Microsoft Agent Character Editor Overview

The Microsoft® Agent Character Editor enables you  to compile character animations for use with Microsoft Agent. You define animations by importing Windows bitmap images, setting their duration, and optionally including branching, sound effects, and speaking overlays.

The Agent Character Editor also enables you to define the character’s name, description, and output options, such as whether the character supports a text-to-speech (TTS), synthesized voice, the character’s word balloon design, and whether the character supports a standard pop-up menu.


To create a new character definition

In the Agent Character Editor, click the File menu and then click New.


To open an existing character definition file

1	In the Agent Character Editor, click the File menu and then click Open.

2	In the File Open dialog box, select the character definition file you want to edit.

3	Click Open.


To define the character's name
To specify the character’s name

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Character icon in the tree view.

2	Click the Properties tab.

3	Place the insertion point in the Name text box.

4	Type in the name of your character.

Tip

•	Microsoft Agent uses the name you define here to create a voice command for summoning the character when speech recognition is installed. Use a name that the user can recognize and say.

Note

•	The character name is limited to 32 characters.


To specify the character's description
To specify the character’s description

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Character icon in the tree view.

2	Click the Properties tab.

3	Place the insertion point in the Description text box.

4	Type in the description for your character.

Note

•	The character’s description is limited to 256 characters.


To specify synthesized speech output settings

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Character icon in the tree view.

2	Click the Properties tab.

3	To support synthesized speech output, make sure the Use Synthesized Speech For Voice Output option is checked.

4	Click the Voice Tab, and then specify the voice settings you want.

Notes

•	If you use plan to use sound files for your character’s output, do not set the synthesized speech option.

•	To select the synthesized speech options, you must have a Microsoft Agent compatible speech output (TTS) engine installed.

•	The voices you can select and the pitch and speech range depend on the speech engine you have installed.


To specify word balloon settings

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Character icon in the tree view.

2	Click the Balloon tag, and then specify the balloon settings you want.

Note

•	The user can override your word balloon font and color settings.

Tips

•	The width of the balloon is based on the average number of characters per line. The actual width (and height) of the word balloon depends on the balloon’s font settings.

•	You can choose to display the balloon as a fixed size for all spoken output or sized to fit the spoken output text. This parameter cannot be changed at runtime.

•	The Auto Pace setting determines whether the balloon displays text as spoken or all at the same time. If you do not set Auto Pace, you may want to set the balloon’s height to Size To Text to avoid text scrolling out of the balloon.


To create a new character identifier

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Character icon in the tree view.

2	Click the Properties tab.

3	Click the New GUID button.

Note

•	You only need to create a new character identifier to differentiate one character from another. For example, if you copy an existing character’s definition file to begin a new one, you may want to change the character identifier. A new identifier is automatically generated when you begin a new character definition or choose File New.


To specify animation default settings

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Animations icon.

2	Specify the default settings for your animations.

Notes

•	The palette file must support no more than 256 colors. The 11th color in your palette file is used as the character’s transparency color unless you change it.

•	Avoid remapping the standard Windows colors in your palette definition.


To create a new animation

1	In the Agent Character Editor, click the Edit menu and then click New Animation.

2	In the Animation Name field type a name for your animation.

Notes

•	Avoid use of invalid filename characters.

•	Use no more than 64 characters.


To create a new animation frame

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Animation icon for which you want to create a frame.

2	Click the Edit menu, and then click New Frame.

Note

•	The Agent Character Editor places the new frame after the current selection. If an Animation icon is selected, the editor places the animation at the end of that animation.

Tip

•	You can also create new frames by clicking the Edit menu, then clicking New Frames From Files. In the Select Files dialog box, select the image files using Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click, then click Open. The editor will create new frames with those images.


To add images to a frame
To add an image to a frame

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon to which you want to create add an image.

2	Click the General tab, and then click the Add Image button.

3	Select the file in the dialog box and click Open.

Tip

•	You can select and add multiple images using Ctrl+Click and Shift+Click in the dialog box. Images load in alphabetic order.


To change an image in a frame

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon that contains the image you want to change.

2	Click the General tab.

3	In the Images list box, select the image you want to change.

Tips

•	You can change the filename for the image, by clicking the [image] button and select a new file.

•	You can delete an image by clicking the Delete button.


To adjust an image's position within a frame
To adjust an image’s position within a frame

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon you want to adjust.

2	Click the General tab.

3	In the Images list box, select the image you want to change.

4	Place the insertion point in the X or Y field and enter the offset position for the image.

Tip

•	You can also change the position of an image in the frame by clicking the arrow buttons in the Position box.


To adjust an image's order in a frame
To adjust an image’s order in a frame

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon you want to edit.

2	In the Images list box, click image name you want to change.

Tip

•	You can move the image up or down in the appearance order (z-order) by clicking the Move Up and Move Down buttons.


To change a frame's duration
To change a frame’s duration

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon for which you want to change duration.

2	Place the insertion point in the Duration text box and type in the duration.

Tip

•	You can also increase or decrease the frame’s duration by clicking the text box arrow buttons.


To specify a frame's sound effect
To specify a frame’s sound effect

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon to which you want to specify a sound effect.

2	Place the insertion point in the Sound Effect text box and type in the filename for the sound effect.

Tips

•	You can also browse for the sound effect files by clicking the [image] button.

•	If you want to reduce the character’s file size, compress your sound effect files before specifying them in the editor.

•	Keep the duration of your sound effect shorter than the duration of your animation.


To specify frame branching options

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon you want to branch.

2	Click the Branching tab.

3	Place the insertion point in the Percent text box and type in probability percentage.

4	Place the insertion point in the Frame text box and type in the frame number to which the animation will branch.

Tip

•	Animations that loop (always branch) must be explicitly stopped before a character’s animation queue can continue.


To specify speaking overlays

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon that you want to add speaking overlays.

2	Click the Overlays tab.

3	Click the filename in the list box.

4	Click the Add Image button.

5	Select the file in the Select Files dialog box, and click Open.

Tip

•	Once the image loads you can adjust itself position in the list, adjust its position on the frame, editing pathname, or delete it using the controls on the Overlays page.


To move or copy a frame

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon you want to move or copy.

2	Click the Edit menu, then click Cut or Copy.

3	Click the Animation or Frame icon to which you want to transfer the frame.

4	Click Paste.

Note

•	Pasting a frame to an animation places it at the end of the animation; pasting to another frame, places it after that frame.

Tip

•	You can also drag and drop frames. Left dragging a frame to another animation icon copies the frame, placing the frame at the end of the animation to which you dragged. Left dragging a frame to another frame within the same animation moves the frame. If you drag to a preceding frame, the dragged frame is placed before the frame to which you dragged. If you drag to a following frame, the dragged frame after the dragged-to frame. Right dragging to another animation or frame displays a pop-up menu enabling you to choose the transfer operation.


To delete a frame

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Frame icon you want to delete.

2	Click the Edit menu, then click Delete.

Note

•	If you delete a frame that has branches to or from it, the branches are also deleted. However, if you delete a frame that precedes a branched to frame, the editor adjusts the branches to the next frame.


To copy an animation

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Animation icon you want to copy.

2	Click the Edit menu and then click Copy.

3	Click the Animations icon in the tree view.

4	Click the Edit menu and then click Paste.

Note

•	The editor automatically renames the animation. You can rename the animation by clicking the animation’s icon, then placing the insertion point in the Animation Name text box and editing the text.


To delete an animation

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Animation icon you want to delete.

2	Click the Edit menu and then click Delete.

Tip

•	You can set your printed document’s layout options by clicking the File menu, then clicking Page Setup.


To preview an animation

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Animation icon or Frame icon, you want to preview.

2	Click the Edit menu, then click Preview.

Notes

•	To stop the animation preview, click the Edit menu and then click Stop.

•	When the animation preview stops, it resets the selection to the frame from which it started unless you stop the preview (or the animation loops).

Tip

•	You can also use the Preview toolbar button to preview an animation.


To display the frame window

In the Edit menu, click Open Frame Window.

Note

•	The frame window displays a non-scaled view of the frame’s composite image. You can use this window to display this view when you display the Branching or Overlays page for a frame.

Tip

•	You can also displays the frame window by right-clicking on the frame’s image display in the editor window and then clicking Open Frame Window.


To assign a Return animation

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the Animation icon to which you want to assign a Return animation.

2	Click Return Animation box.

3	Click the animation in the list box that you want to assign as the Return animation.

Note

•	Assigning a Return animation enables Microsoft Agent to provide smooth transitions between your animations.


To assign an animation to a state

1	In the Agent Character Editor tree view, click the States icon and click the Expand button to display the states.

2	Click the State icon you want to which want to assign an animation.

3	In the General page list box, check the animation name you want to assign to this state.

Note

•	Assigning animation to states enables Microsoft Agent animation services to automatically play an appropriate animation. For example, when the user does not interact with the character for several seconds, the Idle state begins and the server plays the animations you assign to the Idling states. Similarly, when a client application plays MoveTo or GestureAt, the server automatically plays the appropriate animation, based on what you have assigned to the Moving and Gesturing states.

Tips

•	You can also assign an animation to a state by clicking the animation’s icon, then checking the state listed in the Assign To State list box.

•	You can also drag and drop an animation to a state.


To save a character definition file
To save a character definition

1	In the Agent Character Editor, click the File menu then click Save.

2	Type a filename for your character, and click Save.

Note

•	A character definition file is saved as an Agent Character Definition (.ACD) file type, which is a standard text file format.

Tips

•	To save a character under a new filename, click File and then click Save As.

•	You can view and edit your character definition file with most text editors and word processors. However, to reload the file into the character editor, make certain that you save the file as a text file.


To build a character

1	In the Agent Character Editor, click the File menu then click Build.

2	If the editor displays the Save dialog box, click the Save button to save recent changes.

3	In the Build dialog box, type in a name in the File Name text box.

4	Choose a character type in the File Type box.

5	Choose your compression option.

6	Click OK.

Note

•	Microsoft Agent supports two character file types. You can build a character as a single structured storage file (.ACS) or as separate files that contain character data (.ACF) and animation data (.AAF). You use the former type where a character is stored on the local machine and the latter type where a character and its animations are loaded incrementally, such as from a scripted Internet web page.


To print a character defintion file
To print a character definition file

1	In the Agent Character Editor, click the File menu and then click Print.

2	Specifying your printing option and then click OK.

Tip

•	You can set your printed document’s layout options by clicking the File menu, then clicking Page Setup.