EasyProducer

EasyProducer converts standard Microsoft Word files into DAISY digital talking books (synchronised audio and text) that can be searched and navigated.

EasyProducer is the perfect solution for anyone looking to make their Microsoft Word documents fully accessible as full text and audio DAISY talking books. EasyProducer is idea for readers with blindness, low vision, dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities, as well as readers wanting to create fully accessible versions of their documents.



Reading Features

• Create fully synchronised text and audio DAISY Digital Talking Books
• Includes high quality human sounding speech output
• Read text from any part of a Microsoft Word document
• Highlight and read each word, sentence or paragraph within Microsoft Word document Navigate through Microsoft™ Word ® documents quickly and easily, by word, sentence or paragraph.
• Alter text highlight and background contrast colors.

Creating Digital Talking Books

• Create fully synchronised text and audio DAISY Digital Talking Books
• Automatic creation of MP3 speech from text.
• Combine and synchronise text and MP3 audio in a single book
• Automatic mark up of words, sentences or paragraphs for navigation.
• Automatic mark up of all document headings and page numbers for easy navigation
• Save and copy DTBs onto CD or memory sticks for distribution.
• Download audio MP3 versions directly to an MP3 player
• Playback your DAISY books on any DAISY player or MP3 player.
• Incorporates Dolphin's EasyReader DAISY software player (version 2.30) for playing your DAISY books
• Open and playback any other DAISY book in Dolphin Producer

Playing back Digital Talking Books

Self voiced operation controls

Mouse and Keyboard controls

Highlight individual words in time with the spoken word

Change the playback display style, using any of the 10 different preset style sheets. Or create your own playback appearance.

Alter font sizes, colors and styles

Alter text, background and highlight colors

Navigate through the DAISY book by sentence, heading or page

Adjust the playback speed

Use your own preferred synthesiser to create the speech when playing a book.

Full word search and find features

Add your own bookmarks and audio notes.

License Options

• Single User - 1 PC
• Extra User (ea) - 1 additional PC
• Upgrade - upgrade from previous version
• SMA- software maintenance agreement entitles you to two consecutive future upgrades.

Microsoft Windows 2000

Microsoft Windows Vista

Microsoft Windows XP Home

Microsoft Windows XP Pro

Windows 7 (32-bit editions)

Windows 7 (64-bit client editions)

Pentium II 750MHz or faster processor - we recommend

Pentium III 1GHz

Microsoft Office 2000 or later (XP recommended)

Minimum 256MB RAM - 512MB recommended

200MB of hard disk space for installation - more to save files

CD-ROM or DVD drive to read installation CD

Super VGA (800x600) or higher resolution monitor

Multimedia soundcard and speakers - it is recommended to use a separate soundcard i.e.: not on-board

NOTE: For the 'burn to CD' feature to work you will need Windows XP and a CD-RW drive.

What exactly is a DAISY book?

A DAISY book is a digital talking book usually made up of both audio and text content. This content can be read and listened to simultanesouly and users can navigate around the content to find specific places.

All DAISY 'books' consist of a group of files, a control file (NCX in DAISY 3)that keeps the material together. The text in the material is stored in a XML file. The audio is typically streamed in MP3 format and the synchronisation between text and audio is controlled by Smile (.SMIL) files. See a flash animation of a DAISY book being played by EasyReader on the www.AltFormat.org website.

Why DAISY?

In very basic terms, DAISY (Digital Accessible Information Systems) is a type of eBook. However, the difference with DAISY books is in the way they are structured, which allows for the addition of:

-Audio recordings or human-sounding voice synthesisers to be associated to the book
-Navigation points to be added, including:
-Heading structures
-Bookmarks
-Footnotes
-Sidebars
-Page numbers


How can my readers access a DAISY book?

DAISY books can be read using any hardware or software DAISY player such as Dolphin's EasyReader.