BVC (Bill's Voice Commander) (Visual BASIC version)

[HA Dave]

Yes...... pretty cool huh!

I have an extra step based on a macro setup I have created. I have some handy-dandy-WAF macros that can be executed from a palmPad.

[dahur]

Yes, so cool.
I think I'll try and investigate how to change to a more human sounding voice.  My GPS has a "Sexy Selina" voice. I wish I could find one like that, but anything more human-like would be great.

Does the "Kate" voice you use sound natural? Does it matter if I get a  8 bit or 16 bit voice?

[HA Dave]

Yes, so cool.
I think I'll try and investigate how to change to a more human sounding voice.  My GPS has a "Sexy Selina" voice. I wish I could find one like that, but anything more human-like would be great.

Does the "Kate" voice you use sound natural? Does it matter if I get a  8 bit or 16 bit voice?

Does Kate sound natural? That's hard to say..... Kate and I have been together for a while now. She does sometimes sound like a computer voice... but [I thnk] that's just her personally.

Here is a sample Kate.

[dahur]

Yes, it's borderline. I think it does sound like Jeri Ryan.  Certainly more natural than the Microsoft voice.

[HA Dave]

Yes, it's borderline. I think it does sound like Jeri Ryan.  Certainly more natural than the Microsoft voice.

Yes... Jeri Ryan (or 7 of 9). You can alter the voice to some extent once it is on your system. Vista has a new voice, Anna, that sounds pretty good.

[dahur]

I just downloaded "Callie" from Cespstral. It appears in the Weather program, and it appears in the list under "voices" in BVC, however, after I choose Callie from the list and click ok, it doesn't play the voice.  In the weather program it won't play either-it says "parameters incorrect"
In the weather program, I had to change the settings to SAPI5 only, just to show "Callie".
I thought MS Speech was SAPI5, I'll keep playing with it.

[dahur]

I got "Callie" to work on BVC, and weather aloud. All is good,  for now....

[HA Dave]

I got "Callie" to work on BVC, and weather aloud.

ALL GOOD...... ALL EASY! I think... some people think Voice Command is so cool, so high-Tech, it would have to be difficult or require special skills. It doesn't.

[dahur]

I finished up installing 16 modules with timers for the "Talking Clock". Thanks Dave for the step by step instructions.
I have the timers set to turn off at 30 minutes past, and have set a "ghost" response as the wav response. Of course after the 1st, I'll put something else in it's place.(more practice)

Being a newbie at this AHP and BVC stuff, well,  it took me a good 2 hours for all 16 modules/timer settings,  and the 32 settings to be programmed into BVC's Listener.

Works great.

I want to add, that I got my XTB yesterday, and now I have voice control over all my devices (7).

[HA Dave]

I finished up installing 16 modules with timers for the "Talking Clock". Thanks Dave for the step by step instructions.

Glad to see you like the Talking Clock.

Being a newbie at this AHP and BVC stuff, well,  it took me a good 2 hours for all 16 modules/timer settings,  and the 32 settings to be programmed into BVC's Listener.

Yes... setting up Home Automation can mean spending some quality-time with your PC. But, even though my HA PC runs 24/7.... I haven't turned on it's monitor to check on it for WEEKS.

[dahur]

One thing I forgot to mention in setting up the "talking clock" with BVC.

For the morning responses, she says "the time is 10 am" or 11 etc.  What I had happen at first was she was pronouncing the am part as  if you said "I am going to the store".  So I put it in BVC like this.  the time is 10 a.m

With the period she says it right. I know this is old stuff to you guys, but for a newbie like me, it was another learning experience.

[HA Dave]

I know this is old stuff to you guys, but for a newbie like me, it was another learning experience.

I am sure these things are "old stuff" to some people... but NOT MANY. As I understand it... the voice can vary from PC to PC. So even though another users "same voice" may sound and behave similarly... there may also be slight differences. Of course even speakers [systems] and [the] users settings can change voice quality, tone, speed of speech and more.

You are among a (as-of-yet small, but) growing number of Home Automation users that have discovered and exploited the Voice technology into their systems. There has been a couple other Voice Command systems on the market for some time. But both came at a HUGE PRICE. Only very recently has advanced (PC and OS) technology's and Bills Voice Commander made this reliably useable and AFFORDABLE.

I am using an old discarded P3 computer, of course AHP (and my X10 setup), a small donation to wgjohns.com, A baby monitor microphone setup (at $17 each) and a couple extra $5 PC speakers, and Kate ($35). And yet, the performance of my BVC[/color][/url] system compares to what others have spent THOUSANDS to achieve using homeseerer or HAL.

[s0urc3f0ur]

So i've stepped over into the dark-side! or the bright side I should say! What a great intuitive program. And so much fun I just started using it last night. I cannot wait to explore all of the possibilites and probasbly some possibilities that have y et to be thought up. Thank you Bill for giving us what every man needs.. A woman that actually listens and does what we tell it.. with little nagging.

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

So i've stepped over into the dark-side! or the bright side I should say! What a great intuitive program. And so much fun I just started using it last night. I cannot wait to explore all of the possibilites and probasbly some possibilities that have y et to be thought up. Thank you Bill for giving us what every man needs.. A woman that actually listens and does what we tell it.. with little nagging.

Glad to hear you're having fun!   

Still haven't figured out how to get her to go to the fridge and get me a beer though (BVC or the wife)!   

[s0urc3f0ur]

So i've stepped over into the dark-side! or the bright side I should say! What a great intuitive program. And so much fun I just started using it last night. I cannot wait to explore all of the possibilites and probasbly some possibilities that have y et to be thought up. Thank you Bill for giving us what every man needs.. A woman that actually listens and does what we tell it.. with little nagging.

Glad to hear you're having fun!   

Still haven't figured out how to get her to go to the fridge and get me a beer though (BVC or the wife)!   

Yanno.... If you could get your hands on(or make) a drive thru bank tube sending thingy......from the fridge to where ever.....hmmmmmmm