Help Guide

Learn how to use the Audiobook Library and Player

📚 Welcome to the Audiobook Library

This guide will help you navigate and make the most of your audiobook experience. The library offers both traditional audiobooks and Animated cinematic editions with synchronized visuals.

🎬 What are "Cinematic Edition" stories?

Every story in this library is conceptualized and authored by the site owner using a collaborative process where human imagination meets AI-assisted synthesis to create synchronized visual and auditory experiences. All content is refined and curated manually to ensure a high-quality, immersive journey.

🚀 Quick Start Guide

Get started with these 5 simple steps:

1️⃣

Browse Library

Scroll through the book grid. Look for Animated badges for cinematic editions.

2️⃣

Choose a Book

Click any book cover to instantly open the fullscreen player and begin playback.

3️⃣

Control Playback

Use spacebar to play/pause, arrow keys to seek, and Ctrl+arrows to change chapters.

4️⃣

Find Controls

The control panel appears at the bottom when you pause the audio. Tap the screen or move mouse down to reveal.

5️⃣

Exit Player

Press ESC or click "← Back to Library" to return. Books end with a "THE END" animation.

💡 Pro Tip

Toggle the "Show Videos" switch in Settings to switch between cinematic videos and classic Ken Burns image effect (for animated books).

🏠 Library Interface Guide

🔍

Search & Filter

Find books quickly using various filtering options:

Search Bar: Search by title, author, or keywords
Category Filters: Children Adult Both
Animation Filter: Show Animated Only

📊

Book Information

Each book card provides important details:

Click Book Cover: Instantly play the audiobook in fullscreen player mode.
Click Info Area: Open detailed book modal for more information.
Category Badge: Age-appropriate content indicator.
Animation Badge: Animated if video version available.
Duration & Chapters: Total listening time and segment count.

⚡

Quick Actions

Efficient ways to interact with the library:

Fullscreen Player: Clicking "Play Now" or the book cover launches a fullscreen, cinematic player.
Help Button: Quick access to this guide from the library header.
Mobile: Tap to play; long press on cards for quick info (fallback to modal).

🎧 Fullscreen Player Guide

The player opens in a fullscreen, immersive environment. Interface elements fade away to keep you focused on the story.

▶️

Basic Playback

Play/Pause: Click center button, spacebar, or tap the main artwork.
Skip: Previous/Next chapter buttons or Ctrl + Arrow Keys.
Seek: Drag the progress bar or use Arrow Left/Right.
Volume: Adjust with slider or mute with 'M' key.
Speed: Change playback speed (0.75x to 2x).

🎬

Visual Experience

Choose your preferred media type (if the book is animated):

Videos Only: (Toggle ON) Cinematic experience with animated visuals.
Static Images: (Toggle OFF) Traditional audiobook with Ken Burns image effect.
Image Fade Effect: Subtle zoom/pan animation for static images.

⚙️

Advanced Features

Gapless Playback: Seamless transitions between chapters.
Crossfade: Smooth audio/visual crossfade (1-3 seconds).
Auto-play: Continuous playback through chapters.
Preloading: Next chapter loads automatically.

🖱️ Clean & Immersive Viewing

The player is designed to fade away interface elements when you don't need them, giving you a cinematic experience.

🧭

Top Navigation Bar

Auto-hide: The bar disappears after 5 seconds of inactivity.
Reveal: Simply move your mouse to the top edge of the screen (or tap near the top on mobile) to bring it back.

🎛️

Bottom Controls Bar

Now integrated into the Track Info panel.
Auto-hide: The entire footer (track info + controls) is only visible when playback is PAUSED.
Reveal: Tap the screen (mobile) or move your mouse to the bottom (desktop) while the player is paused.

📋

Track Info & Titles

Track Info Display Setting:
- Always On: Footer visible when paused.
- Always Off: Footer hidden entirely.
Title Overlay Toggle: New setting to turn the large chapter title on/off.
Spoiler-free: Title is hidden for the first chapter by default.
Cursor: The cursor hides after 2 seconds of inactivity over the artwork.

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Work faster with these keyboard shortcuts (active in fullscreen player):

Space

Play / Pause

← →

Seek ±10 seconds

Ctrl + ← →

Previous / Next chapter

Mute / Unmute

Esc

Close sidebars / Exit fullscreen player

💡 Fullscreen Mode

The player opens in browser fullscreen automatically when you start a book. Press ESC to exit fullscreen and return to the library.

⚙️ Player Settings Guide

Setting	Description	Recommendation
Auto Play	Automatically play next chapter when current ends	✅ Recommended for continuous listening
Show Videos	(Animated books only) Toggle between static images (Ken Burns) and video playback.	Videos for cinematic, Images for classic feel.
Track Info Display	Always On: Footer (description + controls) visible when paused. Always Off: Hides footer entirely.	🎬 Always On for control access
Show Title Overlay	Toggles the large chapter title text at the top of the screen. (Title is always hidden for the first chapter to avoid spoilers.)	✅ Recommended for story context
Image Fade Effect	Ken Burns animation for static images	✅ Creates immersive experience
Gapless Playback	Smooth transitions between audio chapters	✅ Recommended for audiobooks
Crossfade Transition	Smooth visual/audio transitions between chapters	✅ Creates cinematic feel

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start playing a book?

Simply click the book cover or the "Play Now" button. The player will open in fullscreen mode and begin playing the first chapter automatically.

How do I exit the fullscreen player?

Press the ESC key, click the "← Back to Library" button in the top navigation bar, or wait for the "THE END" animation to return you to the library automatically.

Where did the control bar go? I can't see the play button.

The bottom controls are now integrated into the Track Info panel. This panel is only visible when the audio is paused. Tap the screen or move your mouse to the bottom edge while paused to reveal it. You can also set the "Track Info Display" setting to "Always On" to keep it visible.

How do I know if a book has animated content?

Books with animated content display a Animated badge on the cover. You can also filter for animated-only books using the "Show Animated Only" toggle in the library. In the player, a "Show Videos" toggle will appear in the Settings sidebar for these books.

What do the category badges mean?

Books are categorized by appropriate audience:

Children - Content suitable for younger audiences
Adult - Content for mature audiences
Both - Suitable for all ages

Can I save my playback progress?

Yes! The player automatically saves your position within each chapter. When you return to a book, it will resume from where you left off. Your settings preferences (Video toggle, Title Overlay, etc.) are also saved automatically via localStorage.

What happens when a book ends?

When you finish the last chapter, you'll see a cinematic "THE END" animation. After a few moments, you'll automatically return to the library to choose your next adventure.

🔧 Troubleshooting

⚠️ Common Issues & Solutions

Book won't load: Check internet connection and refresh page. Verify the book.json URL is correct.
No video playback: Some browsers require user interaction before video autoplay. The player mutes videos automatically to comply with browser policies.
Controls not responding: Try refreshing the player or reopening the book.
Audio stuttering: Lower playback speed or close other tabs/applications.
Visual glitches: Update your browser to the latest version.

If problems persist, try these steps:

Refresh the page (F5 or Ctrl+R).
Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete).
Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge recommended).
Check internet connection stability.
Disable browser extensions that might interfere.