Messages

1

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Help with my To Do list

« on: January 09, 2021, 12:41:32 PM »

...you may be able to fix things using the action VC.SetCulture
See https://voxcommando.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Actions#SetCulture

VC.SetCulture en-US for the Win!

I now have a British voice speaking dates in a US format.  Thanks!!!

2

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Help with my To Do list

« on: January 05, 2021, 02:17:14 PM »

The simplest solution is probably just to use the {LongDate} variable, since it writes out the full date as: "January 5, 2021" instead of "01-05-2021"

If you need even more control you can use the {DtCustom.*} variable.  Documentation can be found here: https://voxcommando.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Variables#Date.2FTime

I logged in on my lunch break and did some testing. {LongDate} didn't work, it resulted in reading out May 1st in long form as today's date.  With the time I had available for lunch I couldn't figure out a way to leverage {DTCustom.___} to invert the two values without a lot of logic to deal with day and month value ranges. So, I ran a few tests using US and UK voices that confirmed the voice files do have regional settings baked in that override the related regional pc config settings.

To make it work I added a SetVoiceName command before and after they Speak {LongDate} command.  The first switches the voice to a US voice so the date gets spoken correctly.  Then after the date is spoken the second switches the voice back to the preferred UK voice.  It's not ideal in that everyone here dislikes the US voices, but at least they only have to put up with it for Date requests.

THANKS! For all the help!
Tom G.

3

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Help with my To Do list

« on: January 05, 2021, 11:10:34 AM »

I'm not sure what you mean by "voice files"

By that I meant I downloaded additional voices from Microsoft. Among them the English UK voice called Microsoft Hazel.  If that is the cause of the reversed month and day then I'll go with the longer date format as you suggest since no one at home likes the English US voices.

For the record, the only short date format that makes sense in my opinion is YYYY/MM/DD.  I wish the planet would adopt this format.  There is never any ambiguity about it and it has the bonus of being sorted correctly. 

I'm completely with you on a global standard for date formats.  In the military units I was in the solution was to use 2 digit numeric date, spelled out or abbreviated month, and a 4 digit numeric year: 05 January 2021.  With the month in alpha and the two numeric segments different lengths even when the order was changed it was still perfectly clear what the date was.

4

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Help with my To Do list

« on: January 05, 2021, 09:40:00 AM »

I believe I've corrected the issue with the Accuweather plugin.  At least for me there was an odd case where the moonrise or moonset was null (maybe because the mooncycle is more than 24 hours?) but it should be handled gracefully now.  You can download the new version here: https://voxcommando.com/home/downloads/

It appears to be working now.  Prior to the fix I was getting multiple nulls.  Now everything I've tested so far return correct values.  All I have left to do on this punch list item is season to taste.

THANKS!
Tom G.

PS: On one of the other items I'm getting an interesting behavior that leads to another question: Do voice files carry hard coded regional settings?  I have all my pc regional settings set for US with the correct time zone, in my case East Coast. I have everything regarding language on the pc and in VC set to US English with only one exception.  I prefer the spoken voice to be a British female voice so I used Microsoft Hazel.

The date on my pc shows as Tuesday 5 January 2021 or 1/5/2021 but when VC speaks the date via TTS it says May 1st 2021.  Is this a result of my using the English UK voice file or am maybe missing a setting someplace.  I hope I can correct this or do something custom to get the correct date spoken without having to give up on that voice file.

5

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Help with my To Do list

« on: January 04, 2021, 07:57:10 PM »

Regarding your desire to eliminate Alexa from your home: Are you trying to get rid of Alexa completely for privacy or some other reasons, or do you just want to reduce your reliance on it because a local solution is faster and more reliable?

There are a several reasons I'm looking to eliminate Alexa and you've hit the top ones: 1.Reduced Cloud Dependance; 2.Privacy; 3.Speed.

Of the strengths you noted Alexa has over VC (open searches, math question, trivia questions, etc) the only one I hear my wife or kids use regularly is math, but we can live without that.  Your overall point though about Alexa's strengths has me pondering isolating an echo in a soundproof box with a mic and speaker inside that can be momentarily enabled by a VC command...     "VC ask Alexa When is Father's day" 

I see you also replied about the weather and there are other replies as well.  THANKS! Off to do some reading.

6

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Help with my To Do list

« on: January 02, 2021, 10:32:26 AM »

I've had great success so far with getting VC setup to handle my home automation.  I have all my Hubitat controlled
 lights switches and plugs working through VC.  I'm now adding the thermostats and entertainment center devices and I don't anticipate any issues there.

The goal in my case is to eliminate the need for the echo dots I have throughout the house. To get to that point I have a hardware challenge to overcome and a few functionality challenges. I'm hoping by listing them out here I can get some advice and pointers on resources to help get my over the goal line

Hardware Challenge
Multiple input devices.  I am testing a mic array from Seeed Studio https://www.seeedstudio.com/ReSpeaker-USB-Mic-Array-p-4247.html  that seems to be working well so far.  But, to cover my entire house I will need to place at least 4 mics.  I don't see anyway in Windows or VC to select multiple mics.  If it's there I looked right past it.  However, I am wondering if there might be a software based mixer that I could use to aggregate all the mic inputs and then make the mixers output the input source for VC.

Software Challenges
I have been asked by the family to make sure VC can handle all the common functions they presently use the echo dots for.  These include:

• Asking for Weather information
• Asking for Time
• Managing a shopping list that can be accessed from their phones
• Managing timers and alarms
• Basic Math

I have the weather plugin loaded and running but I haven't figured out how to use the TTS plugin to speak the weather when VC is asked.  As for the rest of the list, I have not started on those items other than looking for resources to see if they are possible and if so, how.

Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated!!!
Happy New Year!!!
Tom G.

7

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Install VoxCommando on Raspberry Pi

« on: January 02, 2021, 09:59:20 AM »

It is now possible to run Windows 10 on a Pi and as a result run VC on a Pi.

I came across the info on how to load Win10 on a Pi and with the availability of an 8Gb version of the Pi 4 it appears to have more than enough memory to run VC.  I am on day 4 with my VC-Pi running continuous and it is still stable and responsive.  My input device is a mic array that I purchased from Seeed Studio and the output is via a bluetooth linked speaker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe1iSROz5OM

https://www.seeedstudio.com/ReSpeaker-USB-Mic-Array-p-4247.html

8

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Logic in Commands

« on: December 26, 2020, 03:20:02 PM »

Thanks for the info!  I now have it working using a payload XML list!

9

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Logic in Commands

« on: December 25, 2020, 01:38:32 PM »

Thanks!!!

I'll dig into this after the festivities wind down.  Any sooner and the WAF will plummet into negative numbers .

10

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Logic in Commands

« on: December 24, 2020, 04:54:01 PM »

So, I've had success creating some basic commands to turn lights on and off and to set their dimmer levels.

What I haven't been successful at is searching the wiki docs and youtube tutorials...  I'm on the hunt for some examples of using logic.

Here's what I want to accomplish:

If {1} = red then set {2} to 100

elseIf {1} = green then set {2} to 50

elseIf {1} = blue then set {2} to 25

else set {2} to 10

and I'll use {2} to issue a hue change for an RGBW light

Is this possible and if so how or where might I find some documentation or a video tutorial?

Thanks!
Tom G>

11

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Can I convert speech to a variable for use with Hubitat Maker API?

« on: December 23, 2020, 01:30:08 PM »

Thanks for the prompt reply!  I'll dig into this tonight after work and see if I can connect the dots.

12

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Can I convert speech to a variable for use with Hubitat Maker API?

« on: December 23, 2020, 11:35:42 AM »

Hi, new to VoxCommando and first time posting.

I apologize if this is covered elsewhere. I searched the forum and even looked at some posts and tutorials but I didn't find an answer to this.  If I missed it please feel free to refer me to the correct tutorials or posts.

I am testing VC as a replacement for Alexa to control my Hubitat home automation devices. I have setup a couple basic on/off commands for some lights and they are working well.  I am now trying to figure out how to send dimmer levels and color commands to those lights as well.

As a static command I can send the following and the bulb dims to 25%
http://192.168.0.123/apps/api/321/devices/123/setLevel/25?access_token=xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Is it possible to setup VC to pick up the dimmer level and modify the URL based on that?
If I  say "Jarvis, Dim Living Room Light to twenty five percent"
Can VC pick up the "Dim Living Room Light to" as the command and the "twenty five percent" as a variable?
If so how would I use that dimmer level variable to modify the maker API URL?

Thanks in advance for your help and patients with a newb!
Tom G.