VoxBridge v1.1.1

VoxBridge - Release v1.1.1

🎉 What's New in v1.1.1

✨ New Stuff You'll Notice

• A brand-new update window. VoxBridge now has its own in-app update screen with release notes, version details, download progress, retry and cancel controls, and options to remind you later or ignore a specific version.

• Update notifications can happen automatically. VoxBridge can now let you know when a new version is available instead of making you manually check GitHub.

• The tray icon shows when an update is waiting. If a new version is available, you'll see a version badge directly from the tray.

• Release notes are much easier to read inside the app. Update notes now properly display headings, bullet points, emphasis, code, and links instead of showing raw Markdown.

• You can open the full GitHub release from the update window. The release link is visible before you start downloading, so you can read the complete notes whenever you want.

🔧 Little Quality-of-Life Improvements

• Updates are smaller now. VoxBridge now uses Velopack delta packages, so future updates can download only what changed instead of downloading the entire application again.

• Downloading and installing updates are handled separately. VoxBridge can finish downloading an update first, then safely apply it when you're ready to restart.

• The splash screen now shows the version you're running. Handy when checking exactly which build is installed.

• Startup stays nice and seamless. The splash screen can remain visible while VoxBridge initializes text-to-speech without interrupting its normal tray-app startup behavior.

• Update options are clearer and less crowded. Actions like ignoring a version, restarting to update, snoozing, and downloading have been reorganized so it's easier to tell exactly what each one does.

• Update details are more explicit. The update window now makes things like update type, current version, new version, and available actions much easier to understand.

VoxBridge v1.1.0 - Velopack Migration Release

VoxBridge - Velopack Updater Release v1.1.0

🔄 Velopack Update Migration

VoxBridge v1.1.0 introduces Velopack, a faster and more reliable system for delivering application updates.

⚠️ One-time manual update required

If you are using VoxBridge v1.0.6 or earlier, download and install VoxBridge v1.1.0 manually from this GitHub release.

This manual step is required only once. Afterward, future updates will be delivered through VoxBridge.

💾 Your existing data is safe

Installing v1.1.0 should not remove or reset your existing data. Your current settings and files will continue to use:

%AppData%\TtsCommunicationTool

This includes:

• Settings and phrases
• Themes
• Transcript data and logs
• Protected API key data

No export, migration, or configuration reset is required.

📦 What changes after v1.1.0?

• VoxBridge can notify you in-app when updates are available.
• Updates can be downloaded and installed automatically.
• Update sizes will usually be much smaller, often around 70 MB or less instead of 500–700 MB.
• You will no longer need to manually check GitHub for every release.

✅ Upgrade steps

1. Download the VoxBridge v1.1.0 installer from this release. The installer is recommended for automatic updates, but a portable build is also available.
2. Install it normally.
3. Launch VoxBridge and continue using your existing settings and data.
4. Future updates will be handled by the Velopack update system.

If you are upgrading from v1.0.6 or earlier, use v1.1.0 as the starting point for all future VoxBridge updates.

VoxBridge v1.0.6

VoxBridge - Release v1.0.6

🎉 What's New in v1.0.6

✨ New Stuff You'll Notice

• Windows built-in voices! You can now use the standard Windows text-to-speech voices (SAPI5) alongside Kokoro and ElevenLabs. Just pick your favorite engine and go.

• Each voice engine remembers its own settings. Switch between Kokoro, ElevenLabs, and SAPI5 as much as you want, each one keeps its own voice choice, pitch, speed, and volume.

• Speed control per phrase. You can now slow down or speed up individual phrases, just like you can with the global voice settings. It saves and works during previews too.

• Spell check in the phrase editor. Misspelled words in your phrases now get a friendly red underline so you can fix them.

• Support for old 32-bit Windows voices. If you have an older Windows voice that only works with 32-bit software, VoxBridge now includes a helper tool that makes it work.

🐛 Things We Squashed

• Voices no longer steal each other's settings. Switching engines used to carry over pitch, speed, or volume from the previous one. Now each engine keeps to itself.

• Hotkeys actually talk now. The "repeat" and "speak over" hotkeys were accidentally sending the wrong info to the wrong engine. That's fixed.

• Dropdown menus show real voice names. Before, some voice lists showed weird technical names or were empty. Now you'll see friendly names like "Microsoft David" or "Microsoft Zira."

• No more ghost "unsaved changes" warnings. Just opening the settings won't bug you about saving things you didn't change.

• Old cached audio won't play stale versions. If you change the voice, text, speed, or other phrase settings, VoxBridge regenerates fresh audio instead of playing the old version.

• Deleting a phrase from the list actually works now. Right-click → Delete finally deletes the right phrase.

• Voice lists refresh properly. When you switch engines or open the phrase editor, all voice options show up as expected instead of being empty.

🔧 Little Quality-of-Life Improvements

• Upgraded from an older version? Your saved pitch, speed, and volume settings automatically carry over. Nothing to do on your end.

• Cancel button really cancels. If you tweak stuff and hit Cancel, everything goes back exactly to how it was before you started.

• New voice options work with phrases too. If you set a specific voice for a phrase, VoxBridge remembers which engine that voice belongs to, so it won't get confused later.

• The extra SAPI5 helper tool is a single, self-contained file. No need to install extra runtimes to make it work.

• Everything stays temporary until you hit Save. Feel free to experiment. Nothing is permanent until you actually save your settings.

VoxBridge v1.0.4

VoxBridge - Release v1.0.4

🚀 Features

• Global TTS speed: Added a persisted Voice settings slider for standard floating-overlay TTS playback speed, with live preview and Cancel rollback. Phrase playback remains speed-neutral.
• Modifier-free hotkeys: Global hotkeys can now be bound to a single non-modifier key, including F13–F24.

🛠️ Improvements

• Added F13–F24 virtual-key mappings and removed the redundant ProtectedData package reference so Release builds complete with zero warnings.

VoxBridge v1.0.3

VoxBridge - Release v1.0.3

🎉 Official Release Announcement

After extensive development and refinement, we're proud to announce the official release of TTS Swirlotll (VoxBridge) v1.0.3* - a comprehensive Windows desktop application designed as a communication prosthetic for mute users who need fast, reliable voice communication in Discord and VRChat.

📋 What This Program Does

VoxBridge is a Windows-only desktop text-to-speech application built with C#/.NET/WPF that provides:

• Instant Voice Communication: Generate speech from typed text with a single hotkey
• Dual Audio Routing: Send TTS output to both your headphones and virtual microphone (VB-Cable) simultaneously
• Global Hotkeys: System-wide keyboard shortcuts that work even when the app is minimized
• Phrase Management: Save and organize frequently used phrases for quick access
• Customizable Overlay: Floating text input window that stays on top of other applications
• Offline TTS: Uses Kokoro TTS engine with bundled voice models (no internet required)
• Theme System: Fully customizable appearance with live preview and WCAG contrast checking

🚀 Key Features in v1.0.3

Core Functionality

• Overlay Window: Floating text input that stays on top of games/applications
• Global Hotkeys: RegisterHotKey system for instant speech activation
• Dual Audio Playback: NAudio-based routing to both playback and recording devices
• Kokoro TTS: Local, offline speech synthesis with bundled voice models
• Phrase System: Save, organize, and quick-access frequently used phrases
• Config Persistence: JSON configuration with automatic backup/restore

Theme & Customization

• Complete Theme System: 17-color palette with live preview
• Typography Controls: Separate UI and overlay font settings
• Shape & Density: Corner radius, border thickness, spacing density controls
• WCAG 2.1 Contrast Checker: Automatic accessibility compliance checking
• Theme Import/Export: Save and share custom themes as .ttstheme files
• Built-in Presets: Multiple pre-configured themes included

Settings & Configuration

• Audio Device Selection: WASAPI device enumeration and selection
• Per-Output Volume: Independent volume control for each audio output
• Hotkey Configuration: Customizable global keyboard shortcuts
• Appearance Settings: Overlay position persistence, font customization
• First-Run Setup: Guided initial configuration wizard
• Error Handling: User-friendly error messages with detailed logging

🛠️ Technical Specifications

• Platform: Windows 10/11 (x64)
• Framework: .NET 8+ with WPF UI
• Audio Engine: NAudio for WASAPI device enumeration and dual-output playback
• TTS Engine: Kokoro (local/offline, bundled voice models)
• Configuration: JSON at %AppData%\TtsCommunicationTool\config.json
• Logs: %AppData%\TtsCommunicationTool\logs\app.log
• Hotkeys: Windows RegisterHotKey via P/Invoke

🎯 Target Use Cases

1. Discord Communication: For mute users who need to communicate in voice channels
2. VRChat Voice Chat: Text-to-speech for virtual reality social platforms
3. Gaming Communication: In-game voice chat alternatives
4. Accessibility Tool: Speech assistance for various communication needs
5. Streaming Tool: Text-to-speech for live streaming commentary

📦 Installation & Setup

1. Download: Get the latest release from the GitHub repository
2. First Run: The setup wizard guides you through audio device selection
3. Audio Configuration: Select your headphones and virtual microphone (VB-Cable)
4. Hotkey Setup: Configure global shortcuts for instant speech
5. Phrase Organization: Save your most frequently used phrases

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See Documentation for help.