[IDEA] Voice recognition

(----____JEFF____----) · Post by **(----____JEFF____----)** » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 18:14

I have been searching a while to get voice recognition on my PC. Now that I have it I think it's really cool, but even cooler is the fact that it also works with X3!

I made a small video in which I show a few commands.

click

As of now they are still only default commands, but I'm planning on adding stuff like wing commands, turret commands and more. For those I still need to write scripts and do stuff in the program that I'm using as well.

The program I'm using is called e-speaking, it converts my voice commands to key presses. This is the e-speaking website.

http://www.e-speaking.com/index.htm
I do not claim to own e-speaking in anyway, I'm just using it to show what it can do and how cool that is.

Anyway, what do you think?

Edit: s9ilent is programming his own application for voice recognition, specially designed for X3TC. Check that thread for more information

s9ilent's voice recognition

bounty_hunter66 · Post by **bounty_hunter66** » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 18:41

Its amazing!! It could really make your life easier especialy in battle. You could order "Blue wing - protect me" "Red wing - attack all enemies" just by saying it. And it really feels like youre in command of a fleet. You could make lots and lots of bindings like "Trader - Universe trade" or "TS - Collect rocks" and many more

captain1 · Post by **captain1** » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 18:48

very cool

(----____JEFF____----) · Post by **(----____JEFF____----)** » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 19:07

that's idea bounty_hunter66

thing is that it's going to take a lot of work to do all those commands, not to mention all the hotkeys it would cost. So I need to make a system to map all commands to just a few hotkeys and use some selection system to pick the actual command.

I've been testing some stuff I thought up my self and it works, but it still requires you to input a string, so you don't have control over your ship for a short period because there is a screen in front of you. An alternative maybe Gazz's multiple command hotkey thing, I haven't tried that yet though.

I also need to find a way to export the commands I made in e-speaking, I think I know how to do it, but someone will need to test it

Stealth17 · Post by **Stealth17** » Sun, 7. Dec 08, 23:23

I'm at their website now. The program itself is free, but to edit/add/delete commands you need a license. Did you buy this?

As an alternative there's Game Commander 2. It's a very old program (4-5 years) but it still works very well if you can find it.

Sketchy_DJM · Post by **Sketchy_DJM** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 04:17

This is a really good idea - with all the commands and specific control you have over everything in the game, simply saying the command, even just for wingmen, would save time and make it less complicated (not that it is bad at the moment mind you

)
I've read many topics on this forum and that is probably the best, simple, idea I have seen. Best of luck with getting a working version sorted, I'll be sure keep watch for it!

(----____JEFF____----) · Post by **(----____JEFF____----)** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 08:30

@Stealth17: I'm still on the trial at the moment

but I think I'll buy it, because I can't edit the commands anymore and it's only $14. Also after 30 days you can't use it at all anymore. Anyway that game commander 2 sounds nice, I'll have a look to see if I can find it somewhere, thanks for the tip

AsterXiphos · Post by **AsterXiphos** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 08:37

This works fine - and it's free. I was opening and closing sector maps like a madman . . .

Anyone know if you can create a logfile that lists all of your hotkeys? It'd sure make creating macros for them much easier. Of course, for some things, we'd need new hotkeys created.

(----____JEFF____----) · Post by **(----____JEFF____----)** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 08:46

@AsterXiphos: nice if your on Vista, but I'm on XP

I think this is close to what you mean. Look at the first X3TC guide ([X3T] X3T - a default keyboard map by BugMeister (excel) (2/11/2008)).

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=162408

Also about game commander, I haven't tried it yet, but I could only find a demo version and a price of $30 for the full version. There also seems to be a 3.0 version, but that seems to have no advantages and costs $75

So unless I can find it cheaper somewhere, I'll stick with e-speaking

AsterXiphos · Post by **AsterXiphos** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 08:57

Hmm, good point about Vista. How 'bout I put some macros together for Vista, and you take care of XP!

That file is almost what I meant - I'd like to export my mod hotkeys as well, though. I know the basics, but that file will help me check them off so I don't forget any!

s9ilent · Post by **s9ilent** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 08:57

Hmmm awesomeness

I am like... bursting with cool awesome voice-script ideas
Lots of which are inspired by end war
Hmm.. but I dont like buying third party software... I might try to VBA a solution.. but it will eat cpu power.. as you'd have to run an office application in the background...

enenra · Post by **enenra** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 09:30

How about simply doing the script-part first and maybe give a list for reasonable sentences / words to program the voice-application?

That would leave players open to what they want to use as a program.

(And maybe post a list of which programs we could use)

s9ilent · Post by **s9ilent** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 09:56

Hrm.. scripting it in is easy.. as the commands your calling already exist... all you need to do is link the input, to the script (a 1 liner). The question is... what is the input.. (Hotkey in this example, although...)

I thought I'd try teaching my self .. programing and use the MS sdk kit.. yeh.. failure...
Soo now I'm just hunting for a low usage program, and then see what output it gives

(----____JEFF____----) · Post by **(----____JEFF____----)** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 09:59

Nice that everyone likes the idea, thanks guys

@AsterXiphos: That's fine with me, you can take care of Vista

@s9ilent: Yeah I know what you mean, I also don't really like the idea of paying for something that's actually quite simple. I mean e-speaking uses a recognition engine of microsoft and uses that to recognize the commands. Also it also has to run in the background, but I haven't noticed anything performance wise, but I have a quad core so it could be thanks to that

;)

Just to let you know, Vista is a lot better at the whole voice recognition thing. It has a better recognition engine build in and things like the macro's AsterXiphos pointed out. In XP you need to install the recognition engine your self as well as third party software for the commands, be it e-speaking or anything else for that matter. Or a program like game commander, which seems to have it's own recognition engine, but costs a lot more.
So as of now I don't really see a way to do this for free or without third party software. The only alternative seems to be Vista, but that's not exactly cheap ether and I'll rather wait till windows 7. So if your not willing to pay and do some work, it's not going to work for you.

Edit: @enenra: that's not a bad idea, but I'm also willing to offer you a list of commands I made in e-speaking. You see, you need to define all commands manually and that's a lot of work. So I wanted to do just one application so I can share that list with everyone. The script part is actually not so much work if you compare it with the defining of all those commands. I could try making one command for everything, but things like opening maps is something I can't change with scripts (though saying that makes me think of a way that might work).

Edit 2: Maybe it's possible to make something like that thing Cycrow once made, that external program to play video or something like that. I'm sure some of you know what I mean

Vanel · Post by **Vanel** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 16:51

I don't know if this program will help or not, but I used to use it in silent hunter 3 to voice command my sub

It is called shoot and it is completely free for non-commercial use. If I remember right it worked very well. Here is a link:

http://clans.gameclubcentral.com/shoot/

enenra · Post by **enenra** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 18:14

Vanel wrote:I don't know if this program will help or not, but I used to use it in silent hunter 3 to voice command my sub It is called shoot and it is completely free for non-commercial use. If I remember right it worked very well. Here is a link:

http://clans.gameclubcentral.com/shoot/

Ah, right. That's the one I used on my old PC as well. Works without problems iirc.

(tho I think I downloaded it somewhere else)

(----____JEFF____----) · Post by **(----____JEFF____----)** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 19:02

Sweet, thanks guys I'll do some tests and stuff and get back with the results later

fud · Post by **fud** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 19:16

Love the idea, but I'm afraid it most likely wouldn't work for me (personally), as I'm curious how it'd react to "STUPID F***!" and "Awww, *** damn it!"

enenra · Post by **enenra** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 20:00

fud wrote:Love the idea, but I'm afraid it most likely wouldn't work for me (personally), as I'm curious how it'd react to "STUPID F***!" and "Awww, *** damn it!"

"Self destruction enabled. 10... 9... 8... [...]"

(----____JEFF____----) · Post by **(----____JEFF____----)** » Mon, 8. Dec 08, 20:33

That Shoot is a sweet program, I'll just have to redo all the commands I made in e-speaking, but other then that it's at least as good for what I want to use it

Thanks again Vanel and enenra

@fud: I can make it so you have to hold down a button for it to turn on the microphone, so you can all crazy while it's off

I also have that it picks up on background noises sometimes, so a on/off toggle/hold down key is very useful to prevent most of that stuff. So far I haven't had anything self destructing on me, but I didn't set that as a command.....yet