VoiceButtons

Map joystick buttons to voice messages, using the text-to-speech api of windows 10. Create a talk-able interface to say what you want when pushes Joystick Buttons. Started to map BL-Radio mode buttons, but ended to map DCS planes radio configurations, using LUA. The socket is a broadcast UDP socket with Address: 127.0.0.1 and port 64998. This tool has been developed to work with BL-Radio a custom-made gamepad to interface with DCS radios.

Required modules:

win32com.client: pip install pywin32
pyglet: pip install pyglet

Execution examples:

% python.exe .\voicebuttons.py --help
usage: voicebuttons.py [-h] [-v] [-c CONFIG] [-l] [-d] [-o LOGFILE]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -v, --verbose         Show data about file and processing (Debug)
  -c CONFIG, --config CONFIG
                        reads the configuration from <config>
  -l, --list            show available USB devices
  -d, --dcs             start reading form DCS (set default config to config/config_dcs.json)
  -o LOGFILE, --logfile LOGFILE
                        Outputs to the defined file. Default = 'stdout'

List all the available devices (HID devices): python.exe .\voicebuttons.py --list
Start standalone client (e.g. il-2 or FS2020): python.exe .\voicebuttons.py -vvv
Start DCS client (e.g. for DCS): python.exe .\voicebuttons.py -d -vvv

JSON Messages

The JSON messages exported from DCS are:

start: at the begining of the simulation
mod: periodically the mod info
exit: at the end of the simulation

{ "cmd": "start", "value": true}
{ "cmd": "mod", "value": "UH-1H"}
{ "cmd": "exit", "value": true}

The .lua code is an adaptation of winwing export lua code for their devices. It daisy-chains other modules, so its safe include it at the end of the Export.lua file.

Install on DCS.

Add to DRIVE:\users\%USERNAME%\Saved Games\DCS\Scripts\Export.lua this line:

-- my code to export my current plane data on the socket
local voiceblfs=require('lfs'); dofile(voiceblfs.writedir()..[[Scripts\voicebuttons\voicebuttonsExport.lua]])

Then, you should run the script with -d option. -vvv recommended to debug the codes. This mode allows you to have profiles for each plane, so the radios can be mapped to different planes. After that, start DCS.

Config options

There are multiple commands that allows you to customize the beheavior of the app:

Press

Define a command with on=press mean the text msg will be speech when the button is pressed. Most used with temporary switches (buttons).

{  
    "name"  : "Button 121",
    "msg"   : "Uniform radio",
    "on"    : "press"
},

Release

Define a command with on=release mean the text msg will be speech when the button is released. Useful to use with permanent switches (e.g. you define a press action for switch up, and a release action for switch down, e.g. landing gear lever).

{  
    "name"  : "Button 121",
    "msg"   : "Uniform radio",
    "on"    : "release"
},

Toggle

Define a command with on=toggle mean the text msg will be speech when the button changes their state, between two posible values. These values can be customized using the values array, so you can say things like "on", "engaged", etc.

 {  
    "name"  : "Button 1",
    "msg"   : "default AutoPilot {status}",
    "on"    : "toggle",
    "values": ["ON","OFF"]
}

This example will say "default Autopilot ON", and "default Autopilot OFF". First state is always ON (from OFF to ON). note the {status} template item yo can position in your phrase.

Time

A small utility that says the current time, in 24-hour format. Useful to check the time without wear off the glasses.

{  
    "name": "Button 13",
    "msg" : "{time}",
    "on"  : "press"
}

Config file example

All the text is speak in the default windows 10 language, in my case, english.
voice can be DAVID or ZIRA, for now.
addr and port locates the export data from DCS port. Uses a UDP broadcast port, with JSON format.
delay periodically run the server at this time (float, seconds 0.1). Not need to touch it (checks the MOD change only)
mods define an array of planes, with their specific radio configuration for the modes. You must define a default plane in order to catch all non defined mods.

Each mod (plane) is defined as a name that must match the MOD id in DCS, and commands array, that maps the buttons to voice messages.

The radio button box have 8 "special" buttons activated when the rotary selector is changed:

Mode	Button
1	121
2	122
3	123
4	124
5	125
6	126
7	127
8	128

So you can map any action to the selector. I recommend NOT MAPPING the mode buttons in DCS to any action, but if you find it useful, you can.

{
    "voice": "ZIRA",
    "addr": "127.0.0.1",
    "port": 64998,
    "delay": 0.1,
    "mods": [
        {
            "name": "UH-1H",
            "devices": [
                { 
                    "name": "BL-Radio",
                    "commands": [
                        {  
                            "name"  : "Button 121",
                            "msg"   : "Uniform radio",
                            "on"    : "press"
                        },
                        {  
                            "name"  : "Button 122",
                            "msg"   : "NAV radio",
                            "on"    : "press"
                        },
                        {  
                            "name"  : "Button 123",
                            "msg"   : "Alpha Mike radio",
                            "on"    : "press"
                        },
                        {  
                            "name"  : "Button 124",
                            "msg"   : "Fox Mike radio",
                            "on"    : "press"
                        },
                        {  
                            "name"  : "Button 125",
                            "msg"   : "ADF radio",
                            "on"    : "press"
                        }
                    ]
                },
                { 
                    "name": "BL-Combo (KMG)",
                    "commands": [
                        {  
                            "name": "Button 13",
                            "msg" : "{time}",
                            "on"  : "press"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "name": "default",
            "devices": [
                { 
                    "name": "BL-Radio",
                    "commands": [
                        {  
                            "name"  : "Button 1",
                            "msg"   : "default AutoPilot {status}",
                            "on"    : "toggle",
                            "values": ["ON","OFF"]
                        }
                    ]
                },
                { 
                    "name": "BL-Combo (KMG)",
                    "commands": [
                        {  
                            "name": "Button 19",
                            "msg" : "Eject",
                            "on"  : "press"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ]
        }
    ]   
}

juanmcasillas/voicebuttons