Warning
The source is still at a very early stage of development. It does not even have version number yet.These downloads are only intended for software developers, Freeplay cannot yet create a complete game. Check back periodically to monitor the progress of Freeplay.
Basics
Freeplay is written in java which means you must have a valid run time interpreter installed. The java that Microsoft ships with Windows is not a standard interpreter and will not run the programs from this site. Unfortunately it therefore necessary to first download and install java.If you want to develop the Freeplay/Chronogears java programs you will need a java development environment The simplest is the java development kit (JDK) and a text editor. The JDK is available for free from Sun. Other free options are Forte, also from Sun and JBuilder Foundation from Borland. I personally use JBuilder and find it adequate. Depending on the one you choose, it is very likely that a JRE is included and it will not be necessary to download the JRE separately.
Download the Freeplay source code
Note:The source code available here may be a little dated. The latest version available from the cvs repository on Sourceforge. Go to the programmers page for more details.The files you need to download from this site are.
| Name | File | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Freeplay source | freeplay_src.zip | The Freeplay and Chronogears source files. |
| Freeplay libs | freeplay_lib.zip | Various 3rd party library files. |
| Freeplay javadoc | javadoc.zip | Freeplay and Chronogears javadoc. (May be a little out of date) |
The library files are fairly static whereas the Freeplay source is in a constant state of development. Separating the download into two files makes it easier to upgrade the source as only the one file needs to be downloaded when upgrades are released.
jsynth downloads
The jsynth library is included in the above freeplay downloads. This section is useful if you want to use the library in your own project.
| Name | File | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| jsynth jar | jsynth.jar | The jsynth library without the dictionary. |
| jsynth_dict jar | jsynth_dict.jar | jsynth with the dictionary, sounds better, takes longer to startup. |
| jsynth source | jsynth_src.zip | Source code for the jsynth library |
Speech libraries
Since freeplay now has its own pure java tts library the installation of a speech library is no longer a problem. You may still wish to install a commercial version as these generally have better quality speech.Cloud Garden
This is a nearly complete implementation of the java speech api which uses the Windows SAPI. It is from a commercial vendor but there is a free version available; which is time limited. A version of the Microsoft Speech API V5.0 is required. The unrestricted version is reasonably priced.IBM ViaVoice
There are versions for both Windows, Linux and Mac. They are commercial products, but there is a free 90 day evaluation period for Windows and the Linux version is free for personal and educational use.These require registration
Windows and Mac
Follow the ViaVoice Runtimes link, the SDK is a 45MB download.
Get the Java SDK, 1MB, and the appropriate runtime, about 3MB.
Windows and Mac downloadLinux
I have not tried these downloads and programs, hopefully they will work.
Linux TTS download
Linux JSAPI, follow download linkFestival
This is a free system that is mainly geared for Unix/Linux but has a C++ source download for Windows as well. This system probably has the best potential in the long term, but at this stage I have no experience with it.Microsoft SAPI
If you have Windows 2000 you may already have the necessary software loaded. Check in the control panel under 'Speech'. Look for output engines.
Links to other downloads you may find useful.
| Name | File | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| JDK | java.sun.com | Link to Sun's Java Development Kit. |
| Forte | www.sun.com | Link to Sun's java IDE. Get the community edition. |
| JBuilder | www.borland.com | Link to Borland's IDE. |