Title Page
Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Appendix A Appendix BTitle Page
Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Appendix A Appendix B
Topics include:
Running speak
Step-By-Step
InstructionsStarting speak (See Figure 3-1 - Starting the Speak Application ) Task/Location Action ResultStarting speak from the Digital UNIX Command Line
Digital UNIX 1. Enter: % speak The speak application is
command line launched. (2)Speak program
Starting speak from the CDE Multimedia Program Group
CDE Multimedia 1. Double click on the The speak application is
Program Group speak icon. (1) launched. (2)
Opening a Text File for the speak application to speak
speak window (2) 1. Pull down the File The Open File dialog box is
menu and select Open (3) displayed. (4)
Open File 2. Select the file you The file is displayed in the
dialog box want DECtalk Software sample program window. (5)
to speak.
Play button (6) 3. Click on the play DECtalk Software starts
button. speaking the file.
Pause and stop 4. Click on the Pause DECtalk Software pauses or
buttons (7) (8) and Stop buttons. stops the speaking session.
Figure 3-1 - Starting the Speak Application
Click here for Picture
Inserting Voice-Control Commands (Syntax
Rules)
Before you can use DECtalk Software commands to modify speech output, you need
to know the proper syntax with which to include those commands into a text
file. Figure 3-2 illustrates the rules of DECtalk Software command syntax.
Figure 1-2
Legend
Enclose every command in brackets.
Begin every command with a colon.
Separate each command and its parameter or parameters
from the text by a valid word boundary marker, such as a
space, tab, or carriage return. A space is used here.
You can include several commands within the same
brackets.
Include several parameters within the same brackets if
the command allows more than one parameter. If you use
several parameters, enter each command's parameters
before you enter a second command in the same bracket.
(In this example, the parameter group modifies the [:dv]
command.)
If you give two conflicting parameters or commands
Rhythm:control ofSyllabic stress:control ofDECtalk
Software uses the last command in the sequence. (In this
example, Rhythm:control ofSyllabic stress:control
ofDECtalk Software uses Paul's voice.)
You can use phonemic symbols within the same brackets
with voice commands. In this example, the phonetic
spelling of word really (r"iyliy) is included.
Additional
Syntax Rules
Once you enter a command, that command applies to the remaining text until it is overridden by another command. For example, the command [:nk] invokes Kit's voice on all entered text until you enter another voice-selection command.
Invalid commands are ignored. By setting the [:error speak] command, you can receive an audible warning that an invalid command has been entered.
DECtalk Software interprets text between brackets as phonemes only after the [:phoneme arpabet speak on] command has been sent to the application. If [:phoneme arpabet speak on] has not been sent DECtalk Software interprets the brackets and characters between them literally. The [:phoneme arpabet speak off] command must be sent with literal characters if you want to insert brackets in normal text.
If the command [:phoneme arpabet speak on] is set and you forget the right bracket ( ] ), DECtalk Software attempts to interpret all text following the ASCII text as phonemes, skipping over illegal letter combinations. The resulting text sounds garbled. Enter a right bracket to fix this problem.
You can change a speaking voice by inserting DECtalk Software commands into the
text-collection area displayed in the speak applet window or by
selecting text and then clicking on one of the nine picture buttons at the top
of the speak window.
Changing Voice Selections
Voice changes made with commands are permanent for the session and remain intact as along as the command remains in the file. Voice changes made from the menu only remain in effect as long as the current DECtalk Software session is running.
Each voice selection is inserted into the command [:n x] where x is a value representing one of the voices. Table 3-2 -- Changing Voices, lists the names and their corresponding values.
You can change voices with a new voice command as in the following example.
[:nb] Hello. I'm Betty.
You can also change voices in the middle of a sentence.
[:np] This is a demo [:nb] of a sudden change in voice.
If a voice-change request occurs in the middle of a sentence, DECtalk Software automatically pauses. The pause is the equivalent of inserting a comma, or about half a second.
[:np] This is a demo, [:nb] of a sudden change in voice.
Table 3-1 -- DECtalk Voices and Their Associated Values
Name Value Name Value Paul P Betty B Harry H Ursula U Frank F Wendy W Dennis D Rita R Kit K
Figure 3-2 -- Changing DECtalk Software Voices
Click here for Picture
Table 3-2 -- Changing Voices
Task/Location Action Result
Using the Picture IconsVoice selections:changing from the Sample applet
Speak applet 1. Click on the
window (1) picture of the
desired speaking
voice (each of the
picture buttons
represents one of the
nine DECtalk voices).
(2)
2. Press the start The entire file or selected
button. (3) section is spoken.
Using Voice-Control CommandsVoice-control commands:inserting in the
Sample applet
Speak applet 1. Insert Rhythm:control ofSyllabic
window (1) voice-definition stress:control ofDECtalk
commands in the text Software changes the speaking
at the points where voice at the point where you
you want a new voice insert commands.
to take effect. (4)
Editing a Text File and Changing the Speaking RateYou can also increase and decrease the rate at which DECtalk Software speaks a file or a section of a file.
Figure 3-3 -- Editing a Text File and Changing the Speaking Rate
Table 3-3 -- Editing the Input Text File and Changing the Speaking Rate
Task/Location Action Result
To Edit the file and play selected segmentsText file:editing from within
the Speak appletEditing:step-by-step
Speak applet 1. Select the range of
Window (1) text you want to edit. To
play the selected range,
click on the right mouse
(MB2 or 3) button. (2)
2. Use cut, copy, paste, Rhythm:control
delete, and insert ofSyllabic stress:control
selections from the Edit ofDECtalk Software speaks
pull-down menu to the edited file in the
manipulate the selected new, edited format.
text. (3) For example,
select a single sentence
for Rhythm:control
ofSyllabic stress:control
ofDECtalk Software to
speak. Click on the Start
button. (4)
To change the output rateRate:changing from within the Speak applet
Speak applet 1. Use the mouse to The speed at which
window as position the pointer on Rhythm:control ofSyllabic
Rhythm:control the rate slider bar. Press stress:control ofDECtalk
ofSyllabic the left mouse (MB1) Software speaks the file
stress:control button and drag the slider changes. It increases if
ofDECtalk to the left and wait for you drag to the right and
Software is the speaking voice change decreases if you drag to
speaking a file to occur. Then drag the the left. The rate in
slider to the right. (5) words per minute is
displayed to the right of
the slider bar. Changes
in the speaking rate
occur only on a clause
boundary, after all the
previously queued audio
has played.
Overview of the User Dictionary Build ToolThe Translate command is new for DECtalk version 4.2A. Use it to create phonemic translations of words or phrases.
Figure 3-4 -- Components of the User Dictionary Build Tool
Legend
(1) Text-collection Area Enter word-pronunciation pairs in the text
window. Word-pronunciation pairs are words that are not predefined
or not pronounced as desired in the Rhythm:control ofSyllabic
stress:control ofDECtalk Software user dictionary.
(2) File pull-down menu Open... A pop-up dialog box that opens up a
dictionary definition file (*.tab). Save... A pop-up dialog box
that saves the file and calls the compiler to create a dictionary
file (*.dic). Save as... A pop-up dialog box that lets the user
rename the file. This also calls the compiler to create a dictionary
file (*.dic). Compile Compiles the current file to a .dic file with
the same name. Exit Exits the program and, if the entries in the
Text Window have been modified, it pops up the Save dialog box.
(3) Edit pull-down menu Undo Undo the previous command. Cut
Cut the selected region. Copy Copy the selected region. Paste
Paste the selected region. Delete Delete the selected region.
Select All Select all of the word-pronunciation pairs from the
text-collection area. Find... A pop-up dialog box that prompts you
to search for selected text.
(4) Translate Menu Translates selected text into phonemic spelling.
(5) Pronounce Word, Next, and Previous buttons When these buttons are
pressed, all the phonetic pronunciations that are listed in the
text-collection area are spoken. If a range of word-pronunciation
pairs is selected, then only the phonetic pronunciation for the
corresponding words is pronounced. If only one word is selected,
then the Pronounce Word, Next, and Previous buttons force
Rhythm:control ofSyllabic stress:control ofDECtalk Software to
pronounce the highlighted selection.
Building a User Dictionary
Figure 3-5 -- Building a User Dictionary
Table 1-5 -- Building a User Dictionary
Task/Location Action Result
Multimedia 1. Double click on the The Rhythm:control
program group User Dictionary icon ofSyllabic stress:control
(windict). ofDECtalk Software Help
Builder window is
displayed. (2)
To Open an Existing Dictionary File
File 1. Select Open to open a The Open File Selection
pull-down new or existing dialog box is displayed. (4)
menu (3) dictionary file.
2. Select the dictionary The file is loaded in the
file you want to load and user dictionary window.
click on OK.
To Create a New Dictionary
User 1. Enter word-pronunciation pairs for words that are
Dictionary not predefined or not pronounced as desired in the
window (1) Rhythm:control ofSyllabic stress:control ofDECtalk
Software user dictionary. A word-pronunciation pair is
written in the following format with the pronunciation
enclosed in brackets. Note, that each
word-pronunciation pair must be on a separate line in
the dictionary. word [pronunciation] As an example,
define the word soda to be equivalent to pop; define
water to be pronounced with a New England accent; and
take into account the dialectic regional preferences so
that the word sub is called a hero. Use the following
pronunciation pairs: soda [p'aap]
water [w'aotrr]
subs
[hx'iyrow] Use the Translate command menu to translate
desired words into a proper phonemic spelling (5)
Refer to Appendix C or Rhythm:control ofSyllabic
stress:control ofDECtalk Software online help (the
Advanced Topic Index) for a complete list of phonemic,
stress, and syntactic symbols. Refer to Chapter 4 for
more on modifying and enhancing pronunciation.
To save the Dictionary .tab File
File 1. Select Save or Save The Save dialog box is
pull-down as... to save the .tab displayed (not shown here).
menu (3) file.
Save as 2. Name the file in which You are prompted if you
dialog box you want the dictionary want to save the file with
session saved. Click on a dialog box. (6)
OK.
To compile the Dictionary (You must save before you compile)
File 1. Select Compile to The dictionary session is
pull-down compile the current saved and compiled to a
menu (3) session. Click on OK. .dic file. The Compile
dialog box confirms the
compile. (7)
Running mailtalk
Mailtalk.ini
FileStandard DECtalk Software voice-control commands can be embedded in the text strings to control attributes, such as speaking voice and speaking speed. See Chapter 4 for information about DECtalk Software in-line commands. The maximum length of any string is 256 characters. Characters beyond 256 are truncated. The format for the ini file is as follows:
[mailtalk]
INCOMING = You have just received a mail message
UNREAD = You have unread mail messages
FROM = from
SUBJECT = In regards to
INIT = [:np :ra 180]
Upon receving an incomming mail message mailtalk will first speak out the INCOMING mesage, in this case it will say - "You have just received a mail message". mailtalk will then announce the FROM and finally the SUBJECT fields. The DECtalk Software in-line commands in INIT set up the mailtalk, in this case, to use Paul's voice at a rate of 180 words per minute.