#
How to ...? - fre:ac User Guide

fre:ac setup and special features guide

#### Contents

> How to run the fre:ac AppImage?
> How to change the font size of fre:ac?
> How to use output file name patterns in fre:ac?
> How to configure the output folder for portable use?
> How to install encoder/decoder xy?
> How to add a new translation to fre:ac?
> How to compile fre:ac from source?
> How to remove fre:ac from my computer?

#### How to run the fre:ac AppImage?

> After downloading the fre:ac AppImage, you need to make it executable. In graphical file managers this can usually be done by right clicking the AppImage and selecting Properties. In the following dialog, change to the Permissions tab and check the option named Run as application. The individual labels may be named slightly differently depending on your distribution and desktop environment.

> Alternatively, you can set the executable flag in the terminal. Change to the folder containing the downloaded AppImage and enter:

> > chmod a+x freac-v1.1.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage

> Then just run the AppImage using:

> > ./freac-v1.1.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage

> It is also possible to run the fre:ac command line interface and the included smooth Translator application using the AppImage:

> > - freaccmd: ./freac-v1.1.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage freaccmd
> > - smooth Translator: ./freac-v1.1.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage translator

> If you need to access the contents of the fre:ac AppImage, you can run it with the --appimage-extract argument:

> > ./freac-v1.1.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-extract

> You will find the AppImage contents in the squashfs-root folder after running this command.

#### How to change the font size of fre:ac?

> If the default size of the fre:ac user interface is too small, you can enable scaling using the --scale:n.n option. Set n.n to the scale factor you would like to apply. For example, in order to get 25% larger fonts and UI elements, run fre:ac like this:

> > freac --scale:1.25

#### How to use output file name patterns in fre:ac?

> The output file name pattern can be configured on the Encoder page of the configuration dialog. You can use backslashes to specify directories and placeholders for referring to meta information. The following placeholders are available:

> - <artist> - The song artist
> - <title> - The song title
> - <album> - The album title
> - <disc> - The disc number
> - <track> - The song track number
> - <genre> - The song genre
> - <albumartist> - The album artist
> - <composer> - The song composer
> - <conductor> - The performance conductor
> - <tempo> - The song tempo (BPM)
> - <initialkey> - The initial musical key
> - <year> - The year the song was published
> - <discid> - The CDDB/freedb disc ID
> - <currentdate> - The current date formatted as yyyymmdd
> - <currenttime> - The current time formatted as hhmm

> The <disc> and <track> placeholders can be modified like <disc(n)> and <track(n)> where the (n) part specifies the minimum length of the disc or track number. Zeroes will be prepended if the actual number is too small. n may be in the range of 1 to 4 where 1 is the default for disc and 2 is the default for track numbers if the (n) part is omitted.

> The above placeholders refer to song and album information. The following placeholder resolves to the type of the output file:

> - <filetype> - The type of the output file

> A common use case for this placeholder is if you are regularly encoding to different formats (e.g. FLAC for archival and M4A for your mobile player) and would like to keep the encoded files in separate directory trees.

> In addition to the above there are two placeholders that refer to the original file name of a file being encoded in fre:ac:

> - <filename> - The file name of the input file
> - <directory> - The folder the input file is found in

> The <directory> pattern is special as you can modify its meaning using two numerical arguments. You can use it like <directory+n> or <directory+n(m)>. In these expressions, the n specifies the number of path components that should be stripped from the beginning. The m specifies the number of components to use from what is left. Omitting the (m) part will use all components left in the path after stripping n components from the beginning. <directory> without any arguments will resolve to the complete path.

> So how to use this in practice? Assuming you have your music collection ordered like this:

> > C:\Music\[other criteria]\[artist]\[album]\[track] - [title]

> You might have a file called C:\Music\Favorites\Starsailor\Silence is Easy\01 - Music was Saved.flac.

> Now let's say you want to encode some music files for use on your portable player and put them in C:\Encoded\. In order to keep your [other criteria] field, you need to use the <directory> pattern. If your encoder output folder is set to C:\Encoded\, your complete filename pattern could look like this:

> > <directory+1(1)>\<artist> - <album>\<artist> - <album> - <track> - <title>

> This would encode the beforementioned file to C:\Encoded\Favorites\Starsailor - Silence is Easy\Starsailor - Silence is Easy - 01 - Music was Saved.m4a.

#### How to configure the output folder for portable use?

> When using fre:ac from a portable drive like an external HDD or USB drive, it is often desirable to have the output folder automatically adjust to the circumstances found on different computers. This can be different drive letters assigned to the portable drive, for example. fre:ac supports the following placeholders in the output folder configuration setting:

> - <installdrive> - The drive letter where fre:ac is installed (Windows only)
> - <profile> - The profile folder of the currently logged on user

> If you would like your output files to go to the portable drive regardless of the drive letter assigned to it, use the <installdrive> placeholder and configure the output folder like e.g.:

> > <installdrive>\Music Files\

> If you would like your output files to go to the My Music folder of the currently logged on user instead, you can use the <profile> placeholder as follows:

> > <profile>\Music\

> In both cases, the output path displayed in the lower area of fre:ac's main window will reflect the actual output folder with the placeholders already resolved.

#### How to install encoder/decoder xy?

> ##### Aften AC-3 Encoder

> > To install the Aften AC-3 Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the Aften Win32 binary ZIP package from sourceforge.net.
> > - Copy the file aften.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### Apple Lossless Decoder

> > The Apple Lossless Decoder is bundled with the original fre:ac distribution so you normally do not need to install it manually.

> > If you still need to install or update the Apple Lossless Decoder manually, follow these steps:

> > - Download the generic Win32 compile ZIP package from www.rarewares.org.
> > - Copy the file alac.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### DTS Coherent Acoustics Encoder

> > To install the DTS Coherent Audio Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the ffdcaenc binary ZIP package from GitHub.
> > - Copy the file ffdcaenc.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### exhale xHE-AAC Encoder

> > To install the exhale xHE-AAC Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the exhale ZIP package from www.rarewares.org.
> > - Copy the file exhale.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### Extended Module Player (XMP) Decoder

> > To install the Extended Module Player (XMP) Decoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the Extended Module Player 7z package from modland.com.
> > - Copy the files XMP.exe and LibXMP.dll from the 7z package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### FLACCL OpenCL FLAC Encoder

> > To install the FLACCL OpenCL FLAC Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the FLACCL RAR package from cue.tools.
> > - Create a new folder named flaccl inside the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.
> > - Copy all files from the RAR package to the codecs/cmdline/flaccl subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### Flake FLAC Encoder

> > To install the Flake FLAC Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the Flake Windows binary ZIP package from flake-enc.sourceforge.net.
> > - Copy the file flake.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### Helix DNA Producer RealAudio Encoder

> > To install the Helix DNA Producer RealAudio Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Create a Helix Community account at helixcommunity.org. You will need this account in order to be able to download the Helix DNA Producer application.
> > - Download the Helix DNA Producer Command Line App ZIP package from helix-producer.helixcommunity.org.
> > - Create a new folder named helix inside the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.
> > - Copy the contents of the folder producer from the ZIP package to the newly created codecs/cmdline/helix subfolder of your fre:ac installation path. The file producer.exe should now reside inside the helix folder along with several other files and directories from the Helix DNA Producer package.

> ##### La Lossless Audio Encoder / Decoder

> > To install the La Lossless Audio Encoder / Decoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the La Windows setup package from www.lossless-audio.com.
> > - Run the setup executable and install the La encoder to a folder of your choice.
> > - Copy the file la.exe from the La installation folder to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.
> > - Please note that the La encoder needs to stay installed on your system in order to use it in fre:ac.

> ##### LAME MP3 Command Line Encoder

> > To install the LAME MP3 Command Line Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the LAME release ZIP package from rarewares.org.
> > - Copy the file lame.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### MPEG-4 Audio Lossless Encoder / Decoder

> > To install the MPEG-4 Audio Lossless Encoder / Decoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the MPEG-4 ALS Windows Codec ZIP package from www.nue.tu-berlin.de.
> > - Copy the .exe file found in the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path renaming it to mp4als.exe.

> ##### Musepack Encoder / Decoder

> > The Musepack Encoder / Decoder is bundled with the original fre:ac distribution so you normally do not need to install it manually.

> > If you still need to install or update the Musepack Encoder / Decoder manually, follow these steps:

> > - Download the Musepack tools ZIP package from www.musepack.net.
> > - Copy the files mpcenc.exe and mpcdec.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### Nero Digital HE-AAC Encoder

> > To install the Nero Digital HE-AAC Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the Nero AAC Codec ZIP package from www.free-codecs.com.
> > - Copy the file NeroAACEnc.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### OptimFROG Encoder / Decoder

> > To install the OptimFROG Encoder / Decoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the OptimFROG Win32 console ZIP package from losslessaudio.org.
> > - Copy the file ofr.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### QuickTime AAC Encoder

> > To install the QuickTime AAC Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the QuickTime AAC command line encoder ZIP package from github.com.
> > - Copy the file qaac.exe or qaac64.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### RK Audio Encoder / Decoder

> > To install the RK Audio Encoder / Decoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the RK Audio compressor ZIP package from www.free-codecs.com.
> > - Copy the file rkau.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### Shorten Encoder / Decoder

> > To install the Shorten Encoder / Decoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the Shorten ZIP package from www.free-codecs.com.
> > - Copy the file shorten.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### TAK Encoder / Decoder

> > The TAK Encoder / Decoder is bundled with the original fre:ac distribution so you normally do not need to install it manually.

> > If you still need to install or update the TAK Encoder / Decoder manually, follow these steps:

> > - Download the TAK ZIP package from thbeck.de.
> > - Copy the file takc.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### TiMidity Software MIDI Synthesizer

> > To install the TiMidity Software MIDI Synthesizer for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the TiMidity CVS binary ZIP package from sourceforge.net.
> > - Download the Freepats ZIP package from freepats.zenvoid.org.
> > - Create a new folder named timidity inside the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.
> > - Copy the file timidity.exe from the TiMidity ZIP package to the newly created codecs/cmdline/timidity subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.
> > - Copy the contents of the folder freepats from the Freepats ZIP package to the newly created codecs/cmdline/timidity subfolder of your fre:ac installation path. The file crude.cfg should now reside inside the timidity folder along with several other files and directories from the Freepats package.

> ##### True Audio Encoder / Decoder

> > To install the True Audio Encoder / Decoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the TTA compressor for Windows ZIP package from tausoft.org.
> > - Copy the file ttaenc.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### TwoLAME MP2 Encoder

> > To install the TwoLAME MP2 Encoder for use with fre:ac, follow these steps:

> > - Download the TwoLAME binary ZIP package from rarewares.org.
> > - Copy the file twolame.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

> ##### WavPack Encoder / Decoder

> > The WavPack Encoder / Decoder is bundled with the original fre:ac distribution so you normally do not need to install it manually.

> > If you still need to install or update the WavPack Encoder / Decoder manually, follow these steps:

> > - Download the WavPack Win32 ZIP package from www.wavpack.com.
> > - Copy the files wavpack.exe and wvunpack.exe from the ZIP package to the codecs/cmdline subfolder of your fre:ac installation path.

#### How to add a new translation to fre:ac?

> Please use the smooth Translator utility included in the fre:ac distribution and open an existing translation file (found in the freac/lang folder). Then change the language settings to reflect the translation you want to create and start translating the individual text strings. Save your translation as a new file matching the pattern freac_??.xml (replace ?? with your language code), restart fre:ac and try selecting the new translation in the configuration dialog.

> Please submit your translation to translations@freac.org, so it can be included in the official distribution.

#### How to compile fre:ac from source?

> In order to build fre:ac from source you should download the latest version of the fre:ac Component Development Kit (CDK) from freac.org first.

> You will also need the latest smooth Class Library sources from smooth-project.org and of course the fre:ac source code package or fre:ac sources checked out from Git.

> - extract the contents of freac-cdk-1.0.x-windows.zip to anywhere you like
> - create a folder structure like this:

>   > /cdk (contains folder system and cdk.bat)
>   > /cdk/freac (rename folder from freac-1.1.x.tar.gz package)
>   > /cdk/smooth (rename folder from smooth-0.9.x.tar.gz package)

> - run cdk.bat
> - enter: make && cd smooth && make && cd ../freac && make

#### How to remove fre:ac from my computer?

> All recent versions of fre:ac can be removed via the Apps panel of the Windows Settings application. Locate the fre:ac entry in the list of installed applications and select Uninstall to remove it.

> In case you are unable to find the fre:ac entry there, it is completely sufficient to delete the application folder to uninstall fre:ac. fre:ac does neither create any Windows registry entries nor store any active components outside its installation folder.