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[HA Dave]

Glt & Don N

Maybe I ve tied up this thread too much with the voice transmission part. But thanks for the input!

BXVC is a great program and most certainly does a great deal more then replace FLICKING A SWITCH.�

Added to Voice Command with BXVC: [the features of] AHP, Macros, programmed conditions, timers, motion sensors, remote controls AND plain old switch flicking. then things look pretty automated.

I think your intercoms idea has real merit! Intercoms may very well be the one-and-only way to go. But (sorry) I am not sure that's the case. I live in a city, and have some concern about the security of the wireless transmission.

Bluetooth headset technology however IS very secure. Bluetooth intercom technology may not yet be available (however I do have a soldering iron). For now, try to imagine an intercom getting so small you could stick it in your ear (if you wanted to).that doesn't mean you MUST stick it in your ear. Just when did technology making devices smaller, become a bad thing?

I (also) think there is a lot that can be said in favor of hardwired microphones. But running new wires (in an existing structure) is a limitation itself. I currently believe a combination of input technologies may be to ultimate solution.

Several of us are reviewing the benefits (and faults) of several different technologies as a way to move voice to BXVC. I am sure we all appreciate your input. Thanks again for reminding us about intercoms.

 

[HA Dave]

Glt & Don N

…. Maybe I’ve tied up this thread too much with the voice “transmission” part. But thanks for the input!

But then again....maybe not.

I tried a FM wireless microphone today. An un-secure but clear as-a-bell solution. I converted the mono, to (fake) stereo and and plugged it into the "line-in". I was able o hear myself on my PC speakers, and had to keep volume down, to prevent feedback.

I like the "sounds" from the computer... and miss that.

[Puck]

I was able o hear myself on my PC speakers, and had to keep volume down, to prevent feedback.

I like the "sounds" from the computer... and miss that.

Dave: You should be able to mute the line-input from being sent to the speakers, and eliminate feedback without affecting MS Mary.

And... good to here the wireless FM mic works.
Love to see the neighbours face when their radio gets interrupted. 

[glt]

To expand on that a little....

If you have the little speaker in the system tray and click on it, a set of volume controls come up that are the PLAYBACK volume controls. You should be able to mute the line-in playback from there.

If line-in is not available there, then go into options/properties and add it. Click Ok, and then mute.

Also (and this seems to confuse people) there is a set of RECORDING volume controls that are accessed by options/properties/recording/Ok. Can be fun to watch what XP does to your microphone recording volume!

All of this can also be accessed by: control panel / sounds and audio devices / volume tab / advanced button.


HTH

GLT

[Don N]

Bill -- Would it be possible to sort Device Names and Listener Names in BXVC?  I find that as I continue to add names to these lists they become a little unruly.  This happens when I want to change house codes or unit numbers or even to change the name of a device.  It would just make it a little easier, to locate a particular device, if the Device/Listener Names were in alphabetical order.  Plus, it would be nice just to have all Device/Listener Names grouped for a particular Room.  Now admittedly, I didn't review the previous 19 pages on this thread to see if this had already been discussed.  So, I apologize if this had already been discussed.

[HA Dave]

Thanks glt & Puck I found your advice helpful.

I had decided that my current best computer (P4, 2.8 ), was the PC to use for AHP with BXVC. I want to upgrade with a new vista system when the OS becomes available. This PC is also the one I have set-up to make DVD's and hesitated to change the settings.

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Bill -- Would it be possible to sort Device Names and Listener Names in BXVC?  I find that as I continue to add names to these lists they become a little unruly.  This happens when I want to change house codes or unit numbers or even to change the name of a device.  It would just make it a little easier, to locate a particular device, if the Device/Listener Names were in alphabetical order.  Plus, it would be nice just to have all Device/Listener Names grouped for a particular Room.  Now admittedly, I didn't review the previous 19 pages on this thread to see if this had already been discussed.  So, I apologize if this had already been discussed.

I had the same problem so I already have it sorting by name and that will be released in the next update.  I haven't decided what to do about "grouping" devices yet and that will probably be put off until an even later update.

Sorry so short, got to get back to programming!   

[glt]

I HAVE HEARD.....

That VR is totally changed in Vista - which I guess means everyone s/b REALLY nice to Bill (that BXVC guy.)

Nice to have an option that leaves a little money in one's pocket. If you haven't noticed, that is becoming rare in HA.

THANKS Bill,

GLT

[glt]

And while I am thinking about it...

Although microphone in is the WORST VR option in XP (because XP continually adjusts the volume and also randomly clicks the "Mic Boost" box without asking), line-in can also be problematic.

The way that I have found around this is to go to control panel/speech/configure microphone and configure it (line-in of course) by speaking VERY softly. After this XP will leave the volume alone (at max level), allowing YOU to adjust to input volume to the best recognition level.

See ya'll in Vista, CAN'T possibly be worse! (?)

GLT

[Tuicemen]

-Bill-(of BXCV)
I'd like to request a couple of options! perhaps you've already started to add these but if not here they are

[li]The option to use other VR engines[/li]
[li]The ability to open close other programs by voice[/li]
[li]The ability to close BXVC by voice[/li]
[li]I know in BVC you say you have the option to use other faces although I never seen that in the version I'm testing but this would be a cool add!
other users besides my self could create other faces to give a good variation[/li]
[li]Along the faces Idea perhaps the ability to call them up with voice eg: stating Mary brings up the female face & voice stating Sam would bring up the males face and voice![/li]
[/list]
Just some crazy thoughts!
Cheers

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

I HAVE HEARD.....

That VR is totally changed in Vista - which I guess means everyone s/b REALLY nice to Bill (that BXVC guy.)

Yeah, I've "heard" that too. 

Eventually I will have to re-write major portions of the code to support Vista (I'm guessing).

My take on it for the time being is that most people "upgrading" to Vista will find that they have to purchase a new "beefier" computer to run it well and that being the case, why not dedicate the "old" computer to home automation?  At least until all of us "starving programmers" can catch up.   

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

-Bill-(of BXCV)
I'd like to request a couple of options! perhaps you've already started to add these but if not here they are

[li]The option to use other VR engines[/li]
[li]The ability to open close other programs by voice[/li]
[li]The ability to close BXVC by voice[/li]
[li]I know in BVC you say you have the option to use other faces although I never seen that in the version I'm testing but this would be a cool add!
other users besides my self could create other faces to give a good variation[/li]
[li]Along the faces Idea perhaps the ability to call them up with voice eg: stating Mary brings up the female face & voice stating Sam would bring up the males face and voice![/li]
[/list]
Just some crazy thoughts!
Cheers

Another Tuicemen laundry list!     I swear, sometimes I think Tuicemen has a better idea of where this program is going (should go) than I do!      Not that that's been a bad thing so far...  Thanks Tuicemen!   

The option to use other VR engines

AFAIK (and that's never enough ) BXVC should be compatible with any speech engine that follows the Microsoft specification as outlined in the Microsoft Speech SDK 5.1 (however it appears most follow an earlier specification if any at all).

The ability to open close other programs by voice

Once I figure out how... maybe not until the Visual BASIC version is released. 

The ability to close BXVC by voice

Woops!  I kept thinking I had done that already!  Will do! 

I know in BVC you say you have the option to use other faces although I never seen that in the version I'm testing but this would be a cool add!
other users besides my self could create other faces to give a good variation

The ability to select user created faces has always been my intent, but I had never made it easy.  In the next release, all of the faces are stored in a sub-folder named "Face Graphics" which itself has sub-folders named for the face i.e. "Male Face" "Female Face" "My Face" etc.  It automatically searches the "Face Grapics" folder at program start up (and maybe every so often when running  ) and updates the Face Selection Buttons accordingly! 
So start creating faces!  There are no requirements on size, color pallette, etc.  But, at present, they must be in the .gif format (only way I know of to provide for transparency).  Each face must be a set of 7 pictures named as follows:

• Mouth Closed.gif
• Mouth Medium.gif
• Mouth Narrow.gif
• Mouth Open 1.gif
• Mouth Open 2.gif
• Mouth Open 3.gif
• Mouth Open 4.gif

Save them in a folder named whatever you want the face's name to be.
Once the new release of BXVC is out, copy that folder into the new "Face Graphics" folder along side the default "Male Face" and "Female Face" folders and BXVC should automatically add your custom face to the list of faces![/b]

Along the faces Idea perhaps the ability to call them up with voice eg: stating Mary brings up the female face & voice stating Sam would bring up the males face and voice!

How about this idea for a future release?  User definable "Personality Profiles" that allow the user to define a "Name" to respond to, select an appropriate "Face Graphic" and an appropriate "Voice" as well as other possible options.  Then when you address BXVC with that "Personality"'s "Name", it would change to that "Personality" for all future responses (that is until you addressed it with another "Personality";s "Name").   Yeah... I like that! 

Whew!  Now back to my regularly scheduled programming.   

[Tuicemen]

Another Tuicemen laundry list!      I swear, sometimes I think Tuicemen has a better idea of where this program is going (should go) than I do!        Not that that's been a bad thing so far...  Thanks Tuicemen! 

Hey no problem Bill
I find my self I tend to get fixated on one option and forget about adding others!
Sometimes the real easy adds programers tend to miss! not that my list is all easy adds! 
But I always find my self telling BXVC to close! 
Ms Marry doesn't always stop listening!  
She likes to talk to my keyboard!

[Tuicemen]

Dave_x10_L:
 Here's the next item you can test looks better then the ear piece!
If you find where to get it let us know!

[TakeTheActive]

Dave_x10_L:
Here's the next item you can test looks better then the ear piece!

Two to beam up Scotty!
Before another bulb blows out!