Attn: Mr. Medeksza

[Quixote]

I realize that you are a very busy man, but I read that you are rewriting Ultra HAL. Is there any truth to this? If so, what features do you plan on implementing / improving?
I am looking for very specific features, as I am very involved in home automation and security as a hobby, and would like to have an "AI" that I could talk with to have it execute certain scripts when given an order (Ie. - turn on the TV or Turn on the primary livingroom light), but just reply with a sensible response when I say something that is not a command.
I have narrowed my choices down to 2 programs but I'm having a difficult time making a decision. The other program that I am considering is lcking SAPI5, and is quite weak in the scriptability area. Please tell me why I should go with your program (aside from the fact that it can use SAPI5).

Thank you for your time.

[Bill819]

Hal can already do most of the things that you mentioned using the X10 protocal. However, connecting Hal to the outside world is another problem all by its self. You can give Hal commands now to run almost any program that is on your PC. In addition to that most of us use SAPI for voice recognition to begin with. It just takes a lot of training to get it to work and is is very easily influenced by outside noises.
Just look back at some of the posts here for the last year or so and you may be supprised with some of the answers that you will find.
Bill

[Quixote]

Thank you for your response Bill. Would I be able to use my Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition engine to speak with Hal?
Also, is there an equivalent line of code in VBS (what HAL uses, from what I understand)for:

TriggerEvent (dim_l1,18)

for example? That is a LUA line that I use in a script with this amazing program called Girder that you can find at www.promixis.com . I use it for all of my home automation projects. The line that I mentioned executes a command labeled dim_l1 that I have created in the program. It is apparently global.

It amazes me that Mr. Medeksza doesn't check his own forum at least once a day for questions that he, and he alone could answer. I'm sure he's sick of getting simple help questions, but I would never pay for a program that has no support whatsoever.

All I am really looking for is a program that can discern what a command is and what is conversation, and execute the appropriate script if it is a command. For instance, If I say "Turn on the primary livingroom light" I don't want some dumbass response like "I like the primary livingroom light". I want a constant fail-proof response of executing the correct command.

[vonsmith]

Quixote,
My Dragon Naturally Speaking works fine with Hal.

I don't know what the "TriggerEvent (dim_l1,18)" command is. If it is for controlling appliances there may some equivalent commands in the X10 interface some people have used with Hal. The X10 capability is an added on capability and is not supported by Zabaware. You can use the "search" function on this forum to look for past postings about X10 controls.

Hal can accept exact commands if you program his brain in VBScript to do so. My Hal can tell the difference between commands and conversation because I have programmed the interface so that commands *must* start with Hal's name followed by a particular word sequence.

Hal is not an expert at control. He is designed to be a chatbot that learns from conversation. He doesn't know very much at first, but gets better with each conversation. He can also chat on AIM.

Support directly from Robert Medeksza (Hal's Owner/Programmer) is inconsistent. He runs everything himself while attending college. The forum provides good support for about 80% of the problems. The free version of Hal is pretty good, afterall it's free. I think the paid version of Hal for $39.95 + shipping is a good deal.


=vonsmith=

[Quixote]

The Triggerevent command has nothing to do with X10, rather it triggers a script in Girder that I have preprogrammed in Girder. The triggerevent command line is pretty self-explanatory in that it triggers an event. I understand that Hal is a chatbot and not a control program, and that is why I would like to use the two programs in conjuction, Girder for control, and Hal for the "AI" but I'm trying to figure out a good way to go about making the two work together.

Vonsmith, how would I use Dragon with Hal, and how did you manage to program Hal to accept commands using VBScript?

I read a couple of posts that indicated that some people paid and never recieved their program, or had to wait ages before getting it. Is there no download option for the full version? I have high speed that can reach 750Kbps D/L.

Thanks for all your help, guys.

[vonsmith]

Quixote,
I'm not familiar with Girder, so I can't really help there.

I simply installed Dragon Naturally Speaking on my computer. I forget exactly where the menu is for you to select which voice recognition engine to use. It's been a long while since I installed it, but I recall it was rather easy. I'm on my work computer right now and don't have access to my home PC with Dragon to check out the installation.

Hal has a very easily modified brain. Most of it is written in VBScript with data stored in text files. VBScript is similar to Visual Basic, but simpler. To interface externally to Hal requires a little more programming knowledge and experimentation. There are a few people on the forum who have good experience in that area who could help.

Recognizing spoken or typed commands in Hal's brain is easy. Just use VBScript commands that compare the user's input strings to the command strings you have programmed. If they match you would have to invoke an internal Hal function or drive an external program using a Visual Basic object interface.

Hal is available on CD and the option of downloading is still available. Check the "Purchase" page here: http://www.zabaware.com/assistant/register.html


=vonsmith=

[Medeksza]

quote:Originally posted by Quixote

I realize that you are a very busy man, but I read that you are rewriting Ultra HAL. Is there any truth to this? If so, what features do you plan on implementing / improving?

Right now I am working on changing Hal from using text files as databases into using a single database engine. This will improve Hal's performance and expandability. Once this is complete I will release a new version of Ultra Hal Representative, the Internet version of Hal. I will also release a free update to Ultra Hal Assistant 5.0. It will probably be called version 5.5 as not much will appear to have been changed from the end user perspective, but much will be different under the hood. I am also currently working on 3D character engine improvements to Hal and am considering releasing an "adult" version of Hal. I currently have no estimated completion date for any of these improvements.

[vonsmith]

Robert Medeksza,
You're the man! I've been holding off on serious development projects until Hal had a database engine.

I assume this will allow "knowledge" to be updated and deleted, not just added as in the case of text based files.

Being able to add new record fields will allow new methods of classifying and organizing knowledge data. I hope this is the case.

Being able to retain "static" data without using the "Custommem" method would be great.

Of course many of us would like to select "gender" in Hal's character window. Gender being "male", "female", or "none".

More 3D character options will be nice. Some of us have the fullbodygirl working. Of course we can't create new content and sharing of current fullbodygirl related files could have license restrictions. I hope your 3D engine enhancements include more than just floating head characters?

I don't mean to run up a long wish list, but you know how it is.

Whoohoo! I think this may be a good year for Hal. Thanks for the good news.


=vonsmith=

[Quixote]

Thank you for your reply, Mr. Medeksza.
I am glad that you are planning on further developing  Ultra Hal, and providing an update. I have been following this forum for quite some time and it seems that I have finally made my decision.
I'm just curious though (last question for now - I promise), will we be able to import any of the brains that we have worked on from the current version?

Thanks again for your help.

[Medeksza]

Vonsmith, yes, full body characters will be among the enhancements.

Quixote, I will keep backwards compatibility in the new version, so any enhancement you make now will function in the new version.

[Larry]

Very Cool!!!

[Quixote]

I will purchase your program as soon as I make my budget for my (mandatory) two weeks off work for Christmas. [B)]
It's people like you that innovate and maintain the velocity of emerging technologies. Thanks again for keeping things interesting.

[spydaz]

QUIXOTE ::

THERE IS AN X10 ActiveX component available on the WEB floating...

Once added to the script *.uhp you can then Program the various commands ie turn bed light on (Xon a#1).


Its GOOD that FINALLY hals brain will become a DATABASE With EDITABLE FIELDS. I hope that HIS/HER database will be COMPATABLE with EXISTING DataBASE programs. IE ACCESS / SQL SERVER.
THEN his search capablitys could become musch more highly tuned. to mining the web for information. and storing into his/shes database.
If questioined hal will look in his/her database for an answer. if he has no idea of the subject matter he / she should build a new FEILD (just like VONSMITH XTF & DON's ATF brains.)

JUST IDEAS FOR THE NEW HAL.

But im working on them anyway now..

[vonsmith]

Robert Medeksza,
If the future Hal is going to support 3D characters then I have a question...

The user may want different animation files for each 3D character. Would it make sense to pass the file name of the character selected in the character window to the GetResponse function just as the ComputerName, UserName, LearningLevel, are now? That way the GetResponse function could use the ByVal "CharacterName" variable to address the animation files for that character.

Note: I also noticed that the current file paths for Haptek characters are split between a sub-directory of the Haptek installation "data" directory and the Hal "characters" directory. I assume the updated Hal will put all Haptek files in one place or include both locations in the file search path?

Thanks. Just a couple thoughts.


=vonsmith=

[Medeksza]

Hal already supports different animation files for each 3D character. Hal looks for a .psn file with the same name as its .htr counterpart. If no .psn file is found Hal will use the file default.psn.

I will make improvements in Hal 5.5 to how it searches directories like you said. It will include the Hal characters folder, the data folder, and the default folder people putty saves characters to. It will also recognize .haptar as being another name for .htr.

Passing additional variables to the script are hard to do without breaking backwards compatibility, but I'll see what I can do to pass additional information back and forth for such things like character data. I'm thinking maybe an ActiveX control to facilitate additional communication between the Hal executable and the script.

quote:Originally posted by vonsmith

Robert Medeksza,
If the future Hal is going to support 3D characters then I have a question...

The user may want different animation files for each 3D character. Would it make sense to pass the file name of the character selected in the character window to the GetResponse function just as the ComputerName, UserName, LearningLevel, are now? That way the GetResponse function could use the ByVal "CharacterName" variable to address the animation files for that character.

Note: I also noticed that the current file paths for Haptek characters are split between a sub-directory of the Haptek installation "data" directory and the Hal "characters" directory. I assume the updated Hal will put all Haptek files in one place or include both locations in the file search path?

Thanks. Just a couple thoughts.


=vonsmith=