Winboard Forum

I use Crafty chess on Winboard my operating system is Windows XP. I can not find the speak.exe file which I need to get Crafty announcing the moves. Can anyone help?

Hello Peter,

I've put together a little package for you that contains everything you need >

http://www.mydatabus.com/public/deckard/CraftySpeechPack.zip


This how to get speech (move announcements) working in Crafty :

1. Copy all the files in the zip archive into your Crafty engine folder.

2. Run Crafty and type 'speech on' (no quotes) .

3. That's it.


*** Important! ***

Some Antispyware/Antivirus software (e.g BoClean) flags 'speech.exe' as
a trojan when it runs - This is a FALSE POSITIVE. This software is safe.
But please scan it yourself if you are worried.

A very good online scan is here which uses multiple scanning engines >
http://virusscan.jotti.org/


Jim Ablett.

I should add that the sounds files included in the download do not cover every move -
there are some missing, but as they are just simple '.wav' files it should be easy to record
your own perhaps, or maybe track them down on the internet somewhere.

Jim.

Jim Ablett wrote:Hello Peter,

I've put together a little package for you that contains everything you need >

http://www.mydatabus.com/public/deckard/CraftySpeechPack.zip


This how to get speech (move announcements) working in Crafty :

1. Copy all the files in the zip archive into your Crafty engine folder.

2. Run Crafty and type 'speech on' (no quotes) .

3. That's it.


*** Important! ***

Some Antispyware/Antivirus software (e.g BoClean) flags 'speech.exe' as
a trojan when it runs - This is a FALSE POSITIVE. This software is safe.
But please scan it yourself if you are worried.

A very good online scan is here which uses multiple scanning engines >
http://virusscan.jotti.org/


Jim Ablett.

Hello Jim:
If you run Crafty at Winboard, I wonder where to type "speech on" ?
Regards
Pablo Urzúa

Hi Pablo,

If you run Crafty at Winboard, I wonder where to type "speech on" ?

I've only tested it running Crafty by itself in a CLI window.
Have you tried adding it to the 'crafty.rc' file ?

Jim.

Hello Jim,

Thanks for your help and providing the files.
I did exactly as you said however, unfortunately it has not worked.
I already have the .wav files and the crafty.rc file (with “speech on” no quotes added to it) from Bob Hyatt’s site
All I need is the speak.exe file to add to my crafty folder.
I run crafty through Winboard.
Any chance of a speak.exe file to make the sound work given the details above?

Hello Peter,

I did exactly as you said however, unfortunately it has not worked.

The speak.exe included is a Linux program compiled with Cygwin
to work with Windows. It doesn't use the .wav extension.

Remove the .wav extension from the sound files.

Jim.

Hello Jim,
I really did do exactly as you said, but when it didn’t work I tried a few things.
As I already have the .wav files and you said your files were missing a few I tried mine, but no sound.
As I run crafty on winboard I edited the crafty.rc file to include “speech on” (without quotes) and on a separate line, but no sound.

Bob Hyatt said all I needed was his .wav files the crafty.rc file with speech on added, all of which I have and the speak.exe file which I don’t have and it should work, but it doesn’t. He also said that winboard’s sound settings have no affect, so I didn’t need to worry about those.

I wonder if I need a different speak.exe file? Help please…

Hi Peter,

I wonder if I need a different speak.exe file? Help please…

I did few tests. It's as I suspected, running Crafty in xboard/winboard mode switches off speech output.
Seems like this feature is only designed for console/command line play.

Incidentally the sound files available for download on the Crafty FTP dont work by default.
In play Crafty looks for sound files such as 'e5.wav', d5.wav, Nf3.wav' - nothing like that in 'sound.zip'

There a windows exe available here that will play sound files with the .wav extension in Crafty (mine won't)

http://www.kohnos.net/tools/tools.html

Scroll down and look for 'sound.exe' - download and rename it 'speak.exe' and put it in the Crafty folder.

It seems pretty much pointless now though if you can't use it with Winboard

Jim.

Hello Jim
I am at a loss.
Having tried so hard for so long to get crafty announcing moves using winboard, only to find now that it seems unlikely.
I did try that sound.exe file, but like you thought, it didn’t work.
Must I then give up or is there some way you know that I can get crafty announcing moves using winboard?

Must I then give up or is there some way you know that I can get crafty announcing moves using winboard?

Three ways left.

Use modified version of Winboard which uses 'Jaws' software for the visually impaired to speak moves.
http://www.tim-mann.org/extensions.html

Add the feature to Winboard to speak moves as in Arena. (Allesandro Scotti's department)

Modify Crafty source to speak in xboard mode.
I could probably do this. You would still need all the appropriate sound samples for this to work fully.
I'll take a look when I get time.

Jim.

I did a adapter for winboard engines as Inbetween and bookthinker.
This does to winboard engines talking, but I have wav files only in spanish.
It say welcome, goodbye, white win, black win, stalemate and some jokes, besides it has opening book.
This might announcing moves but only in long algebraic now.

If you Jim has some loquendo voice maybe might help me to translate this to english (I would do it but my english is very bad ).
or if someone speak english and spanish might help me too.

Hello Jim,
Thank you for all your help and advice.
Adding the feature to winboard seems a better option to me than modifying crafty’s source code, however, unfortunately I would not know how to proceed with either, which places me again at your goodwill and support, if I am ever to get crafty announcing moves.

Hi Alex,

I did a adapter for winboard engines as Inbetween and bookthinker.

That's sounds like a neat tool. Why don't you release it?

If you Jim has some loquendo voice maybe might help me to translate this to english

Unfortunately my speaking voice sounds like Mr Bean with a bad cold.

Maybe David Dahlem could do some. I remember he released some female sound samples for Arena.
I don't think it was his voice though, at least I hope not!

Regards,
Jim.

Thank you for all your help and advice.

My pleasure Peter

Best,
Jim.

Pablo Urzua was kind enough to send me a working Crafty 1917 package with sound.

http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id1783319627

You need to run the included "movespeech.cmd" file first to setup it up .

Thanks Pablo!

Jim.

Hi Pablo
Thanks for the crafty19.17 speak package.
It announces the opponent’s moves only? Is that correct or should it also announce my moves?

Hi Peter:
Only announce the oponnent moves.
Regards,
Pablo

Hi.
I will do available an adapter weekend, it announces moves for 2 players without stoping the game as Crafty.
Winboard will have female voice...

[quote="Pablo"]Hi Peter:
Only announce the oponnent moves.
Regards,
Pablo[/quote]

Thanks Pablo. Nice.

Best to you,

Gerold.