Perhaps better method of downloading & using FSM? (1 Viewer)

[UCBerzerkeley]

Ok, so I found this while searching around the interwebs to find the most efficient TIS download method. This method will purportedly give you a COMPLETE OFFLINE copy of the TIS - as if you were using the website with a full subscription, except everything is on your harddrive. Not browsing through folders, but clicking links as if using your browser. Search, find, etc. In his own words --->

"At this point you should have a complete replica of the TIS website content on your PC."

My only problem? I can't / don't know how to do the things he is instructing you to do in the write-up.

So do any of you guys know what he is talking about? I tried to contact him to no avail (I think twitter was as close as i got). I did find it was written relatively recently, ie, written within 2009. If someone can figure out how this works, it might be insanely useful

http://caphector.com/atoyota/TableOfContents/TISSearchandReplaceInstructions.txt

 

[UCBerzerkeley]

100 views and no comments? Does no one know what's up with this method?

 

[80t0ylc]

100 views and no comments? Does no one know what's up with this method?

Berzerk, I went out and browsed thru that link. Looks like a lot of "holes" you could drop into without some knowledgeable assistance. Things like: you can't use Firefox browser (which I prefer) and prerequisite programs you need to down load before running, not to mention having to sign up for a daily or monthly pass. Maybe some one else with experience can chime in to help, but it looks like more trouble than it's worth, to me. -My.02

 

[Beowulf]

100 views and no comments?

This is a manual variant of Nate's excellent work from about 2 or 3 years ago. The TIS web site changed structure which "broke" Nate's automated process. Additionally, there was rampant abuse of his work and his simple request for people to *not* abuse his process. I think the combination of those 2 things led to his decision to put that on the shelf.

The guy's instructions are relatively clear but you'll need to have a modicum of computer expertise; primarily with a text editor and a basic understanding of HTML. You can either gain that expertise on your own or lure another 'Mudder to do the work for you. The other tool the guy mentioned is a "wget" derivative and you can read up on those type of utilities using the wiki.

IMHO, you are better off to pay your $10 and spend your time (~4 hrs) pulling down each individual section of the manuals for your vehicle. I've done it both ways; pre-Nate and using Nate's now defunct process. Suck it up.

-B-

 

[wxm]

IMHO, you are better off to pay your $10 and spend your time (~4 hrs) pulling down each individual section of the manuals for your vehicle. I've done it both ways; pre-Nate and using Nate's now defunct process. Suck it up.

-B-

What I did for my 96 LX and 07 Sienna FSM - Tried the IE Cache method, but did not work. I ended up saving each page individually. Took me an entire weekend, it sucks! But when it's all done, I am very happy to have both manuals for $10...

 

[bpassmore]

I did it this way successfully:
How to download Toyota/ Lexus Factory Service Manuals from TIS

 

[UCBerzerkeley]

Suck it up.

-B-

Heh not lookin for a purely "easy" way out Beo, I actually grabbed everything manually off the site already. Problem for me is that it's hard to search, seeing as I frankly don't know the LC well enough yet to know where to look to find every issue. While I may be mistaken, I thought this provided you an actual copy of the website you could search (it was the searching that I was after).

Anyways, live and learn. Thanks for the input everyone, but time to let this thread hit the junkyard

 

[Beowulf]

There is an option with Adobe Reader (AR) that enables you to SEARCH multiple PDF documents or an entire folder of PDF documents. I haven't had much luck with searching the electronic FSM but it has worked on one or two searches. I believe the feature that is preserved by using his method is the embedded links. This will allow you to click on "See section I-5" and it will take you directly to I-5. While helpful, losing this isn't a show stopper.

-B-

 

[bpassmore]

There is an option with Adobe Reader (AR) that enables you to SEARCH multiple PDF documents or an entire folder of PDF documents. I haven't had much luck with searching the electronic FSM but it has worked on one or two searches. I believe the feature that is preserved by using his method is the embedded links. This will allow you to click on "See section I-5" and it will take you directly to I-5. While helpful, losing this isn't a show stopper.

-B-

if you are running windows:
XP: Install Windows Search v4
Vista: do nothing

use the method i posted above and save the folder structure.
Windows will index the text in those PDFs and you can search from the start bar for you pages. The links in the PDF's work completely fine as well.

PM if you want an FSM copy electronically.

 

[retrofive]

There is an option with Adobe Reader (AR) that enables you to SEARCH multiple PDF documents or an entire folder of PDF documents. I haven't had much luck with searching the electronic FSM but it has worked on one or two searches. I believe the feature that is preserved by using his method is the embedded links. This will allow you to click on "See section I-5" and it will take you directly to I-5. While helpful, losing this isn't a show stopper.

-B-

Use the above method as well. Not 100% but gets me closer than not.

 

[NaterGator]

IMHO, you are better off to pay your $10 and spend your time (~4 hrs) pulling down each individual section of the manuals for your vehicle. I've done it both ways; pre-Nate and using Nate's now defunct process. Suck it up.

-B-

Nate's process may not be defunct for much longer. Since I've got some heavy work to do on the truck this may I need to buy another TIS subscription which would give me the access I need to revamp everything. Not until school lets out though; patience grasshoppers, patience.

 

[Chaldaean]

There is an option with Adobe Reader (AR) that enables you to SEARCH multiple PDF documents or an entire folder of PDF documents.

Foxit Reader (free, small, and fast) does this as well. Here is a screen shot after searching the FSM for the word "cowl". The search results from all PDFs (within a user defined search path) are displayed on the right. Cooool stuff.

 

[retrofive]

Foxit Reader (free, small, and fast) does this as well. Here is a screen shot after searching the FSM for the word "cowl". The search results from all PDFs (within a user defined search path) are displayed on the right. Cooool stuff.

Nice addition

 

[unclegit]

You might want to get 'er done before May 5th as the TIS prices are going up - 2 day minimum for $15

https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInf...ml/prelogin/prelogin.pricechangeannounce.html

Is it just a matter of rehacking the paths for the wget ?


Those of us enlightened enough to use Macs could load all the TIS PDF's into YEP! (link below) to make it searchable....

Yep!

 

[NaterGator]

Is it just a matter of rehacking the paths for the wget ?

Nope it's a matter of redesigning the scraper to pull new paths and structure. TBH the paths are not consistent from model to model and even from year to year. Neither are the major/minor sections, so each year of each vehicle and each document has to be individually scraped and indexed.

There were a couple of 'hacks' toyota had written into the old TIS system to accommodate some 'outlier' instances, but they were easy to catch. I'll have to look over the new system pretty thoroughly but I have a hunch that the layout is a bit more logical (though getting material to scrape may be a bit more contrived).