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The program has an input area on the screen for entering a text or audio phrase
which is to be spoken or played. With the touch of the "Enter" key or a mouse
click, the text is converted to speech and sent to a voice synthesizer which
conveys the message in mellifluous tones. Audio phrases are played as recorded.
Pronouncements of lasting value can be saved by the program. In this way a library of prose and of audio can be developed and called upon when the appropriate occasion arises. The material can be organized by categories, such as greetings, bad jokes, political pronouncements, and requests of a caregiver. Further organization into sub-categories and sub-sub-categories is possible. The basic E-triloquist screen displays the categories and sub-categories. Using the mouse or the cursor movement keys (the arrow keys) will bring a text phrase to the speaking window, or will play an audio phrase. You can communicate a lot with just a few key strokes or mouse clicks. E-triloquist has facilities for adding, deleting, and renaming categories and phrases. Also, text phrases can be changed, and new audio phrases can be recorded (a microphone or other input source is required). A text containing many sentences can be spoken one sentence at a time if desired. Speech can be stopped at the end of each sentence to await a response from the listener. Also, a sentence can be skipped, and the sentences can be spoken in any order. The program function keys are set up as "hot" keys. Commonly used phrases such as "thank you", or "please hold for a moment while I key a response" can be "spoken" with the single depression of a program function key. The hot key phrases can be audio as well -- for example, a trumpet fanfare. Version 5.0 expanded the number of hot-keys available to 48 phrases. Text can be brought to E-triloquist from other applications by using Windows "cut and paste" or "drag-and-drop" (better known to some as "drag-and-lose") techniques. Thus, text prepared on a word processor or received by electronic mail can be spoken. This is useful for jokes people send you by electronic mail, or ones you find on the Internet. With a speakerphone and a patient person on the other end of the line, telephone calls are possible. Simply place the speakerphone near your computer's speakers and you're all set. You can watch a video example of this which someone posted on YouTube to see how it works. |