Text To Speech

Introduction

The Loriotpro service plug-in Text To Speech is a tool for converting text into voice. The events filtered (LoriotPro Event, Syslog message, SNMP trap) can be read aloud by this module

This helps to attract the attention of the LoriotPro operator console and to deliver a vocal message clear and explicit.

To run this plug-in internal engine uses a speech synthesizer.

An internal driver, called TTS engine available on Microsoft Windows, recognizes the text written and read using a synthesized voice chosen from among several voices generated beforehand.
The TTS engine used by this plug-in comes with the Windows operating system. The engine can use different voices and different regional accents, for example, British English, or use a different language such as German, french or Russian.

The operating principle is simple.

1. The messages or wave file are saved by LoriotPro and its filtering system in a dedicated directory (/bin/playlist).
2. The Text To Speech plug-in scans at regular intervals the presence of text file to read in this directory.
3. All files in the directory are added to its play list and then read sequentially.

Interface of the Text To Speech plug-in

Installing Text To Speech

Open the service tab and then click right to open the context menu.

Select the plug-in Text To Speech.

Remarque : To operate your system must have a sound card and speakers or a headset. The modules Windows Speech recognition and Text To Speech must be present in the control panel. (Available by default on XP and Vista).

You can also consult the WEB site from Bytecool for complementary voices and informations about TTS.

Configuring Text To Speech

The Play list area provide control over the plug-in operations.

Start : Start to read the file in the play list

Stop : Stop the reading of the play list

Save Config : Save the current settings as default settings.

Delete : Delete all the files in the play list

Update : Update the play list (perform a read of the /bin/playlist directory)

Auto Delete : Delete the file from the play list after reading

The Audio Setting area provide acces to the audio settings

Voice : Voice selection (Other voices can be added to the list, refer to Microsoft TTS documentation for that)

Volume : The voice volume

Rate : The speed of the voice

Format : The sampling format of the sound

Show Event : Debug message will be display in the lower debug screen

Process XML : XML tag will be interpreted

The Single play area can be use for testing purpose. The voice settings can be evaluated before saving.

A text can be entered in the edit windows and then read by the text to speech engine.

Speak Text : Read the text in the edit field

Pause : Pause the reading

Stop : Close the reading

Speak Wave : Play a wave file

Open : play any type of text file

Processing XML tag

Reserved XML tag can be included in the text file and interpreted by the TTS engine.

The Process Check box should be checked first.

If for example the you include the folloing tag : <context ID="time">13:20</context>

The TTS engine will read it as a time and not as a simple number.

Consult the Micorosoft Documentation to discover the reserved tag and their usage.