This ReadMe file
contains last minute information and tips on AzTech Drama Player RC 1.0
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I-Introduction
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Drama player is a
program that "plays" *.drm files that are made using AzTech Drama
Creator. A drama file is a written set
of commands that could be used to "program" Microsoft Agents. The commands are made with Drama Creator and
published as *.drm files. Microsoft Agent
is a technology developed by Microsoft corporation to enable developers to add
amusing interfaces in their applications.
However, this technology is only programmable which means that you need
to know a programming language such as VB, C++ or Java to program them. However, AzTech Drama Creator lets you
program them without the use of any of these languages, and create funny
"dramas" which can then be played with Drama Player.
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II-Features of
Microsoft Agents
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They can be
animated, they can be made to say whatever you wish, they can be made to
understand what you say to them and many more things can be done with
them. Microsoft Agents carry a vast
database of animations. Animating them
is easy. With the integration of a Text-To-Speech
(TTS) engine they can Speak. Not only
can they speak but if programmed, their Speed, Pitch, Volume, Emphasize etc.
can be adjusted according to the situation.
The TTS engine can also be changed.
The TTS engines control a few aspects such as accent and language. TTS engines are available for many languages
including Russian, Spanish and of course English. Next, with the integration of a
Speech-Recognition (SR) engine they can perceive and understand what the user
talks via microphone. SR is currently a
conceptual technology and is itself in development. Hence, the integration is not quite
successful but however, remains as an option if the user wants to use it.
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III-AzTech Drama
Player
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AzTech drama
player can play for you the dramas made with AzTech Drama Creator. A drama is not a movie. It can be described as a process in your
system that happens in real time. The
characters are rendered in real time on the screen. It’s just like a game. Basically, a drama file is a written set of
instructions that contain information on what has to be done with the
characters. Drama player analyzes the
information and converts it into MS agent server understandable code. In other words, Drama Player (with the Drama
Engine) programs Microsoft Agents automatically by looking at the commands.
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IV-Features of
Drama Player
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Drama Player
enhances the capabilities of the Drama Engine.
It provides many features that are almost impossible to achieve with a
technology like Microsoft Agents. The progress teller, status teller and now
the Pause feature are all present. The
final release will have TTS switching features.
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VII-FAQs
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1. What is the difference
between Beta 2.0 and RC
Ans) RC 1 is well polished and represents 90% of
the final release. It includes the
Settings feature which is a collection of various properties that can be
configured. As far as the UI is
concerned nothing has changed.
2. Why does the
player seem to reload every time I press the Stop or Pause button?
Ans) The player
reloads itself every time the drama has to be interrupted.
3. The drama
suddenly doesn't seem to progress. It remains stuck. What should I do?
Ans) Stop and
replay the drama.
4. There seems to
be a difference between the drama I made in Drama creator and the drama I now
play in Drama Player. Why?
Ans) The DE of
drama player is quite different from that of drama creator. Even though the difference is not visible but
it is possible that some dramas might not work as expected.
5. Are loop bugs
fixed?
Ans) Loop bugs
are completely fixed.
6. I changed the
language of my character. But now he is
mute, why?
Ans) You don’t
have the required TTS engine installed.
Go to http://www.microsoft.com/msagent/downloads.htm
for downloading the required TTS engine(s).
7. What is “MS
Agent Property Page”?
Ans) MS Agent
Property Page is the control panel of Microsoft Agent Server. It directly applies to the AgtSvr. Any changes made to it are reflected throughout
the system i.e. if you access ms agents via any other program, the current
settings will be evident on them.
8. By changing
the Profile, can I revert the changes I made to Agent Server?
Ans) AgtSvr
settings are not saved in the profile. You
must revert them manually.