7 replies to this topic

[Sir Wolfenx]

I have found several programs which can bind vocal input to any video game. However these programs have overhead issues or are very cumbersome. Voice input is built into Windows as every system has Windows Narrator Technology. It is very simple to add commands into C# if the CryEngine has support for C# microsoft libraries. Even then subprogram can port commands into the MWO application.

I have issues moving my hand around the keyboard and while in intense firefights or precise timing I can't take my hand off the WASD area.
I would love to say "Fire Artillery Strike " at a good moment.
Or "Fire UAV". This would resolve not disrupting other hand positions, where players have limited buttons on mouse, or a keyboard that doesn't resolve hand position issues.
Often placing such strikes involves evading enemy fire in faster mechs and moving the hand away to another position from the primary game keys will result in mech explosion and pilot death.

Other commands would be "Activate WeaponBank Four" to move the weapons selector to that bank.

More advanced commands could be "JumpJets Burn %50" however implimenting keypresses over a period of time is a bit more complicated ("But still pretty easy to do").

Has anyone used vocal commands in MWO? Would you like to see it integrated into the game?

[TheArisen]

I like the idea of voice commands but it seems like it'd be difficult to implement, at least for PGI's limited staff. I voted yes, but only if it wouldn't take too much time from other, more critical things.

[50 50]

It's nice idea but from my experience there isn't enough keyboard commands to really make use of what voice activation can provide.
It's handy for things such as activating the consumables, toggling the battlegrid or changing vision modes but generally I find I don't use it that much.
There isn't that detailed level of micro-management in the game to really get much from voice activation.

[Sir Wolfenx]

TheArisen, on 13 April 2015 - 01:25 PM, said:

I like the idea of voice commands but it seems like it'd be difficult to implement, at least for PGI's limited staff. I voted yes, but only if it wouldn't take too much time from other, more critical things.

Well if they let me touch their source code I could probably do it in one week. Its EASY with windows. You just access windows narrator in CSharp/C#. Seriously. using System.Speech.Recognition

Once you get the speech recognition working you just add it to the GUI.

This code was all it took for me to get speech recognition speaking to a UNITY3D game I am working on.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;
using System.Speech.Recognition;
using System.Threading;
using System.Diagnostics;
using WindowsInput; // Keyboard Emulator (InputSimulator.dll)  >>> http://inputsimulator.codeplex.com/
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace RecoServeur
{
class Program
{
  public static SpeechRecognitionEngine speechRecognitionEngine;
  public static string wordRecognized  = "";
	    public static string endApp	 = "Terminer";
	    public static string startReco  = "Ouverture";
	    public static string endReco    = "Fermeture";
	    public static string[] recoGrammar    = new string[1000];
	    public static string[] recoTagSending = new string[1000];
	    public static int recoNumber = 0;
	    public static string newLine    = "";
	    public static Boolean isReco    = false;
	    public static Boolean isDisplay = false;
  public static double validity   = 0.70f;
  public static void Main(string[] args)
  {
		    System.Media.SystemSounds.Question.Play();
		    speechRecognitionEngine = new SpeechRecognitionEngine(SpeechRecognitionEngine.InstalledRecognizers()[0]); // First Installed Recognizers
   try
   {
    // create the engine
    // hook to event
    speechRecognitionEngine.SpeechRecognized += new EventHandler<SpeechRecognizedEventArgs>(engine_SpeechRecognized);
    // load dictionary
    try
    {
	 Choices texts = new Choices();

	 string[] lines = File.ReadAllLines(Environment.CurrentDirectory + "\\grammar.txt");
	 foreach (string line in lines)
	 {
	  // Reco endApp
	  if (line.StartsWith("#C"))
	  {
	   var parts = line.Split(new char[] { ' ' });
	   endApp = parts[1];
	   Console.WriteLine("Close Application Word : " + parts[1]);
	   continue;
	  }
					    // Reco startReco
					    if (line.StartsWith("#S"))
					    {
						    var parts = line.Split(new char[] { ' ' });
						    startReco = parts[1];
						    Console.WriteLine("Start Recognition Word : " + parts[1]);
						    continue;
					    }
					    // Reco endReco
					    if (line.StartsWith("#E"))
					    {
						    var parts = line.Split(new char[] { ' ' });
						    endReco = parts[1];
						    Console.WriteLine("End Recognition Word : " + parts[1]);
						    continue;
					    }
					    // Reco validity
					    if (line.StartsWith("#V"))
					    {
						    var parts = line.Split(new char[] { ' ' });
						    validity = Convert.ToInt32(parts[1]) / 100.0f;
						    Console.WriteLine("Validity : " + parts[1]);
						    continue;
					    }					  
					    // Display Reco
					    if (line.StartsWith("#D"))
					    {
						    isDisplay = true;
						    Console.WriteLine("Display (Verbose) on...");
						    continue;
					    }
	  // skip comments and empty lines..
	  if (line.StartsWith("#") || line == String.Empty) continue;
					    // add the reco grammar and the tag *************************************
					    var parts2 = line.Split(new char[] { ',' });
					    // the recognition grammar
					    texts.Add(parts2[0]);
					    // then sended string 'tag'
					    recoGrammar[recoNumber]    = parts2[0];
					    recoTagSending[recoNumber] = parts2[1];
					    recoNumber++;
					    // add the reco grammar and the tag *************************************
				    } // foreach grammar.txt
	 Grammar wordsList = new Grammar(new GrammarBuilder(texts));
	 speechRecognitionEngine.LoadGrammar(wordsList);
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
	 throw ex;
	 System.Environment.Exit(0);
    }
    // use default microphone
    speechRecognitionEngine.SetInputToDefaultAudioDevice();
    // start listening
    speechRecognitionEngine.RecognizeAsync(RecognizeMode.Multiple);
   }
   catch (Exception ex)
   {
			    speechRecognitionEngine.RecognizeAsyncStop();
			    speechRecognitionEngine.Dispose();
			    MessageBox.Show( ex.Message + "\n\nSeem we have an error here : \n\na) Do you have connected a MicroPhone ?! \nb) Have you forgot the 'grammar.txt' file ?!!");
			    // exit
    System.Environment.Exit(0);
   }
   // Ready
		    Console.WriteLine("\n\nVocabulary added : " + recoNumber.ToString());
		    Console.WriteLine("\n\nReady.....");
		    Console.WindowWidth = 50;
		    Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
		    Console.WriteLine("** Sending Recognition is now DISABLE **");
   while (true)
   {
    Thread.Sleep(10);
   }
  } // main
  public static void engine_SpeechRecognized(object sender, SpeechRecognizedEventArgs e)
  {
   if (e.Result.Confidence >= validity)
   {
			    wordRecognized = e.Result.Text;
			    // End of app
			    if (wordRecognized == endApp)
			    {
				    speechRecognitionEngine.RecognizeAsyncStop();
				    speechRecognitionEngine.Dispose();
				    System.Environment.Exit(0);
			    }
			    // activate the sending reco.
			    if (wordRecognized == startReco)
			    {
				    isReco = true;
				    Console.Title = wordRecognized;
				    Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.Green;
				    Console.WriteLine("** Sending Recognition is now ACTIVATED **");
				    return;
			    }
			    // de-activate the sending reco.
			    if (wordRecognized == endReco)
			    {
				    isReco = false;
				    Console.Title = wordRecognized;
				    Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
				    Console.WriteLine("** Sending Recognition is now DISABLE **");
				    return;
			    }
			    // Try to find the word
			    if (isReco)
			    {
				    for (int i=0; i < recoNumber; i++)
				    {
					    // we have a winner...
					    if (wordRecognized == recoGrammar[i])
					    {
						    // send the tag
						    if (recoTagSending[i].Length > 1) newLine = "\n"; else newLine = "";
						    // Keyboard Emulator (InputSimulator.dll)  >>> http://inputsimulator.codeplex.com/
						    InputSimulator.SimulateTextEntry(recoTagSending[i] + newLine);
						    Console.Title = wordRecognized;
						    if (isDisplay) Console.WriteLine("Sending : " + recoTagSending[i]);
						    return;
					    }
				    }
			    }
   }
  }
} // Program
} // RecoServeur
// End source

Then you add your grammar file in grammar.txt

# comment
#E Terminer
#V 70
Merci
O
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Au revoir
Terminer
zéro
un
deux
trois
quatre
cinq
six
sept
huit
neuf
dix
Patrick
Denis
Albert
Jean
Paul
Antoine
Bonjour
Salut
Il fait beau
Matin
Chien
Cheval
Chat
Cochon
Ordinateur
Il fait beau ce matin
Parfait
Ouverture
Fermeture
Le petit chaperon rouge
Unity
Le ciel est bleu et le soleil brille
Gauche
Droite
Haut
Bas
Saute
Tir
1984
2012
1962
1504
2013
22
33
11

The code gets sent to the program VIA a port, but it could be easily wrapped into the game.

WINDOWS NARRATOR does all the work for you.

[Astarot]

Just going to make a point, vocal commands are generally a bad idea, without some complex vocal software, which cost lots of money. As simple vocal software is unlikely to be able to decipher accent types. From personal experance, computers have a hard time with those that have drawls.

[Mechteric]

No need for them to spend development time on something few are likely to bother with. Also there's already a 3rd party app you can download for this purpose. It's kinda niche and doesn't really warrant much attention unless you need it because of a disability.

[Burktross]

Just use glovepie or pieglove or whatever. very good.

[Kissamies]

I'm inclined to say that this sort of thing is better implemented with external programs for those who want to use them. I have considered using them myself, mainly for artillery strikes, but I've gotten somewhat involved with CW groups and use voice activated teamspeak so it might be a bad idea for me.