The program can play both pre-prepared sound files (*.WAV) and text files (*.TXT or *.MIX), via the modem in the telephone line or the computer's sound device. In the latter case what is known as 'text-to-speech' (TTS) translation takes place. The translation is performed by a TTS engine that must be installed independently of the program. After the engine is installed, one or more TTS Voices appear in the system, as 'Microsoft Sam' for example. VentaFax supports SAPI version 4 and 5.1 engines. The standard Windows XP package includes the SAPI version 5.1 engine (English language only). Version 4 engines can be downloaded from the Microsoft web site:

SAPI 4 programming interface: http://www.microsoft.com/msagent/downloads/user.asp#sapi

Various engines: http://www.microsoft.com/msagent/downloads/user.asp#tts

Other companies also provide TTS engines.

Enabling the TTS mode

Open the Text-To-Speech Translation (TTS) - General tab. If speech engines (voices) have been installed in the system, they will appear in the Voice selection drop-down list. Select the voice you wish to use.

Playing back caller information

After a caller's phone number is delivered (by means of Caller ID), it can be played back via the computer's sound device. The Voicing number via sound device setting under the Caller ID - Displaying and Voicing tab must be enabled for this purpose. When using TTS, certain other information about the caller (in addition to his or her phone number) can also be reproduced. The program searches for the delivered phone number in all available phonebooks. If the search is successful, the caller's name and/or the contents of the phonebook's Comment field can be played back.

In order to use TTS for playing back caller information, check the Use for voicing caller information box under the Text-To-Speech Translation (TTS) - General tab. By default, the caller's delivered phone number and name - if the number is found in one of the phonebooks - are reproduced. The information to be played back can be customized. To do so, open the Text-To-Speech Translation (TTS) - Advanced tab. The Caller information field can contain variables that specify what exactly will be played.

Before the phone number is given, the text from the Number field is played back. In the event the caller's number is not delivered, the text from the Not-delivered field is played back.

Using TTS for voicing via modem

With TTS, all announcements to be played back in the telephone line, such as the answering machine greeting message, can be specified by text files (*.TXT). Check the Use for voicing via modem setting under the Text-To-Speech Translation (TTS) - General tab. To select a text announcement, open the Folders and Files - Service Files tab, and select the desired announcement files. Selected announcements can be played back and edited, if necessary, in the same tab.

In addition, a text file can be transmitted as a voice message, including a scheduled delivery option. To prevent the text file from being converted to facsimile format, enable the Send text files (*.txt) as voice messages setting under the Text-To-Speech Translation (TTS) - General tab.

Special text files (*.MIX)

Files with an *.MIX extension are treated differently by the program. These files may contain both text lines and links to both text (*.TXT) and sound (*.WAV) files. Text lines must be placed in double quotation marks (e.g., "text line"). If file names do not contain the full path, it is assumed they are located in the same folder as the *.MIX file. Text lines can also contain variables. This version of VentaFax does not support TTS text file playback in the remote control scripts.

Playing back answering machine remote control phrases

You can also redefine some phrases used in an answering machine remote control session, under the Text-To-Speech Translation (TTS) - Advanced tab. These phrases are used when the PLAY_REP_INFO X operation is performed.

In addition, the Extended information setting can contain several variables that specify which data are to be played back for various answering machine playback operations if the settings of these operations [PA] are not set to zero.