VClock_v1.7c

Short:        Real Speech Clock - Final Release
Author:       splayer@rogers.com (Allan Versaevel)
Uploader:     splayer rogers com (Allan Versaevel)
Type:         util/time
Architecture: m68k-amigaos


VClock v1.7c
-------------

This is a real speech clock. It runs as a commodity, uses little memory,
and has some neat features.

- 12 or 24 hour clock
- AM/PM(12hr) or Hours(24hr) endings can be turned off or on
- Hourly, 1/2 hour, and 1/4 hour Chime
- VClock can be deactivated at any time.
- High quality 8-bit samples, sampled at 22Khz
- Enhanced Chime. Voice, Chime, or both.
- Samples can be replaced by your own voice if you have a sampler
  handy
- Uses Play16.
- Prefs Window. Now you can edit, test, and save most of VClock's
  prefs with this window.
- Option to Speak On Startup (S.O.S)
- Tooltypes

Requirements:
-------------

- Amiga
- OS 2.x+
- Play16 1.8+
- 512K ram

Usage:
------

Click on it or throw it in your WBStartup Drawer. If you move the main
exe out of the VCLock dir (like the WBStartup drawer) don't forget to set
the PATH tooltype in VClock's Icon.


CX_ Keys can be changed to any combination you like.


Tooltypes that VCLock Sets.

NOTE: Only the CX_ tooltypes need to be edited by hand, The rest can be
saved through the new Prefs Window.

PATH      - < path > where ever your samples for VClock are.

PLAY16    - The Play16 file by name and path.

24Hr      - Sets 24hr mode: 0=OFF  1=ON

BEGINING  - Intro for the time. 0=OFF  1=Begining 1  2=Begining 2

FORMAT    - Short or Long versions of the time: 0=OFF  1=ON (default)

S.O.S     - Speak On Startup. Will say the time when VClock is first
            started. 0=OFF   1=ON (default)

NOTIFY    - Speak the time every 1/2 hour or every hour on the hour:
            0=OFF  1=Every hour on the hour   2=Every 1/2 hour

CHIME     - 0=Voice  1=Chime  2=Both

CHIMEONCE - 0=OFF  1=ON. If OFF the Chime will sound according to what hour
            it is, ie: 9:00 the chime will sound 9 times. If ON it will
            sound only once and the time will be spoken on the hour.

VOLUME    - Sets how loud or quiet VClock speaks. (0-100) 100 is the default.

CX_SPEAK  - Hotkey to make VClock speak (lshift lalt f10).

CX_SLEEP  - Hotkey to turn make VClock quiet. On or off (lshift lalt z). This
            only has an effect if the NOTIFY is on."

CX_SHOW   - Brings up VClock's Prefs Window. (lshift lalt v)


Making your own Samples:
-----------------------

It is very easy. Just get a microphone and a sampler and sample your own.
Listen to the samples in the VSamples dir. Make your samples and replace
the old files with yours or make a new directory and have VClock use those
instead.


I added a real Chime, So I changed "Chime" in the prefs window to "Notify"
Play with the prefs window to see what it does. The chime will ring out the
hours aswell, ie: At 3:00 it will chime 3 times if the Once gadget is set
to off.


History
-------

1.0   - Wrong tooltype, should have been ENDING, not HOURS

1.0b  - Changed audio channel mask to channels #2 and #3. Seems to be a bit
        more friendly when other sounds try to use the audio.device.

1.0c  - Added Commodity Support

1.0d  - Chime added

1.0e  - Play16 used now for audio playback. Tooltype for Play16 path and
        name added.
      - 2 alternate Beginings:
        Begining=1 will say "The Time Is"
        Begining=2 will say "It Is Now"

1.0f  - 24 hour and Beginning phrase was somewhat messed up. Fixed.

1.0g  - Chime can now be set to 1/2 hour and every hour on the hour or both.

1.0h  - Resampled "OClock" and "AM" samples.

1.1   - Added Chime Hotkey to turn Chime on or off while VClock is running.
      - Volume Toolype added.
      - Aminet Release.

1.2   - Added the Prefs Window
      - 1/4 hour chime option added.
      - Added Play16 argument string gadget. Gives you more control
        over how Play16 plays the samples.
      - Changed default CX hotkeys. Should not conflict with popular
        applications.
      - CX_Quit hotkey is no longer needed. Use the CX_Show to access the
        Prefs window and quit from there.
      - Changed "Begining" tooltype to "Intro"
      - VisualPrefs workaround. Damn hacks!

1.3   - Proper format for 24 hour speech. I think :)
      - Resampled "0.iff" (oh). Sounds much better than the older one.
      - FORMAT Tooltype replaces ENDING. Short or Long versions of both
        AM/PM and 24hr modes can be used.

1.4   - Fixed FORMAT Tooltype. Was not being set porperly.
      - Added Speak On Startup (S.O.S)



1.5   - Path Requester will automatically pop up if the VClock Samples can
        not be found.
      - Default Hotkey CX_Show changed to "lshift lalt v"
      - CX_Chime changed to CX_Sleep (This it to avoid confusion with the new
        Chime function. Default Hotkey is "lshift lalt z"
      - Changed Chime to Notify.
      - Chime is now better. Can be Voice, Chime, or both
        Default Chime is Cuckoo.iff. Feel free to replace this wacky bird
        with something else.
      - Version String Changed

1.6   - Sorry, I skipped to 1.7 :)

1.7   - Fixed some bugs that made VClock misbehave
      - Removed the Play16 Args parameters. Who cares
        anyway :)

1.7b  - VClock quits properly now. No longer messes up the system. Various
        other program exit related problems fixed as well.

1.7c  - Fixed: Chime didn't work properly.
      - Fixed: Notify would run every 15 minutes regardless of of it's
               setting. Thanks to Daniel Westerberg for bringing this to
               my attention.



This is the last version of VClock. Thanks to all who helped in bug reports.

If you find this thing useful or have any comments or suggestions, please
e-mail me at splayer@srogers.com. Feel free to check out SPlayer 1.9e.
The Mpega/Play16/Audio CD GUI. It's on Aminet under mus/play

Regards,
Allan Versaevel