Text to Speech for Video Files

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README.txt 
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Text to Speech for Video, version 1.10 (TTS4V), Copyright 2013 Theodore D. Kuik,
All rights reserved

Distributed under the Free BSD license, see license for details and a DISCLAIMER
OF ALL WARRANTIES.


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Version History
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Version 1.10, 12/17/2013:
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- added feature to display available alternate pronouciations (if any) for any given word
  by typing said word into a box or double-clicking on said word in the main entry box.

- expanded "Huckleberry" vocabulary to 2000+ word recordings (from 1500+ previously).

- program attempts to detect "output" folder and create it if it does not exist.

- screen layout has been improved.

- changed Python screen management to "grid" method for easier future development

- corrected embedded text relating to license in the source code to show Free BSD
  license, rather than GNU Public license text.


Version 1.01, 11/20/2013:
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- corrected a discrepancy between the (slightly out of date) source files and the latest
  Windows binary.

- added small text file to the "output" folder to explain its purpose.


Version 1.00, 11/19/2013:
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- Initial version with capacity to speak in either of two voices ("Huckleberry" and
  "Donna" - over 1500 words each.


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License information
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See LICENSE.txt for the license under which TTS4V is distributed

TTS4V was written in Python 2.7 and contains certain redistributable
runtime components thereof. See LICENSE-Python for the LICENSE(s)
under which Python 2.7 is distributed.

Py2exe was used to compile the source code into an executable application.
See LICENSE-Py2exe for the conditions under which Py2exe is distributed.

Please note that sound recordings from which the wav file voice data for
the included voices, "Donna" and "Huckleberry" came from Librivox.org,
which states on their website that these recordings are in the public domain.
To the extent (if any) which I have acquired any rights in the voice data by
my audio manipulation of the material in the original recordings, I Theodore
D. Kuik do dedicate such rights to the public domain.


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Program Purpose
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Having noticed that many of the speech synthesis products currently
available are not free, or do not allow commercial use, or are not of high
quality, my goal is to provide an easy to use, free, high quality speech
synthesis product that animated video makers can use to give voice to
the characters in their videos, and to allow for personal or commercial use.


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If you are eager to jump right in and get started
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TTS4V is pretty simple, so there's nothing wrong with just double-clicking
the application file (or creating a shortcut to it) and diving right into the
program (from which the GettingStarted.txt file can be read).

Alternatively, if you are having difficulties or want to get a brief overview 
before trying the program out, you may want to read GettingStarted.txt
with notepad or some other text viewer first.  It's short.


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If you want to create your own "voice" for use with TTS4V
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Creating your own "voice" for use with TTS4V is not difficulty (although
it can be time-consuming).  All you need to do is to create a sub folder of
the voices folder and put your own "word recordings" (wav file recordings
of one word) into said folder.  Examine the "Donna" and "Huckleberry"
voices for inspiration.

Audacity is a good program you can use to edit wav files for free.

Aside from that, you will need voice data that you have the rights to use.
Recording your own voice would be one option and would have the
advantage that you can speak whatever words you want and re-record
as often as necessary to get the results you want.

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What's coming
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Over the coming months/years, I hope to add more refinements to the TTS4V
program.  I also hope to improve the "Donna" and "Huckleberry" voices, 
both in quality and in quantity of words in the vocabulary.  I also hope to
make new voices.