THSCC Forums

It's no secret that I have wanted to try to do this for a while ... automated reading of run times on the PA / FM

Been playing with the AXWare demo and I think it's doable with the "Autoprint finishes" checkbox (easy to turn off too), and set the "Auto Time Print Option" "Direct Print To Device" set to "OUTPUT" (or some other filename).

So I'm wondering if someone can help write a simple compiled program to do the following. If there isn't a volunteer to do this, I have been looking for an excuse to get back into programming anyways, and I'd appreciate suggestions about what to use (Perl? C?)

Here's what I think it needs to do:

1. Watch a specified folder for a file called "OUTPUT" to change.

2. When OUTPUT is modified (timestamp), pull the new ASCII (it's overwritten) which looks like this:

Run 5: csp 98 34.567+1

3. Extract the info, parse based on a few if-thens and case statements, and execute a bunch of WAV files based on this info. Here's a first approximation of what WAV files we'd read for this time:

C.WAV
S.WAV
P.WAV
90.WAV
8.WAV
RUN.WAV
5.WAV
TIME.WAV
30.WAV
4.WAV
POINT.WAV
5.WAV
6.WAV
7.WAV
PLUS.WAV
1.WAV
CONE.WAV

4. We'll need to tweak it a bunch so it isn't painful to listen to -- need a WAV player that will sit open on the machine and not have a terrible delay. Need to play with the pauses to make it sound organic. Also need to plan for DNF and any other irregularities...

Who should record the wav files? Someone with a nice voice Off the top of my head, I think we need to record -

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,30,40,50,60,70,80,90,100,A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,S,P,M,T,X,O,TIR,LAD,NOV,POINT,DNF,CONE,TIME,RUN

We might be able to include more info in the file but this would be a good start

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

If "y'all" think it's jus' fine 'n dandy I kin volunteer my voice.

Simon

My son, Arun, seems to think it might be doable in PERL. PERL even has library for voice synthesis but I doubt it'll sound very good as an announcer.

Simon

if you batch run wav files and have wav files associated with winamp they run in succession pretty quick (at least on my computer at work).. i could make something up to do that relatively easy if using winamp or something like it that batches file runs..

I just tested a batch file that runs this command:

c:\Progra~1\Winamp\winamp.exe 5.wav 8.wav point.wav 3.wav 8.wav 4.wav +.wav 1.wav cone.wav

Works great

I also found a GPS freeware program that already has all our numbers and letters read in a cool English accent! But we need "PLUS" "CONE" and "DNF". How about it Simon?

I'm starting to think I can just do this with VBS - thoughts?

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Of course all of this should be done via a computer other than the one used for timing and scoring.

Scott

There are a variety of software programs that can convert text to speech. I haven't used any of them lately, but I understand they do work. In it's simplest form, you could use a program that reads the results from a simple text file. Yes, there's a little more to it than that, but it might eliminate some steps. I don't know how they sound today, but the programs of several years ago didn't really sound that great. Maybe they've improved. Do a google on "text to speech shareware" and you'll get plenty of material to research.

I'm not saying this is the way to do it, just throwing out alternatives to playing sound files.

Miles

My thoughts are that we don't need text to speech since we only have a finite and known list of phrases. No need to encumber the solution with unnecessary overhead.

I'd be happy to record any audio required.

With some look-up capabilities in the final solution we could even add regular competitor's names and appropriate derogatory comments based on the car number.



Simon

Semi related question...

Does AXWare support iCard? I have no idea, but how expensive would it be to support iCard at our events? I looked at http://www.icardus.com/ and couldn't find info on how much a transmitter costs.

_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

^ with names and derogatory comments you WOULD need the text to speech and not just set prerecorded sound bytes.

When I worked in IVRs (those anoying telephone systems when you call places and can't get a person), the developers used VB to code them. I can get more specific information if you want me too.

_________________
Diane (Hall) Bundas
1992 Spec Miata #48 - 1997 Chevy Tahoe - 2007 Honda Civic Coupe

#!/usr/local/bin/perl
##
## Too weird
##
print "Content-type: text/plain\n\n";




Ok someone get Whitney away from the bus. I think he's inhaled too much diesel fumes...




print "Content-type: voice/cool\n\n";

1. Michelle Pfeifer (I'd follow her voice anywhere!)
2. Mr. Rogers (nice and calm and neighbourly)
3. Drill Sargeant from Full Metal Jacket (that'll make you pay attention)
4. Whopper from War Games (might as well sound like a computer)


Ok seriously. Do it in Perl or VBS feeding Winamp if you can. All the tools are free. There are also free text to speech tools that you can just stream the text at. They have a number of built-in voices. Most sound like crap though.

Graham

_________________
http://www.greywinds.com

Mike, it sounds like you are going to need Network support to make this work, and we weren't planning on purchasing that option at this time. There may be a way to work around that, just by sharing drives, but we can't say for certain until we get ahold of the specific version that we will be using.

Richard, there is support for Icard, but it is also an option that we aren't purchasing at the moment.

_________________
In need of car.

No need for another computer. This would be a really tiny app that sits in the background on the machine. It would run at startup, just gotta figure out how it can remain in the background and do its thing.

If it interrupts the operation of the machine AT ALL or if it's processor intensive, then I agree, it's a no-go.

Let me work on getting it working and test it at least, OK? If it sucks it'll be shelved.

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Oh Yeah, I just didn't want you to build something based on a feature in the software that we may not be purchasing.

_________________
In need of car.