Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
Tutorial on using Microsoft Agent for PowerPoint
1
Introduction
As described in Microsoft’s official website:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=E11BF712-7862-45BA826D-44AE3A11836F&displaylang=en, Microsoft Agent is a software technology
that enables an enriched form of user interaction that can make using and learning to
use a computer, easier and more natural. With the Microsoft Agent set of software
services, developers can easily enhance the user interface of their applications and
Web pages with interactive personalities in the form of animated characters. These
characters can move freely within the computer display, speak aloud (and by
displaying text onscreen), and even listen for spoken voice commands. When used
effectively with a conversational interface approach, Microsoft Agent can be a
powerful extension and enhancement of the existing interactive modalities of the
Microsoft Windows® interface (Microsoft, 2007).
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Ingredients for Running Microsoft Agent
You can use MSAgent in several programming environments, VBA, VC++, Java and
HTML. We will be exploring all four in this tutorial. But in order to use MSAgent
you must have several items on your computer, if you do not have these items don't
worry you can download them from the Microsoft's site for free (Crockett, 2001)
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MSAgent Core Component
Text-to-Speech Engine
SAPI 4.0 runtime support
MSAgent Character: Merlin
MSAgent Character: Genie
MSAgent Character: Peedy
MSAgent Character: Robby
You can download these components from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=E11BF712-7862-45BA826D-44AE3A11836F&displaylang=en
3 Working with the MS Agent Template for PowerPoint
To make life easier in creating an application of MS Agent for end-users, it is
desirable to work from a template. You may download this template prenar.zip from
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Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b932c4ce-9d60-4824-b
e40-e1f48fd63d90&displaylang=en or
http://ited.hkbu.edu.hk/ited2002-3/msagent/download/EmptyTemplate.ppt
In the template, “EmptyTemplate.ppt”, a computer programme for controlling the MS
Agent has already been built in using VBA as the Macro-language. As an end-user,
what you need is to key in appropriate commands to control the agent characters to
perform in accordance with your instructions.
Task 1
4
Exercise: Scripting the Narration (Extract from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b932c4ce-9d60-48
24-be40-e1f48fd63d90&displaylang=en)
4.1
Open the template , “EmptyTemplate.ppt” and select the edit mode so that
the “Notes Pages” can be displayed:
4.2
The actions of the animated character and the narration that is spoken is all
4.3
derived from the script that is written by the presentation author within the
Notes Pages of the document.
The Notes Pages can still be used for their intended purpose as speaker
notes. The demarcation point between speaker notes and the script for the
narrator consists of a specially formatted line of punctuation - ^*#{}#*^.
The VBA code of the Presentation Narrator ignores everything prior to
this special marker and begins parsing commands to drive the narration
following it.
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Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
^*#{}#*^
SHOW genie, genie.acs, 83, 80
SAY Hello! Thanks for checking out the Presentation Narrator for Microsoft Agent.
Please allow me to introduce myself.
PLAY Greet
PLAY Explain
SAY I am Genie, one of the Microsoft Agent characters.
PLAY RestPose
SLIDE 2=SAY Why don’t we go to the next slide?
4.4
Run the EmptyTemplate.ppt and see how the character performs in
accordance with the instructions.
4.5
Download the file grammar.ppt and append it to EmptyTemplate.ppt and
save it as grammar-final.ppt
Change the background to your desired settings
4.6
4.7
Paste the ‘textbox’ on the first slide of grammar-final.ppt onto the third
slide as shown:
4.8
Then remove the text inside the highlighted textbox
4.9 Delete the FIRST TWO slides
4.10 Switch the edit mode to “Notes Pages” and turn to Slide 1
4.11 On the Notes Pages of Slide 1, type in:
^*#{}#*^
SHOW genie, genie.acs, 83, 80
SAY Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself.
PLAY Greet
PLAY Explain
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Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
SAY I am Genie, one of the Microsoft Agent characters.
PLAY RestPose
PLAY Explain
SAY This is a Grade Five reported speech exercise prepared by Mister Pattle.
PLAY Greet
PLAY RestPose
SAY I hope you will enjoy this exercise.
PLAY RestPose
PLAY Greet
SLIDE 2=SAY Are you ready?
4.12 Save the file and try to run the presentation starting at the first slide
4.13 You may change the wording and use different commands, gestures and
animations for the characters as listed in Section 5
4.14 Suggested commands for Slide 2:
^*#{}#*^
MOVE 45, 50
PLAY Explain
PLAY Announce
SAY Insist:^PAUSE=1500^it means to be firm with somebody and not to take no for an
answer.
SLIDE 3=SAY ^PAUSE=3000^Let’s move onto the next slide.
4.15 Suggested commands for Slide 3:
^*#{}#*^
MOVE 83, 80
PLAY Explain
PLAY Announce
SAY “I insist that you stay for dinner”, said Mrs Jones.
PLAY Explain
PLAY Greet
SAY Could you change it into reported speech?
PLAY RestPose
SAY ^PAUSE=1000^Be careful of the tense. ^PAUSE=10000^
PLAY Wave
SLIDE 4=SAY Let’s see what I suggest.
4.16 Suggested commands for Slide 4:
^*#{}#*^
MOVE 5, 5
PLAY Explain
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Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
PLAY Announce
SAY “I insist that you stay for dinner”, said Mrs Jones.
PLAY Explain
PLAY Greet
PLAY RestPose
SAY Reported Speech: ^PAUSE=1500^Mrs Jones insisted that {eye=I} or we stayed for
dinner^PAUSE=10000^.
SLIDE 5=SAY Let’s turn to the next slide.
4.17 Suggested commands for Slide 5:
^*#{}#*^
MOVE 80, 5
SAY Wonder and Thought^PAUSE=5000^
PLAY Explain
PLAY Announce
SAY ^PAUSE=1500^Wonder:^PAUSE=1500^To think if something is true or
not^PAUSE=2000^.
PLAY Greet
PLAY RestPose
SAY ^PAUSE=1500^ Thought:^PAUSE=500^past tense of think^PAUSE=2000^.
SLIDE 6=SAY ^PAUSE=3000^Let’s move onto the next slide.
4.18 Suggested commands for Slide 6:
^*#{}#*^
MOVE 83, 80
PLAY Explain
PLAY Announce
SAY ^PAUSE=6000^
THINK “Do you think I have brought enough clothes for the weekend?” asked Ellen.
PLAY Explain
PLAY Greet
PLAY RestPose
SAY ^PAUSE=1000^Could you change it into reported speech?
SAY ^PAUSE=1000^You may make use of the verb {won-der=wonder}.^PAUSE=10000^
PLAY Wave
SLIDE 7=SAY Let’s see what I suggest.
4.19 Suggested commands for Slide 7:
^*#{}#*^
MOVE 50, 50
PLAY Explain
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Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
PLAY Announce
SAY Do you think I have brought enough clothes for the weekend? asked Ellen.
PLAY Explain
PLAY Greet
PLAY RestPose
SAY Reported Speech: ^PAUSE=1500^ Ellen wondered if she had brought enough clothes
for the weekend. ^PAUSE=10000^
PLAY Greet
PLAY RestPose
SAY Here comes to the end of the exercise. Thank you for your participation and patience.
Byebye!
PLAY Wave
END
5
Reference: Scripting Syntax (Extract from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b932c4ce-9d60-48
24-be40-e1f48fd63d90&displaylang=en)
The Presentation Narrator supports the following commands and scripting syntax:
AUDIO command; AUDIONOCAP command; Comment line; END command;
HIDE command; LOOP command; MOVE command; NEXT command;
PLAY command; RUN command; SAY command; SAYNOCAP command;
SHOW command; SLIDE command; SOUNDFXOFF command;
SOUNDFXON command; SUSPEND command; THINK command
5.1
AUDIO command
Description
Plays the specified audio file and displays the text within the word balloon
of the Microsoft Agent character being used as the Presentation Narrator.
Syntax
AUDIO <filespec> text
Example
AUDIO <c:\My Documents\Audio\greeting.wav> Hello, I am pleased to
meet you.
5.2
Comment line
Description
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Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
Comment lines aren’t really commands although they are part of the
Presentation Narrator scripting syntax. The Presentation Narrator
doesn’t do anything with comment lines except ignore them. Comment lines
can be used by script authors to make notes for themselves, provide some
formatting to separate lines in the script or a variety of other purposes.
Syntax
! text
Example
! This is a comment line.
5.3
END command
Description
This command will hide the Microsoft Agent character being used as the
Presentation Narrator and also stop the processing of any scripting
commands that follow it on the Notes Page.
Syntax
END
5.4
HIDE command
Description
Hides the Microsoft Agent character being used as the Presentation
Narrator.
Syntax
HIDE
5.5
LOOP command
Description
Causes the Microsoft Agent character being used as the Presentation
Narrator to play a looped animation for a specified duration of time.
Syntax
LOOP time=animation
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Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
Example
LOOP 3=Searching
5.6
MOVE command
Description
Moves the Microsoft Agent character being used as the Presentation
Narrator to the specified screen location.
Syntax
MOVE x, y
Example
MOVE 50, 50
5.7
PLAY command
Description
Causes the Microsoft Agent character being used as the Presentation
Narrator to play the specified animation.
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms695821.aspx
Syntax
PLAY animation
Example
PLAY Greet
5.8
RUN command
Description
This command enables you to run an executable program from within your
Presentation Narrator script.
Syntax
RUN pathname
Example
RUN notepad.exe
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Tutorial on Using MSAgent/ 12 February 2016
5.9
SAY command
Description
Causes the Microsoft Agent character being used as the Presentation
Narrator to output the specified text as audio and within a word balloon
that appears onscreen.
Syntax
SAY text
Example
SAY Hello, I am pleased to meet you.
Remarks
5.9.1 While long strings of text can be used within a single command, it may
be preferable to split these into multiple SAY commands.
There may be occasions when the text-to-speech engine being utilized
does not properly pronounce a word within the text string. In these
cases, you can supply a phonetic substitution in the following form:
{phonetic=literal}
These phonetic substitutions can be especially useful for handling
abbreviations, specific terms, foreign languages, etc.
e.g. SAY I am the Presentation Narrator for {em ess=MS} Agent
5.9.2 Also, you can vary the intonation of the speech output with special tags
that you include in the Text parameter. The description, syntax and
examples of these special tags follow.
Use the Emphasis tag immediately preceding a word in order to place
emphasis upon its pronunciation. This should take the following
format:
^EMPHASIS^word
Do not place a space between the Emphasis tag and the target word.
e.g. SAY I couldn’t care ^EMPHASIS^less whether you jump.
5.9.3 Use the Monotone tag to change the Text-to-Speech generated output
to a monotone voice in character. This should take the following
format:
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text ^MONOTONE^ more text
5.9.4 The Monotone tag remains in effect for the remainder of the text of the
current command line unless followed by a Normal or Whisper tag.
e.g. SAY You are turning into such a ^MONOTONE^ robot worker.
5.9.5 Use the Whisper tag to change the Text-to-Speech generated output to a
whispered voice in character. This should take the following format:
text ^WHISPER^ more text
The Whisper tag remains in effect for the remainder of the text of the
current command line unless followed by a Monotone or Normal tag.
e.g. SAY To get someone’s attention, ^WHISPER^ just whisper.
5.9.6 Use the Normal tag to reset the Text-to-Speech generated output back
to a normal voice. This should take the following format:
text ^NORMAL^ more text
The Normal tag remains in effect for the remainder of the text of the
current command line unless followed by a Monotone or Whisper tag.
e.g. SAY Just ^WHISPER^ whisper ^NORMAL^ to get someone’s
attention.
5.9.7 Dramatic pauses may be inserted into the text string. These should take
the following form:
^PAUSE=time^
where time is a value in milliseconds.
e.g. SAY I was just thinking, ^PAUSE=1500^maybe it’s time to pay
my bills.
5.9.8 The speaking volume of the speech output can be set with a special tag
of the following form:
^VOLUME=number^
where number is the speaking volume with 0 being silence and 65,535
as the maximum.
e.g. SAY People listen more intently ^VOLUME=64^ when you speak
quietly.
5.9.9 The pitch of the speech output can be set with a special tag of the
following form:
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^PITCH=number^
where number is the pitch in hertz..
e.g. SAY If you inhale helium gas, ^PITCH=500^ your voice will
sound like this.
-------------------------------------------
5.9.10 The average talking speed of the speech output can be set with a
special tag of the following form:
^SPEED=number^
where number is the average talking speed, in words per minute.
e.g. SAY I speak ^SPEED=60^ kind of slow, first thing Sunday
mornings...
5.9.11 The volume, pitch, and speed speech output tags stay in effect for the
remainder of the SAY command line unless reset with a special tag of
the following form:
^RESET^
It is acceptable to use multiple speech output tags in the same SAY
command line.
e.g. SAY ^SPEED=60^ Sunday mornings are slow ^RESET^ but
things pick up later.
5.10 SHOW command
Description
Loads the designated Microsoft Agent character as the Presentation
Narrator and appears at the specified screen location.
Syntax
SHOW character, character file, x, y
5.11 SLIDE Command
Description
Advances to the specified slide within the current presentation upon
completion of the supplied command.
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Syntax
SLIDE slide=command
Syntax
SLIDE 3=SAY That is enough on this slide, let’s move on.
5.12 SUSPEND command
Description
Stops execution of the Presentation Narrator scripting in the Notes Page.
This suspension lasts indefinitely until you select Resume from the shortcut
menu of the character.
Syntax
SUSPEND
Example
SUSPEND
5.13 THINK command
Description
Displays the specified text for the Microsoft Agent character being used as
the Presentation Narrator in a “thought” word balloon that appears
onscreen. No audio is output with this command.
Syntax
THINK text
Example
THINK I really don’t know what to make of the diagram on this slide...
5.14 Scripting Examples
The following examples illustrate the scripting utilized by the Presentation
Narrator for Microsoft Agent.
An example of the scripting added to the Notes Page of a narrated
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presentation.
^*#{}#*^
SHOW merlin, merlin.acs, 98, 75
SAY Hello. Please allow me to introduce myself.
PLAY Greet
PLAY Explain
SAY I am Merlin, one of the Microsoft Agent animated characters.
SLIDE 3=SAY I can be used for a multiplicity of purposes.
Upon completion of the last command above, the presentation will
automatically advance to the third slide and begin processing the following
scripting on its NotesPage.
^*#{}#*^
SAY I’m willing to relocate to wherever I’m needed.
MOVE 50,50
SAY Did I mention that I’m a determined worker?
SAY I will stay with a problem…
LOOP 8=Processing
SAY Until I have a solution worked out for you.
PLAY Congratulate
SLIDE 6=SAY But wait! There’s more…
Reference Websites
Microsoft (2007). Microsoft Agent. Retrieved 2 Oct, 2007, from
http://www.microsoft.com/msagent/
Crockett, M. (2001). MSAgent: An Introduction. Retrieved 2 Oct, 2007, from
http://home.pacbell.net/cetta/msagent.html
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