Add themes interface for sounds
Opened this issue · 5 comments
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Users have regularly asked for the ability to change NVDA's sounds. In some cases purely for personal customisation, and in some cases because other sounds are easier to hear or distinguish apart for some users Several issues which have existed for this include:
#931 (This issue may be separate, but requests alternate sounds for caps)
#1007
#5382
#5978
#14068 (purely to change the startup sound which is often longer than the process which runs in the background)
Note that #9738 requests both ability to assign sounds to additional control types AND a sound theme manager. My recommendation is #9738 stay with the sounds for control types suggestion and THIS issue be the one for sound themes.
Describe the solution you'd like
Create a themes interface to allow users to change the existing NVDA sounds (please refrain from requesting adding sounds for new features on this issue, create a new issue for new functionality like that).
Describe alternatives you've considered
Discussing with @seanbudd the suggestion was made for a themes interface for plugins. A type of add-on that's just sound profiles, gestures/symbols dictionary files, braille tables, settings configs, etc. THIS issue will only concentrate on sounds, but the intention is to build the interface backend which can be used for those other purposes in time.
Additional context
Back in 2017, Jamie Teh created new sounds for NVDA - #7218 - the specific sounds divided opinion but the idea of being able to change the sounds was very popular. In reverting it (we didn't want to make a change which wouldn't either be overwhelmingly popular or at least customisable so you could keep the existing behaviour), the intention was to add an interface to let user change the sounds (without needing to go in and manually move wav files around in Explorer).
My wish is to completely change the sound that plays when we run NVDA's installer, as well as the sound that plays when NVDA opens and closes. Especially today, there is no equivalent to the sound that comes when the loader runs. Computers process so fast that what other ability does that music have other than the headache-inducing noise?
I think there should be these two sounds, I just think they should be modified and softer sounds that don't scratch the ear can replace them. But more important than these is the sound in that installer. At one point, it was discussed that this could be turned off optionally, but this is insufficient. In my opinion, this should be completely removed from NVDA! If there is a sound, a sound can be added, like the beep sound that comes when NVDA is installed on the computer, but with different tones.
Hi,
I see. While I understand the need to modify the startup and shutdown sound, a counterargument coud be made about the launcher sound:
Some people could interpret the launcher sound as a "signature piece" that identifies NVDA, much a like sounds we heard in older JAWS releases (the wave/surf music). This is the interpretation I used when creating Welcome to NVDA tutorial set - I used the launcher/logo sound to signify NVDA's identity (a long earcon, if you wil). Ultimately, it is up to NV Access folks (and the community) to make the final decision on changing the launcher sound.
Thanks.
Just to keep this on track - I don't see a themes interface being able to modify the installer as that is the "default" package which comes from NV Access. The idea of a themes interface is that once you start using NVDA yourself, you can use the themes functionality to then change the sounds NVDA uses ongoing. I think any discussion of changing the installer sound would be best in a separate issue please.