Speaking documents with animated Haptek characters

[castonguayh]

I can get Hal' TTS to read documents. but have not been able to figure out how to get the Haptek characters to speak them (animated).

I am using Hal in my classroom, and would like to use him to introduce topics or explain, teach, etc.

Any Ideas?

[tedathome]

If you have copied haptek console to your root drive, then you can drag and drop text files into it. Then your hal will read it out loud and lipsync with them.

[castonguayh]

Thanks Ted,
Is Hal Console on the disk or do I get it on line?

What is a "root drive?"

Obviously, I am clueless but interested.

(Gee, I sound like someone I'd like to meet at a bar!)

Thanks

[tedathome]

Actualy I think the official name for it is Hap Log Ctrl.txt
It can be found in People putty folder if you have that program.
Just type it into your search window. The root drive is your C drive.
 This console names itself haptek console and appears each time you start hal. It can be used for animations called .hap and to add accesories and positioning and moods and a hundred other things.

[castonguayh]

thanks, I'll give it a try.

[Holllywood]

Thanks guys for bring up this topic. I have been able to bring up the text response but without the lipsync. I think now that someone like O.T.C could help us pass the response through the Hap call to the controller and Hal will be responding for real.

[tedathome]

Not sure I understand but this method works perfectly for me.
It would be nice to be able to script pre-arranged .txt files on certain topics so hal could answer key questions though, especialy in a teaching/learning enviroment.

[Art]

Any text (.txt) file can be dropped onto the control box of the Haptek Character and it will speak. The better Lip-Sync occurs
when one uses an ogg file such as one generated from the Haptek program.

If you own Haptek's People Putty there are several sample ogg
files in one of the directories.

Check out a program called Speex.

[castonguayh]

First, it is nice to talk to some people using Hal for education.

However, I am confused.......

Is the Haptek control box part of People Putty (which I don't have) or Hal.

I have not been able to figure out how to successfully complete the suggestions you have all made.

[tedathome]

People putty program is the one that is needed both for the console and it also makes ogg files. Art's suggestion merits an ivestiation as well.

[Art]

castonguayh,

If you have the following directories on your computer, look
there and locate the file:HapLogCtrl.txt

C:\Program Files\Haptek\player\program\configs

You can either use My Computer or Windows Explorer and do the following:

If you find the file, select it
Do a Copy
The locate your main C:\ drive
Select it
Do a Paste

Run your Hal program and you should see a small box appear
at the upper left of your monitor with some text in it.

This is where you can drop any .txt or .ogg files into
(from elsewhere on your system).
Your Hal character in the main GUI window should speak your
chosen text.

BTW the HalLogCtrl.txt is about 1.5kb - 2k depending and is
a simple text file.

Hope this helps a bit.
Good luck!!

[Holllywood]

Castonguayh, E-mail me and I will send you the controller. Just copy it and past it into your "C" drive.
What I want to do is to have the Hap Call plugin send the text response to the controller so the I have the lip sync response when I ask Hal to tell me about "......"

[castonguayh]

Thanks again all. You must stay up later than I do. I don't know you have responded until the next day (I'm in bed by 9 PM)!!

Here is where it stands:

Art - I moved the file and a box does come up on the left side of my screen. When I communicate with Hal through the Zabbaware program, I can see the the content of the box change. However, when I create a text file on my desktop and drag it to the box, the content of the box changes but Hal does not speak.

Also, I have tried to email those of you who gave me permission. However, I keep getting a message that email through the forum is not working.

I have programs that use MSagent characters that will TTS. However, I am frequently using Hal in my classroom to discuss topics with students. The interaction of the character as opposed to a simple reading of script grabs the students interest.

Jack G (Karacter King) has made a Haptek character of me and one of my team teachers,  and it would be great to be able to drag text and have the characters repeat it during and interactive discussion. Soooo... I am not ready to give up.

[tedathome]

Hi castonguayh. When you do a text file do you save as a named text file and then drag and drop that saved file into the box? This is how it works for me. Hope this helps.

[Art]

castonguayh,

What OS are you using (XP - home / Pro, Vista)?

How large is the text file that you're attempting to
feed Hal?

MS Agent characters generally will not work with SAPI 5
(you can check this in Control Panel>Speech).

Does Hal respond normally BEFORE you try dropping a text
file on it?