View source for Make announcements

{{Versioninfo}}
[[Category:automation]]
[[Category:Security]]


see also [[Text_To_Speech]]


==How to set it up==
Go to [[LinuxMCE Admin Website]]-->Wizard-->Devices-->Core and be sure the box "Text To Speech" is checked.  That creates a Text To Speech device on the Core.

Now the security module will make announcements, like countdowns and warnings about tripped sensors, on your security announcement devices.  Choose Wizard-->Security-->Settings by Alert type to add devices you want the security module to use.  You can add media players, like Xine, and network audio players, like SqueezeBoxes.

Whenever you want to make your own announcement you will send the Text To Speech device a "Send Audio To Device." You will specify as the Device parameter a list of the devices you want to hear the announcement on. In the Text parameter is what you want the announcement to say.This must be put in single quotes!!!

For example, you could go to Wizard-->Scenarios-->Lighting Scenarios.  Add a scenario and edit it. Choose Wizard-->Device-->"Text To Speech" from the Device pull-down--> choose "Send Audio To Device" from the Command pull-down-->click 'Add'.

In the parameter "#103 PK_Device_List (string)" type in a comma delimited list of the devices you want to make the announcement on, such as "38823,82827,28282".  You can find the device numbers in LinuxMCE Admin by choosing Advanced, Devices, and selecting devices from the tree. It will say "Device Info #xxx" for each device.  In the "#9 Text (string)" parameter type the announcement you want the Text To Speech device to send to the device. Again, remember that this must be in single quotes!

Rather than using Text To Speech you can also record an audio/video file (wav, mp3, mpg, etc).  Copy the audio file to your Core somewhere.  You can do this using the network share.  Note the public folder you access from the network share is in the directory "/home/public/data" on the Core.

For example, if you create a folder "Announcements" and put a file "GetOutBurglar.mp3" in there, the filename on the Core will be "/home/public/data/Announcements/GetOutBurglar.mp3".

Now, instead of sending a command to Text To Speech, send a command to Media Plugin. (You'll find the device under Core->DCERouter->Media Plugin.)  Choose the command "MH Play Media", and for "#13 Filename (string)" put in the filename. For "#45 PK_EntertainArea (string)" put in a comma delimited list of the Entertainment Areas in which you want to play the media.  Don't worry about which devices to use -- Media Plugin will figure that out.

Put a 1 in "#116 Resume (bool)". This means that whatever media was previously playing in those areas will resume when this media finishes.  The other parameters you can leave blank.