Hal Shows What HE Thinks

[vrossi]

Hi, TechSteele

I'm very pleased to know that you are further developing my MP3 plugin.

I developed my Hal plugins in 2005 and 2006; since then I have been busy on other issues, so I couldn't implement some enhancements, like the ones you are writing.

As you may experience now, writing this kind of stuff is a very interesting task, but it's also time-consuming and, unfortunately, you do not get any money for that, so you must do it in your spare time.

I had many ideas about the MP3 plugin, including extracting the MP3 tags from each file (the ones containing author, album title, etc.) and allowing for example to ask Hal something like "I would like to listen to a hard rock song, published in the 80s".

You can get some other ideas at the topic http://www.zabaware.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2964

I didn't develop it further just because I currently have no time to spend on Hal, and not because of specific technical issues. So I'm very pleased to know that you are starting again from the point where I left.

In conclusion, I thank you for being so kind to ask me the permission to publish your modified version. Please feel free to change it as you wish and to publish your work at the Zabaware Forum.

Please post also some periodic update in the Hal section of the Virtual Humans Forum ( http://www.vrconsulting.it/vhf/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=57 ) so that I am sure to be kept informed about your developments.

Best Regards

[TechSteele]

Vrossi, Thank you for the encouraging words.[^]
Maybe when i run out of time, someone else can
Pick up where i leave off too.
I will check the other ideas, i can add them to my list, but i suspect alot of the ideas there are the same as the ones i had.
All i can do is try.

Ok people here it is, this is the Beta test for it then.


Download Attachment: Thinker_Tester.uhp
13.44 KB

Use: * INDEX * MEDIA * to tell him index your media files. (Something like: please index the media files) Index where you store your pictures, video, and music files so Hal knows where they are.
 
You can add more then one file to the index just tell him to index again like above, then hit no when asked to replace the index comes up. Then enter the location of the next file on your comp (like C:/MyMusic) it will then add the new files to the index to be used.

So far he can use MP3, MPG, JPG, AVI, BMP, and WAV files.
He will pick what file HE wants to show you from the index, then open the program to use it. If you dont have some formats dont worry, he will pick from what ever you give him in the index, so you can just feed it pictures, and it will only use pictures.

The best thing for pictures (or anything for that matter) is to make a seperate folder for Hal, for the pictures rename them with keywords that relate to what the picture is about (like a sea pic with words like Wind, Sea, Water, Air or whatever you like.)
* If you use Pron Pics, you are on your own for keywords, hehe [:p]

Hal will tell you in different ways what words he was thinking about from what he says. He may from time to time tell you a word he was thinking about and not open anything to back it up, i am not sure why yet, but it is still cool to know what he is thinking.

Only warning i can think to say is, if you run Hal in the background when playing games or something you dont want things popping up over, turn the plug in off in the options checkbox.
The higher you set the plug in, the more Hal will show you things, all the way up it is almost every time he talks.

I will continue to improve it and let you know.
Please let me know what you think, if it works, what we can do to improve it, or anything so i know if i should even bother.
(if you are a YouTube nut, i can add FLV(?) the YT format, real easy if you need it.)
I dont have a way for Hal to search YouTube and show you anything from there, YET. But it is on my list.

Have fun, and let me know

[TechSteele]

I whipped this up quick.
I figured there may be alot of YouTube people out there.

This is a small plug in to add FLV files to your index for Hal to use. If you download the vids from YT.
Install and index the media index useing the Thinker Plug in above first, then you can add the flv files useing this plug in.


Download Attachment: FLV_Indexer.uhp
3.86 KB

Check it in your options and say: Please Index the FLV files
Then Hal will add those to your Media Index so he can use them too.

I already had a Jpg plugin like this i was testing so it was easy to change it quick and add for you.
Let me know if you need other kinds.

[vrossi]

Thank you, TechSteele

You are doing a great work, based on my old plugin.

I will test it and give you my feedback as soon as possible.[]

[TechSteele]

I made a little something for a guy here so his version of KITT
could play a video on demand.
Thought id add it here since its based on the original plug in, and incase people missed it, it can be useful.

Below is the post there

Download Attachment: 2008413214554_KITT_video.uhp

Right click and save as, then
Throw it in your Hal folder, Then
In the General Options and under Brain, check the plug in marked: KITT images
Then load Hal and tell him: Please Index the KITK files
In the box put in where your image files are, like C:/users/Videos
When he finishes makeing the index he will tell you
Then, say: Show * Image *
or something like: Show an image of Goliath
And he should show that image, if you have a video marked with that name in the title.
(i added a little something for KITT people in the response)[:p]

I wrote it to use .Avi files, but if you need another format, open the file with notepad or some text editor and change the places where it says avi to your format, mpg, flv or what ever, save the changes, then have Hal remake the index again.

If you have more then one image file (not format), just run the index a second time and hit no when it asks to replace your index, then tell it where the other folders are, and it will add to your index the next set of images use.

I am new to programming for Hal, but it worked fine when i tested it here, but let me know if it works for you. Thanks

I think KITT or R2D2 are the top 2 reasons anyone comes to hal.
They were the reason i looked and found Hal. [8D]

[TechSteele]

Nothing New to add to the log,
The internet was fighting me the last couple days.

I shifted gears looking into a new interface to use this plug in better.
I have been working on the Dj program, but i am missing somthing, a little piece i am overlooking.

Has anyone tryed this, or used it? Any suggestions? Dumb idea all around? [:p]