Title Page Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Appendix A Appendix B


Chapter 3: Getting Started

This chapter provides an introduction to basic voice and program control operations. It gives you step-by-step instructions on how to perform each operation. Basic operations are explained from the perspective of the application user. That approach gives you a feel for using DECtalk Software whether you are using the sample program or inserting commands on the Digital UNIX command line.

Topics include:


Running speak

The speak program can be started at the Digital UNIX command line or from an icon in the CDE Multimedia Program Group.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Starting speak (See Figure 3-1 - Starting the Speak Application )                                                     

Task/Location     Action                    Result                            

Starting 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 -- Rules for Voice-Control Command Syntax

Click here for Picture

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

If the value in a [:dv] command is too low, DECtalk Software uses the minimum valid value. If the value is too high, it uses the maximum valid value.

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.


Changing Voice Selections

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.

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 (See Figure 3-2 -- Changing DECtalk Software 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 Rate

DECtalk Software lets you edit text -- select, cut, paste, append other text files -- that is displayed in the speak applet window and then play segments or all of the edited text.

You 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

Click here for Picture

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 Tool

The User Dictionary Build Tool creates a loadable dictionary file (.dic) from a list of words and their corresponding pronunciations. The dictionary is loaded with a call to the TextToSpeechLoadUserDictionary() function or from the File menu in the Speak Program applet.

The 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

Click here for Picture

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

Building a user dictionary is a two-step process. First you create a .tab source file with the User Dictionary Build Tool to define the pronunciation of special words you want to place in the dictionary. Then you compile the .tab file to produce a .dic file. This file is loaded into a DECtalk Software session through the Speak applet or an API call.

Figure 3-5 -- Building a User Dictionary

Click here for Picture

Table 1-5 -- Building a User Dictionary (See Figure 3-6 -- 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

The mailtalk program applet is included with DECtalk Software and announces the arrival of mail messages as they are delivered to your system. Depending on the options you select, mailtalk announces the sender of the message, its subject, or both.

Mailtalk.ini File

The installation procedure places the default mailtalk.ini file in the directory /usr/lib/dtk/. The .ini file contains the boilerplate text that is spoken by mailtalk. You may modify this and place it in your login directory. mailtalk first looks in your login directory for a mailtalk.ini file; if it does not find one then it uses the default mailtalk.ini file in /usr/lib/dtk/.

Standard 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.