Production Tools

Book Wizard Producer by APH is a full-featured production software for creating DAISY 3, ANSI/NISO Z39.86 2002 content. The software can read DAISY 2.02 content, but it does not create it. Find out more about this product's capabilities and download a demonstration at their Web site.

Documentation and the latest downloads are available from Sourceforge at http://daisymfc.sourceforge.net/#dl.

DAISY production is being implemented in more organizations and companies around the world at an ever increasing rate, and the DAISY Standards continue to evolve. To meet the resulting production and conversion demands, the DAISY Consortium has hosted the development of the DAISY Pipeline, a suite of cross platform tools designed to meet these needs and to support both production and distribution.

The DAISY Pipeline is a DTB and XML-oriented transformation pipeline designed to be used in both server-side and desktop environments.

For more information, please use the DAISY Contact Us Form, selecting the "Project: DAISY Pipeline" category.

The optional features described in the DAISY 2.02 specification as of October 2002, have not yet been implemented in production tools or in playback systems. Several Members of the DAISY Consortium serving students have been extremely vocal about the need for this feature.

These technical individuals in collaboration with the technical DAISY staff have developed a strategy to implement these features that is completely independent of LpStudio/Pro or Sigtuna DAR.

Organizations who wish to implement these features would be required to include additional markup in their source files and to use a post processing tool - The Skippability Tweaker - on the completed project to add this functionality.

The Skippability Tweaker supports adding these features to both NCC-Only and Full Text DTBs. Supported skippable structures are pagenumbers, sidebars, producer notes and footnotes.

"Dolphin Publisher" was previously named "EasePublisher".

Dolphin Audio Publishing now offers Dolphin Publisher as a robust, feature-rich production tool. This innovative software allows professionals and non-professionals alike to create and publish their own multi-media digital content. Using speech synthesizers, full digital audio content can be created from simple text files, alternatively import audio files or narrate audio and synchronize to the text in real time. Pop up images and graphics can also be inserted within the text content, creating a truly multi-media experience. For more information, please visit: www.yourdolphin.com.

DAISY Consortium Members may purchase the software at discounted rates.

DTBMaker is a set of open source cross-platform tools for the production of DAISY 2.02 and DAISY 3 titles either locally or by using our free on line production site.

For information, downloads, and the online DTBMaker, please visit http://w3.wmcnet.org/dtbmaker/

DTB2iTunes is a program used to combine all of the audio files of DAISY DTB into a single MP3 file or iTune Audiobook format and upload it to your iTunes or other MP3 application.

It is assumed that the DAISY DTB MP3 files are named in such a way that they will come together in order, are in MP3 format and are not encrypted in any way.

DAISY DTBs produced by DTBMaker 2.0 will be named in this way. Other DAISY DTBs may be this way as well. DAISY DTB MP3 files produced by Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and the National Library Service are not in page order and this program will not work for them.

A new feature in DTB2iTunes is that it will now attempt to read a chaptertool.xml file if one is included with the book. If one is found DTB2iTunes will use it to mark all the navigation points in the book into the audio book created. The current version of DTBmaker for
Macintosh will create a chaptertool.xml file each time it produces a book. This permits uses to jump to any navigation point in the
audiobook file when used on an iPod.

DTB2iTunes is free. Download DTB2iTunes

"EaseProducer" was previously named "Dolphin Producer".

Dolphin's EaseProducer combines a simple word reading tool and a revolutionary DAISY Digital Talking Book creation tool. It allows on-screen information to be converted into audio and read back directly from the computer, as well as quickly converting the on-screen text into a fully synchronised text and audio DAISY book. All of the functionality of EaseProducer is available from the simple to use toolbar. The toolbar is automatically loaded within Microsoft? Word?, and can be positioned anywhere on the screen. By using the simple EaseProducer toolbar, Word? documents can be read back instantly from within Word?, with the text being highlighted in time with the corresponding audio. Text colours and word highlighting colours can all be customised to suit the individuals requirements. Navigation controls allow the user to move through the document quickly and easily, by word, sentence or paragraph.

EaseProducer provides Accessible Digital Talking Books (DTBs) in an instant. Using EasyProducer, a fully synchronised text and audio DTB can be created by the press of a button, from the toolbar. Using Dolphin Producer and a TTS (text to speech) speech synthesizer, all the document text can be converted into a structured DTB. EaseProducer comes with its own high quality Nuance Realspeak synthesizer and Dolphin's EaseReader DAISY player.

The DTB can be played back on the computer, using Dolphin's EaseReader DAISY player, which is supplied with EaseProducer. Users also have the ability to copy and save their own DTB onto a CD, so that the book can be played back on any other portable DAISY DTB player or MP3 player.

EaseProducer is the ideal solution for converting course materials, revision notes, magazines, periodicals and reports into fully synchronised text and audio DTBs books. Teachers, lecturers and students alike are able to create their own fully interactive DTBs from many different sources, including Microsoft? Word? documents and PDFs. Using a speech synthesiser text files can be converted into audio at the press of a button and automatically synchronised with the text. As the book is read aloud the corresponding words are highlighted.

eClipseWriter Personal Edition

eClipseWriter Personal Edition is an affordable (MSRP $249.95) and innovative software application from I.R.T.I. that reduces the cost and eliminates the wait time associated with creating accessible media. eClipseWriter can turn virtually any electronic text document into a DAISY 2.02 Digital Talking Book. eClipseWriter lets you make accessible media when you want it, and when you need it, without any reliance on third parties. Whether you are an individual, educational facility, government organization, or corporation that needs to create accessible media, eClipseWriter is the tool for you!

With eClipseWriter you insert simple heading and page navigation markers into a document, press a button and eClipseWriter does the rest! Text is automatically turned into speech, and for more sophisticated uses you can also insert graphics, animations and pre-recorded audio files! eClipseWriter even has a built in talking word processor to help you prepare your text.

Easily share DAISY media using our unique DTB-DNA feature. DTB-DNA lets you send a tiny file containing the instructions required to build a Digital Talking Book to another eClipseWriter user. The recipient simply opens the DTB-DNA file and builds an identical copy of the original talking book. DTB-DNA files are so small they can easily be sent as e-mail attachments even over dial-up connections.

EclipseWriter Personal Edition includes a personal use license for the NeoSpeech VoiceText speech synthesis application to produce natural sounding voices from text, as well as eClipseReader, our next generation DAISY reading tool, at no extra charge!

eClipseWriter Personal Edition Outputs:
DAISY 2.02 Audio book types 3, 4 and text only media DAISY type 6
Audio Formats: Compressed WAV, Uncompressed WAV and WMA
Other output formats include M3U and Apple Ipod play lists.

eClipseWriter Personal Edition's self-voicing word processor reads and writes: Text, HTML, Word, RTF and reads unlocked PDF.

eClipseWriter Personal includes a DAISY recorder that Supports heading level navigation recording in compressed WAV audio. The recorder can be used to make simple audio DAISY books or the recorder can be used as a simple classroom or meeting recorder with the ability to insert heading markers on the fly while recording. It automates Table and List formatting and includes a fully automated DAISY build book Wizard feature called "Save As DAISY".

eClipseWriter Professional

eClipseWriter Professional Outputs:
DAISY 2.02, DAISY / NISO 2002, DAISY / NISO 2005, audio book types 3, 4, and Text only Media DAISY type 6 books
NIMAS DTbook files
M3U and Apple Ipod play lists

eClipseWriter professional Edition also reads and writes: Text, HTML, Word, RTF and reads unlocked PDF.

eClipseWriter Professional creates. DTB-DNA (a single file comprised of structured text) and DTB-RDNA (A single file comprised of structured text, audio and graphics). These files are used to efficiently store and distribute all formats of DAISY media over the internet. These compressed and encrypted files are capable of transforming into over 30 formats of accessible media enabled by eClipseWater. A file as small as 500K can be delivered to a client where they may convert it, using eClipseWater, into an average size novel and then played in MP3 DAISY audio device. The audio book can be made portable by the end user when stored on a flash memory, hard drive or standard data CD freeing them from an Internet tethered computer.

eClipseWriter Professional includes a DAISY recorder identical to the personal edition, but supports audio format MP3. It also automates the Table and List formatting and supports skipable heading elements and includes fully automated DAISY build book Wizard called "Save As DAISY". It also includes other advanced produciton features such as: Special Pages, Can build Multi-Voice books, has word processor graphic tools.

Both eClipseWriter Pro and eClipseWriter Personal include support for the latest talking book standards including: DAISY/NISO 2005 text and audio books and NIMAS format output, the National Instruction Material Accessibility Standard.

For more information or to download a demonstration copy of eClipseWriter call our office toll free in the United States at 800.322.4784 or visit our web site at www.irti.net.

The gh PLAYER® 2.2 Premium Version provides the functionality present in gh PLAYER® 2.2, and also includes these additional important features:

• Full MathML support
• Import DAISY XML/DTBook (output from "Save As DAISY XML")
• Import text file
• Save DAISY book
• Bundled Nuance Voices

The gh PLAYER® 2.2 and 2.2 Premium provide people with disabilities access to multiple information sources, with improved features and easier navigation. Full details are provided on the gh LLC Web site.

The gh PLAYER® 2.2 is a Section 508 compliant software player that is designed with accessibility as a priority. This software supports the following file formats:

• NIMAS
• Simple text (.txt)
• DAISY 2.02
• DAISY 3.0
• ANSI-NISO (Z39.86-2002)
• DAISY/NISO 2005

The gh PLAYER® provides people with disabilities access to multiple information sources. The gh PLAYER® now has improved features and easier navigation. Full details are provided on the gh LLC Web site.

The Kurzweil 1000 currently can read and write DAISY 3.0 ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002 documents. Kurzweil 1000 features such as notes, internal hyperlinks, and multi-level bookmarks, are all available and preserved in those documents. The Kurzweil 1000 does not currently play audio files, so it will ignore those portions of a DAISY document that are only represented by audio. The Kurzweil 1000 allows customers to search for material in some online repositories and then to download content they select. Visit Kurzweil's Web site for specific details regarding which repositories are supported. If the online repository is BookShare.org (available to U.S. residents only at this time), the encrypted file can be decrypted within the Kurzweil 1000, and is then maintained as a ZIP file, providing a convenient way of packaging the multiple files that make up a DAISY document. Any file that can be opened in the Kurzweil 1000 (and it can open files in well over 100 different formats), and any file that can be created (using a scanner, using the virtual printer, or just typing away) can be saved as a DAISY 3.0 ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002 document, complete with notes, bookmarks, and internal links.

The Kurzweil 3000 supports searching, downloading, decrypting, and opening of BookShare.org documents, but its support for them is somewhat limited at this time. Its support of DAISY will be somewhat more robust in its next release.

For more information, along with the latest information about expanded support for DAISY content, see the Kurzweil Website.

• Output: Can be used to create NCC-only and full text DTBs.
• Scripts for Jaws for Windows and maps for Supernova are available. Please check the DAISY Web site for the latest versions. Requires external synthesizer.

The software provides extensive features when producing full text Digital Talking Books using external source documents. The user has extensive functionality and flexibility when working in recording windows. Two recording screen options are available -- Advanced and Simple.

The software is typically used in larger organizations with text production departments and audio recording departments. It is also usable in a singular context as a stand-alone tool, using the included Structure Editor to create NCC-only structures. The software is available to Members of the DAISY Consortium.

For more information, please use the Contact Us form, selecting the General category..

• Output: Can be used to create NCC-only and full text DTBs.
• Scripts for Jaws for Windows and maps for Supernova are available. Please check the DAISY Web site for the latest versions. Requires external synthesizer.

The software provides extensive features when producing full text Digital Talking Books using external source documents. The user has extensive functionality and flexibility when working in recording windows. Two recording screen options are available -- Advanced and Simple.

The software is typically used in larger organizations with text production departments and audio recording departments. It is also usable in a singular context as a stand-alone tool, using the included Structure Editor to create NCC-only structures. The software is available to Members of the DAISY Consortium.

For more information, please use the Contact Us form, selecting the General category..

• Dolphin MAP for LpStudio/Pro
• Jaws Scripts for LpStudio/Pro
• LpStudio/Pro documentation
• LpStudio/Pro Official Release Candidate
• Structure Editor Launcher

Design Science MathType is a powerful interactive tool that will allow you to create MathML content. MathType is a mainstream equation editor that works with common word processors, presentation programs, page layout programs, HTML or XML-authoring tools and many other types of software. MathType is especially convenient for people who want to author math materials in Microsoft Word and then convert its equations into MathML for use in your favorite HTML or XML editor or exported to a web page with accessible math.

This new release of MyStudio PC, v2.04, includes numerous fixes and improvements. A license is required. It is available to Members of the DAISY Consortium at no cost. License for non-commercial use is also provided free of cost to not-for-profit organisations in developing countries.

• Output: can be used to create NCC-only Digital Talking Books.
• The software is fully self-voicing. It does not require an external synthesizer.

This software is very easy to learn and operate. Additional features include generating synthesized speech from text.

The software is typically used in organizations where the structure documents (NCCs) are not created before recording begins. It is also typically used by volunteers producing DAISY Digital Talking Books at home or in a studio.

For more information, please use the Contact Us form (General Category) on the DAISY Web site.

• MyStudio PC 2.04
• MyStudio PC Guidelines
• MyStudio PC Release Notes V2.04

Plextor's PTR2 replaces the PTR1 and is designed to be a high quality recorder with the ability to create DAISY 2.02 books with audio, headings and pages, as well as music CDs. It can also play DAISY books, music CDs, Audio File CDs and CF cards. It can be used as a CD-RW or memory card drive when connected to a computer. For quicker and easier editing of DAISY content, the PTR2 is supplied with the Plextalk Recording Software (PRS). This package provides all the necessary tools to record, edit and finalize audio DAISY 2.02 books. This portable unit has a built-in microphone and an optional external microphone, providing recording versatility.

The PTR2 can be operated in 2 main modes: "Normal" mode and "Book Creator" mode. It is possible to switch between these 2 modes at any time. Normal mode has a simplified interface and makes the process of recording very straightforward. This mode is ideal for a beginner or for someone who wants to make a recording quickly and easily. Book Creator mode provides all of the necessary tools to create a fully structured DAISY 2.02 book including insert, punch in and overwrite recording, phrase editing and the ability to set heading levels.

Plextalk Recording Software Pro is very similar to the software bundled with the Plextalk PTR2. Designed for Windows PCs, it is a simple to use editing and recording tool with voice guidance to support use by individuals who have a visual handicapped. PRS Pro is available from Plextor in packages of five (5) copies.

• Output: Can be used to create NCC-only and full text/audio DAISY 2.02 Books.
• Scripts for Jaws for Windows are available. Requires external synthesizer.

The user has the ability to create, edit, and/or remove NCC headings and pages during the recording process (when in "ToC-only mode"). In addition, a user can add full text segments to an NCC-only Digital Talking Book using the ATAU mode.

The software is typically used in larger organizations as well as in stand-alone settings. It is available to Members of the DAISY Consortium at no cost. License for non-commercial use of Sigtuna DAR is also provided free of cost by JSRPD to not-for-profit organisations in developing countries.

Sigtuna DAR 3 can not be used without an individual license. If your organization needs a license, please contact daisy_c@dinf.ne.jp. Please include the information about your organization and name of the representative in your email.

The DAISY Consortium wishes to thank the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, JSRPD, for making Sigtuna DAR 3 available to DAISY Consortium Members.

The final release of Sigtuna DAR 3 was made available February 2008.

For more information, please use the Contact Us form, selecting the General category.

• Jaws Scripts for SigtunaDAR3
• Sigtuna DAR 3 Final Release
• Sigtuna DAR3 Release Notes for final release

The STD editor (Structured Text Document editor) enables a user with little or no skills in mark up languages to produce XML and HTML documents valid to the standard for Digital Talking Books (both DAISY 2.02 and ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002).

The STD editor facilitates the generation of master-files in XML for any production of structured documents: e-books in HTML, source-files for Digital Talking Books, well-structured files for the Internet etc.

For more information, see the Website or contact Marketing coordinator Jakob B. Rasmussen

Studio Recorder from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is a digital recording software package with support for conversion to DAISY 3, ANSI/NISO Z39.86 2002 content. Studio Recorder should be used with APH's Book Wizard Producer when working on conversion.

"Originally created by APH to serve as an internal tool for creating direct-to-digital audio recordings, Studio RecorderTM contains many features that make recording, editing, and proof reading audio books easy. It is a powerful digital recording and editing software package geared specifically to making recordings of the spoken word and includes features not found in similar programs primarily designed for music production."

To review the user' s manual, to download a demonstration copy, or to purchase the program, visit the Web site.

Generate Digital Talking Books using synthetic speech with the STEB Generator (Synthetic Talking E-Book Generator). The production process is very fast. It takes approximately 1 hour to generate 8 hours of recording with synthetic speech. Audiobooks with synthetic e reference books, newspapers, indexes, manuals, etc. The STEB Generator needs very little human interaction which means a very short production time at a very low cost.

The STEB Generator uses an XML file as a source. In addition to the STEB Generator, a speech synthesizer will be required.

For more information, see the Web site or contact Marketing coordinator Jakob B. Rasmussen

LCM (Low Complexity Mastering) allows you to create digital talking books in a simple environment designed for ease of use. The program is custom tailored to the narration process of talking books allowing you to record and make corrections quickly. LCM also allows insertion of book navigation pointers for generation of DAISY 3.0 books. The system is designed to cater to both analog and DAISY book distribution by allowing analog announcements to be marked for exclusion in digital books. The system also provides a digital marking system for identification of issues in the reviewing process. The LCM environment allows each user to customize how they want to operate the program. Users can choose what functions are displayed and where they are located. LCM also has the ability to control studio communications and insert index tones for analog distribution.

Please call (In the U.S.) for more information on all Telex products: 800-828-6107 or +1 952-887-7498. You can also send email to duplication (at) telex.com.

Design Science WebEQ Developers Suite is a comprehensive toolkit for building web pages that include interactive, accessible math. The world's leading e-learning companies, content developers and education portals are implementing WebEQ components to create web-based learning environments that help educators engage their students in math and science on the web. Since WebEQ creates MathML output, all the math equations can be made accessible to the end user.