the eComics section that has the option to write a
small info.xml to eComics. Please note that info can be
added to only cbz (zip) files.
The Database Backup allows easy backup of all the

eComic data to a small xml file on your computer, or on a
USB drive. It can be restored easily in the event of a
system format.

Apart from the Disc Cache, Memory Cache and Hidden
Messages section, there is an Explorer Integration
section in the end. Out of a number of supported formats,
the checked ones will be associated with ComicRack, and
opening any file having those extensions wil automatically
launch them with ComicRack.

Editing Comic Metadata
Comic Info Dialog
There are many ways to open the Info dialog. Selecting

the 'Info' option by either right-clicking a comic, or via the
'Edit' menu, or more simply, by using the Ctrl+I keyboard
combo.
The Info dialog contains 5 tabs. These are:

1. Summary
2. Info
3. Plot & Notes
4. Pages
5. Colors
The Summary tab displays the plot of the comic in the

upper pane, and specifications in the lower pane. It is an
all-inclusive dialog for getting at-a-glance information
regarding the comic.
The Info tab is one of the most important dialogs of

ComicRack. It contains exhaustive fields, which, when
properly filled, are the key to organising your comic
collection. The Previous/Next buttons help in going to the
previous/next comic info, without quitting the info dialog.
Moreover, any number of comics can be selected at a
time, and the info can be added/edited in a batch.

The 'Plot and Notes' tab contains fields to add the comic
summary, characters, notes, and the internet link (if any).
The Summary data that you input here will show in the
Summary tab as the comic plot, and shall also be visible
in ComicRack tooltips.
The Pages tab displays all the pages of the comic. It is an

easy way to re-order the pages without actually opening
the comic in the reader. In the event of any
accidental/incorrect reordering, the Reset button brings
the status quo back.

Finally, the Colors tab provides easy changes to the
saturation, brightness, contrast and sharpening attributes
of the comic pages.
Ratings
The My rating menu can be opened by right-clicking on

any eComic either in the Browser or in the Reader. The
users have the choice to rate their comics on a scale of 1
to 5.
Once rated, the rating is displayed on the top left corner of the eComic thumbnail in the
Browser.
Mark As Read/Unread
The Mark as menu can be opened by right-clicking on any

eComic in the Browser. It serves to quickly mark a comic
as completely read or unread.

Copy and Paste Comics Data
The Paste Comics Data feature allow the user to manually transfer the metadata from one ecomic to another,
without needing to import the data anew. Examples include replacing comics with those of better quality, or
those with additional pages.
For example, here are two ecomics; the original, and a

new one with the complete pages.
To add the data to the new comic, right-click on the

original and select Copy Data:
Then right-click the new comic and select Paste Data:

This will open the Paste Data dialog box. There are three
options; All, which will add a check to every data item,
Only Set, which only select those items that actually have
data, and Clear, which will uncheck all data and allow you
to only select those items you wish.
Select OK, and all selected data will be added to the new
ecomic. Note that the data can be added to as many
issues as are selected. This feature will not transfer
bookmarks.

Customising the Browser
The Browser is used for viewing the eComics archived in your library. It can be customised as per the user's
choice. Some of the important options are discussed here.
Docking the Browser
The Dock button can be seen on the extreme right of the

Browser Tab Bar. It can be used to place (dock) the
Browser to the left, right or bottom posiiton in the ComicRack
window.
One important setting is the Dock Fill option, which unifies

the Browser tab bar with the Reader tab bar. In this
setting, eComics open on this unified tab bar. Please note
that the Fullscreen interface under the Dock fill option
displays the main menu and the unified tab bar.
Views
From the Views menu, you may easily choose the view that you
wish: Thumbnails, Tiles or Details. Also present are the options to
show all / unread / reading / read eComics as well as Duplicate
eComics.

Organising the comics
There are options to arrange the comics in 3 ways: Group,

Stack and Arrrange.
Alternatively, you can right-click any blank area in the

browser, and get the menu.

Here is an example of comics grouped by series.
The comics may be similarly further stacked and arranged

to your liking. Play with the settings a bit and you'll get the
combination that suits you.
Thumbnail Resizer
A horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the reader window

can be used to increase/decrease the size of the
thumbnails / tiles/ rows in the browser window.

Comic Display Settings
Here we learn how to use the Comic Display Settings
The Comic Display Settings dialog can be opened by the using the
Display menu at the top, or by simply hitting F9.
Upon opening the Comic Display Sttings dialog, you will

see options under 2 heads: General and Background
General options
Check the "Realistic Comic Display" option and hit OK.

A vertical divider between double page spreads is seen,
signifying a real-like imaging of the open eComic.
Check the "Leave margins around the pages" option and

hit OK.
The eComic now displays a blank margin around the

margins, giving the look of a real comic.

Background Options
From the drop-down menu, choose a colour of your liking.
The eComic now sits elegantly over the coloured

background of your choice.

From the Background Type drop-down menu, choose
Textures.
Choose any Texture of your choice. In this example, we

choose "Brick Wall"
A complete realistic look now with the Background texture

on.

Creating custom Smartlists
Smartlist are one of the most useful features of ComicRack. They consist of rules the user can define in order
to create dynamic, self-updating lists of comics.
To create a new smartlist click the create new smartlist button (blue).
You will be asked to name your new smartlist. It is best to name it something descriptive.
Now right-click on the smartlist and choose edit. A window will pop up with the smartlist options.
Single Rules
Right now this smartlist contains one rule that will search
for anywhere in All the comics data that contains New
Smart List. You can change New Smart List to anything
you like. For example say you want to find any comics that
have X-Men in its data. You could change New Smart
List to X-Men and click OK and the smartlist would
display any comics with X-Men in its data.
The ! button finds the opposite of what you specify. To

continue the X-Men example, if you set the ! button, the
smartlist would display any comics that do not contain
X-Men.
If you only want to search for a phrase in a certain field,

you can change All to something else. For example if
you wanted to find all the Batman titles you could set the
search to be: Series contains Batman
You can also change the second option. For example if

you want to find an exact word or phrase you could
change the option from contains to is.

Multiple Rules
The power of smartlist is that you can specify multiple rules that the smartlist has to follow. You can set the
smartlist to match All or Any of the rules.
If you specify Match All then all the rules would have to be true for a comic in order for it to be displayed.
If you specify Match Any then if any one rule is true for a comic it will be displayed.
Click the + button next to a rule to add a new rule to the smartlist.
Click the - button to delete a rule.
Rule Groups
To create complicated and very specific rules, you can

create rules groups.
Click the .. button to add a rule group. With each group

you can specify to follow all or any of the rules in the
group.
For example lets says you want to find Detective Comics

327-342 and Batman 164-174. You could use groups
looking something like this:

Exporting eComics
ComicRack has many options to export eComics. Included are presets for CBZ, CB7 and PSP.
To convert an eComic to another format, right-click on the

comic thumbnail, goto Export eComics and simply choose
your format. A batch of eComics, or even your complete
library can be batch converted in a similar fashion.
Creating Export Presets

You can also create your own presets for easy repetition of specific export settings.
To create a preset first open the Export eComics settings menu by right-clicking on an eComic and choosing
Export eComicsExport eComics.. (or the keyboard combination Ctrl+Shift+E)
Now set any settings you want your preset to have. After you get the settings to your liking, click the Add
button and give your preset a name.
The preset will now show up in the right-clickExport eComics menu.

Workspaces
ComicRack's multiple windows and layouts are fully customisable and can be arranged in a number of ways.
Such an arrangement is called a workspace. Different situations require differnt Workspaces. Manually
re-arrranging and re-adjusting them everytime is a hassle. Thus the option of saving multiple window layouts
as workspaces within Comicrack.
The Workspaces dialog can be opened either via the

Browse menu or the Tools menu.
A Workspace can include the settings for:

1. Window Layouts
2. List Layouts
3. Comic Display Layout
4. Comic Display Settings

Once you are satisfied with a particular layout and wish to
save it as a Workspace for quick usage later, just click the
Save Workspace button. The latest workspace saved can
be accessed by the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+F1, and the earlier
one by Ctrl+Shift+F2 and so on.

Managing List Layouts
The eComics are viewed in the Browser as either thumbnails, tiles or details. The eComic views have a
number of options that are fully customisable and can be arranged in a number of ways. Such an
arrangement is called a List Layout. Different situations require different List Layouts. These can be saved
as presets ao that manually changing them everytime is not required
The List Layout options can be accessed either via the List Layout icon on
the library toolbar or via the Browse menu. Clicking the Edit List Layout
button opens up the List Options window.
All the columns that can be displayed in the Details view

are shown in the List Options window. The columns of
your choice can be selected here.

The text under the eComic thumbnails in the browser can
display a maximum of 3 lines. You have the choice of
selecting the captions that will be displayed there.
Once you are satisfied wth a list layout and wish to save it for quick use
later, simply click the Save List Layout button.

Others
About Dialog
Choosing About from Main Menu > Help or pressing

Alt+F1 shows About Dialog.
Information about ComicRack version is shown in the

lower right corner.
Clicking once on the Dialog or pressing any key hides it.
Pending Background Tasks dialog
The Pending Tasks is a Dialog showing currently

processed assignments in ComicRack, for example
Exporting eComics or retrieving WebComics from Internet.
To open the Dialog go to File in Main Menu and select

Pending Tasks (Ctrl+Shift+T).The dialog contains list of
Tasks and its corresponding States. Tasks are queued
with currently running ones on top and waiting below.
Under the list number of pending Tasks is shown. You can
abort all or individual Tasks with respective drop-down
button. OK hides the Dialog. Note that if there are any
pending Tasks then proper animated icon in Status Bar is
shown.
Multiple Comics Dialog

This feature helps you find any duplicate issues that you may have accumulated over time. There are a
number of data values needed for comics to be matched; most importantly, Series Name, Issue Number and
Volume. Note that Superman #1 and Superman V1 #1 would not match, nor would Superman V1 #1 and
Superman V2 #1.

To use this feature, select View in the Comic Browser and
select Show Duplicates:
After a slight delay (dependent on the total number of

issues in the library, folder or list that this feature is run
against), all applicable duplicates will display, allowing the
user to make any changes or deletions desired.

Network Sharing

Enabling network sharing
ComicRack includes a network sharing functionality that allows the user to share a library completely or only
selected lists. This functionality has slightly different set up if used within a LAN or over the Internet.
To enable sharing, open ComicRack, Edit menu,

Preferences, Libraries tab and select Add Share. Here
you can also select if you want to share your complete
library or only select lists. You can also select to make
your library editable or password protected
(recommended).

Network sharing tips
Make sure you open ports 7612 and 7613 TCP/UDP on the computer sharing the library, and/or allow
ComicRack through your firewall. This varies depending on the firewall software you use.
If sharing on the LAN: After you enable sharing, and restart ComicRack, if you start the program in another
computer you will see a new tab with the name of the shared Library on the main program window (next to
Library, Folders and Pages tabs). Clicking on it will allow you access to the shared library.
If sharing over the Internet: If the computer sharing the library is behind a router, you will need to go to the
Router configuration, to a section called Port Forwarding (or similar, varies across brands), and create a
new port forwarding for the port 7612 TCP, so that the External port 7612 is forwarded to the IP of the
computer sharing the library. Check out portforward.com for guides on how to forward a port in many different
brands of routers
For example, if the IP of the computer sharing the library behind the router is 192.168.0.5, you will need to
forward port 7612 TCP to 192.168.0.5:7612.
To connect to this shared library, open ComicRack, File menu, Open Remote Library and enter the
external ip address of the router. If the port forward is done correctly, you should see a new tab appear with
the shared library name.
To find out the external IP, from the computer sharing the library, visit http://www.whatismyip.com/. If your IP
changes often, as is the case with most xDSL connections, you should set up a dynamic dns service (for
example, http://www.dyndns.com/).
If you have a very large library and a slow connection, you may encounter errors when you try to click on the
shared library. If it happens, try sharing only part of the library instead, by going into Edit menu, Preferences,
Libraries tab and choosing only some lists instead of Share All.

WebComics

What are WebComics ?
ComicRack supports WebComics (.cbw) files. With WebComics ComicRack can read comics directly from
web pages and display them as if they where standard eComics (CBR, CBZ). WebComics can be exported to
other formats. If the definition supports it, WebComics can update itself to add new pages (like for daily or
weekly comics).

Basic elements of a WebComic
Info
This is where ComicRack will store it's eComic info (when you edit the values with the Comic Book Dialog or
execute a script to get the values).
Variables
This is a an optional collection to define textual variables you can reuse in the image entries (with the {key}
construct).
Images / Image
This is a collection of Image entries that define the actual pages of the WebComic. In the simplest case this
can be direct links to images on the internet or it can be complex scraping definitions.
Image element types

ComicRack supports three different Image element types to add pages to your WebComic. Url is the simplest
type of a page link. It just tells ComicRack to add the linked image as a new page. This type supports defining
references to multiple pages with one entry. The BrowseScraper type is intended for WebComics that do not
have an index page, but rather a start page with an image on it and a next button to get to the next page.
BrowserScapers are using Regular Expressions. The IndexScraper is intended for web comics that have a
central index page for all their pages. The scraper supports a chain of n pages to get from the index pages to
the actual images. This way it supports links like Index Page-->Month Links-->Day Pages-->Images on day
Page. The optional ! in front of a regex tells the scraper to reverse the matches. This is helpful if the index
page lists newest first. As with the BrowserScraper you can also omit the PageLinkType and simply start the
Url with an ! or put the regex expressions into a part list.

How to create WebComics ?
Go with the browser of your choice to your WebComic page. Descide if you need to create a Url based
(simple) or a regex based (BrowseScraper, IndexScraper) WebComic.
To find the regular expressions, select View Source in your browser and copy the html code into a regex
testing tool of your choice. Play around to the the regular expression. If you think you're done put the
expressions into the WebComic file and open it with ComicRack.
Please note that ComicRack works with the .NET implementation of RegEx. If the expression contains a link
group, this one is used. Otherwise the matched expression is used.

Using WebComic Templates to make WebComics
A WebComic Template can be easily edited to make the WebComic of your choice, which you can read (with
daily updates) from within ComicRack. Here we present you with the WebComic Template for
Gocomics.com, a website that contains a large number of daily comics.
Here is what you need for this:

1. The latest version of ComicRack
2. The Gocomicstemplate.cbw file freely downloadable from the ComicRack forum
3. A working Internet connection
1. Goto A-Z comic listing at Gocomics.com. From quite a

large number of comics, choose the comic you want to
create the Webcomic for. Click at the name of the comic.
In this example, we choose "Red And Rover". A new page
for that comic will open.
2. Now we will choose the date from which we want our

WebComic to begin. For this right-click on the
double-backward arrow icon near the date.
3. Click on "Copy link location". Now, we have the link for

the beginning comic strip for our WebComic. The link can
be easily changed manually to select any date from which
we would like our WebComic to begin. e.g. change the
date in the link from .../2003/01/01/ to .../2010/01/01/, and
we'll get the comic from 2010 onwards.

4. Open the template GoComicsTemplate.cbw with any
text editor you like. In this example we choose
Notepad++. Your simple windows notepad will do as well.
Replace the Image Url in the file with the link we copied in
step 3.
5. To save the WebComic, goto File->Save as, and

replace the name with that of your choice, in this case,
Red And Rover.cbw
6. Don't forget to choose "All types" in the "Save as type"

dialog of your text editor.
7. Your WebComic is ready. Double-click to open it with

ComicRack, and enjoy !

Tips & Tricks

Setting A Full Screen Interface
This article will help you configure a full screen interface, with no other objects on the screen. This will also be
helpful if you are having any trouble removing any items.
By default and until the user manually changes any

options, ComicRack has the following interface:
To take ComicRack from a windowed format to full screen,

you can
Double-click the cursor in the Reader area

In {}, select Full Screen under the Tool icon
In the Main Menu, under Display, select Full Screen
Select F11.
Interface Options
Minimal User Interface: Selected

Fit Mode: Fit Width with Only Fit If Oversized
Page Display: Single Pages
Comic Display Settings
Realistic Comic Display: Selected

Page Transition: New Page Fades In
Paper: Default
Background: Solid Color, with the color selection of White
Smoke
Preferences: Reader Setup
Visible Part Page Overlay: Selected

Preferences: Behavior
Reading: Fullscreen Also Toggles Minimal User Interface:

Unselected
Browser: Always Display Browser Docking Grip: Selected

Suggested Setup
Please note that this is only an example, and may not

apply to all users. You may like some of the features that
are not used here, and may not like those used. This is
only to help you understand some steps you can take to
get you displaying a clean full screen interface with no
distractions.
Set Fit Mode to Fit Height, and unselect Only Fit If

Oversized. Set Page Display to Two Pages (Adaptive). In
Comic Display Settings, uncheck Realistic Comic Display,
and set Solid Color to Black. Then unselect Always
Display Browser Docking Grip under Preferences:
Behavior.
Additionally, if you wish to have no other items presented

in the reader area when reading, in Preferences: Reader
Setup: Overlays, unselect all options, and only the comic
will display.

Current Popular Scripts
Although a large number of ComicRack scripts are being actively developed and maintained, we here
introduce the top three recommended scripts.
ComicVine Scraper
Comicvine scraper downloads eComic information from the Comic Vine

online database.
To open the scraper, select an eComic (or a batch of eComics) and either
click the green icon on the library toolbar, or Right-click -> Automation ->
Comicvine scraper.
The Comic Vine scraper configuration dialog will open, where you can
select the metadata fields that you wish to update.
Once everything is set, hit Ok and the scraper starts downloading the
metadata.

The scraper finds a number of matches for the series
being scraped. Choose the correct series,and then, if
required, the issue number. The Cover art can be toggled
off/on.
Watch the scraper gather details and declare that the

scrape is complete. This is automatised metadata at its
best.
Organize Library Files & Folders

Organize Library Files & Folders is an add-on for ComicRack that lets users organize/standardize their
eComic library naming and structure in windows explorer. It is a recommended ComicRack script.
The user must first manually set the root directory where they want their eComics to reside on the computer.
Then, after selcting the desired comics in the library, the script is run. The script then creates a new subfolder
of the Publisher within the root folder, then an Imprint subfolder if it exists, and finally a Series subfolder. The
Series subfolder also gets the beginning year it was published at the end.
The syntax looks like this:

[root directoy] \ [Publisher] \ [Imprint if exist] \ [Series] ([YearBegan] Series) \
Then there is the file naming structure. The syntax for this is:
[Series] Vol. [Volume] # [Number with leading zeros] (of [Count if exist] ) ( [Month in text format] , [Year] )

Weekly Comic Releases
Weekly Comic Releases is an add-on script for

ComicRack that gets you the latest RSS feeds about the
new comics coming out each week. It is a recommended
ComicRack script.
Here are the instructions to use it:
Install the script

Restart
Goto File -> Automation -> Weekly Comic Releases
Filter the results as you wish by date,title or publisher

How to use ComicRack to read online manga
A WebComic Template can be easily edited to make the WebComic of your choice, which you can read (with
daily updates) from within ComicRack. Here we present you with the WebComic Template for
Onemanga.com, a website that contains a large number of manga. With the help of this webcomic template,
you can use ComicRack t oread online manga.
Here is what you need for this:
1. The latest version of Comicrack

2. The Onemangatemplate.cbw file downloadable from
the ComicRack forum
3. A working Internet connection
How to read online manga with ComicRack:
1. Goto the Manga directory at Onemanga.com. Scroll

down to choose the manga you want to create the
WebComic for.
2. In this example, we choose "Dance in the Vampire

Bund". Click on it and a new page for that manga will open.
3. Now we will choose the date from which we want our

WebComic to begin. Usually, this would be the first
chapter of the manga. For this, scroll down the chapter list
to reach the first chapter (at the bottom of the page). Click
on it to reach a new page.
4. Find the link titled "Begin reading Dance in the Vampire

Bund 1" (or name of your chosen manga) near the bottom
of the page. Right-click on this link and then "Copy link
location".

5. Open the template Onemangatemplate.cbw with any
text editor you like. In this example we choose
Notepad++. Your simple windows notepad will do as well.
Replace the variable key Url value in the file with the link
we copied in step 4.
6. To save the WebComic, goto File->Save as, and

replace the name with that of your choice, in this case,
Dance in the Vampire Bund.cbw. Don't forget to choose
"All types" in the "Save as type" dialog of your text editor.
7. Your WebComic is ready. Double-click to open it with

ComicRack, and enjoy !
You have successfully converted ComicRack into an

online manga reader !

Donations

Why should you donate and support ComicRack?
Hundreds of hours of work have been put into ComicRack to make it the best, most versatile and simply the
most fun to use comic reader in the world.
Starting out as a pet project for myself it has evolved into what you currently see, a multi language application
with it's own web site and support forums, simply put a place for the ComicRack community.
So if you think ComicRack adds value to your life, give something back. 10,000s of downloads and usually an
average of 10 donations a month do not really fit together. It's not about getting rich (as you can estimate
from the above value), but it is about justifying the time and work put into this and also the feeling that there is
some worth in it.
So please help to keep this project running.

How to Donate ?
Goto the Donate page. You can go there by either by

opening the Support ComicRack dialog from the Help
menu (on when it opens during statup) or by going to the
Donate page from the ComicRack forum, or by simply
following this link.
All donations are processed securely via PayPal. You don't

need to be subscribed to PayPal to make a donation and you
can pay with a credit card or debit card if you wish.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all of my friends on ComicRack, with a few special mentions:
cYo - the God.. thanks for making comicRack
Stonepaw - thanks for helping me whenever I need you mate
quidam - thanks for telling me a lot of things I never knew about
cbanack - thanks for making the Comicvine Scraper script
Alan Scott - thanks for your wiki updates, and your great posts
perezmu - thanks for making the original ImportComicVineInfo script
Shinrai - thanks for liking my tutorial
DouglasBubbletrousers - thanks for your nice comments on my posts
RevQuixo - thanks for your work on the Comicvine Scraper script
Also thanking forkicks and lanzajr26.

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The ComicRack Manual

1.1 Preface to The ComicRack Manual 6

2.1 What is ComicRack ? 9

2.3 Supported Languages 12

2.4 System Requirements 13

3.1 How to Install ComicRack 15

4.1 Opening ComicRack 19

4.2 Start a new library 20

5 ComicRack User Interface

5.1 Main Window 22

5.3 State Indicators 30

6.1 The Library Browser 33

6.2 The Search Browser 38

6.3 The Folders Browser 39

6.4 The Pages Browser 41

7.2 Reader Toolbar 46

7.3 Using the Reader 49

8.2 Editing Comic Metadata 59

8.3 Customising the Browser 64

8.4 Comic Display Settings 67

8.5 Creating custom Smartlists 71

8.6 Exporting eComics 73

8.8 Managing List Layouts 76

9.1 Enabling network sharing 81

9.2 Network sharing tips 82

10.1 What are WebComics ? 84

10.2 Basic elements of a WebComic 85

10.3 How to create WebComics ? 86

10.4 Using WebComic Templates to make WebComics 87

11 Tips & Tricks

11.1 Setting A Full Screen Interface 90

11.2 Current Popular Scripts 92

12.1 Why should you donate and support ComicRack? 98

12.2 How to Donate ? 99

13.1 Acknowledgements 101

The ComicRack Manual - 5 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

The Solutions to these problems:

The ComicRack Manual - 6 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

How can you help the ComicRack Manual Project:

The ComicRack Manual - 7 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

The ComicRack Manual - 8 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

ComicRack is the best eComic reader and manager for

The ComicRack Manual - 9 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

Read your eComics the way you want: Fast navigation,

The powerful integrated library allows you to bring your

ComicRack allows you to edit and show the information of

Edit eComic pages, rotate them to your needs, change the

The ComicRack Manual - 10 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

ComicRack can batch convert your eComics to all

ComicRack can be adapted to your needs. Optimize page

The ComicRack Manual - 11 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

The ComicRack Manual - 12 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

The ComicRack Manual - 13 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

The ComicRack Manual - 14 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

Double-click the ComicRack setup file. Click Next to

Accept the Licence Agreement

Choose which features of ComicRack you want to install.

The ComicRack Manual - 15 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

Please wait while ComicRack is being installed.

ComicRack will self-optimize itself for your system.

The ComicRack Manual - 16 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

The ComicRack Manual - 17 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/

The ComicRack Manual - 18 http://comicrack.cyolito.com/