Accessibility for the blind (speech to text)

[silver-wind]

Accessibility script

This script turns text in the game to speech using a text-to-speech program called eSpeak.

Download
Download the demo

Features:
- When first running the game (during title screen), eSpeak is auto-installed.
- You can set the text-to-speech ON/OFF
- you can control the volume, pitch, speed and choose between 5 male voices and 5 female voices.
- Speaks out all text in game, including menu options (yes/no etc)

Compatibility:
wasn't tested in pokemon Essentials.
windows only.

How to install:
I recommend making one version of your game accessible- release your game with and without this script.*
otherwise, you'll have to set it on/off , when starting a new game.
The demo shows how to use an event to set it on/off, change volume, voice, etc.

1) Add this script in a new page above Main:

Spoiler:

  # ------------------------------------------------------------------- #
  #   * Text To Speech                                                  #
  #                                                                     #
  #   Instructions                                                      #
  #                                                                     #  
  #   - Use a script / script command inside an event to control this.  #
  #   - To set accessibility mode on, use: TTS.is_on = true  (line 142) #
  #       it's on be default, you should make the player set it ON/OFF  #
  #       in the menu/ in the title screen.                             #
  #   - To set the volume(0-100), use:                                  #
  #       TTS.volume = 30                                               #
  #   - To set the speed of speech (80-150), use:                       #
  #       TTS.speed = 150                                               #
  #   - To set the pitch (0-100), use:                                  #
  #       TTS.pitch = 150                                               #
  #   - To set the voice, use:                                          #
  #       TTS.variant = '+m3'                                           #
  #   - To add a pause after each sentence, use:                        #
  #       TTS.sentence_pause = true                                     #
  #       (false turns it off)                                          #
  # ------------------------------------------------------------------- #

class Game_System
  attr_accessor :accessibility_turned_on
  
  alias tts_initialize initialize
  def initialize
    tts_initialize
    @accessibility_turned_on = false
  end
  
end


class Window_Message
  
  alias tts_initialize initialize
  def initialize
    tts_initialize
    @lines = []
  end
  
  def multi_line?(str)
    return str.count("\n") > 1
  end
  
  def join_all_lines(msg)
    @lines = msg.split("\n")
    for line in @lines
      line.delete!("\n", "")
    end
    all_lines = @lines.join(" ")
    return all_lines
  end
  
  
  alias tts_refresh refresh
  def refresh
    msg = $game_temp.message_text
    if TTS.is_on? and msg != nil
      if multi_line?(msg)
        msg = join_all_lines(msg)
      end
      $game_temp.tts_need_refresh = TTS.message_playing?
      TTS.speak(msg)
    end
    tts_refresh
  end
  
  alias tts_update update
  def update
    if Graphics.frame_count / Graphics.frame_rate != @total_sec
      if $game_temp.tts_need_refresh
        @total_sec = Graphics.frame_count / Graphics.frame_rate
        TTS.refresh
      end
    end
    TTS.refresh
    tts_update
    
  end
  

  
end


class Window_Selectable
  #alias update, so it speaks the menu option when hovering on them
  alias tts_update update
  def update
    return if @commands.nil?
    if @last_index != @index
      if @last_index.nil?
        @last_index = @index
        return
      end
      if (TTS.is_on?)
        TTS.speak(@commands[@index])
        #$game_system.bgm_play($data_system.title_bgm)
      end
      @last_index = @index
    end
    TTS.refresh
    tts_update
  end
end

class Window_Command
  alias tts_initialize initialize
  def initialize(width, commands)
    tts_initialize(width, commands)
    if (TTS.is_on?)
      TTS.speak("Menu options: " + @commands.join(','))
    end
  end
  
end


class Scene_Title
  alias tts_main main
  def main
    
    if (TTS.is_on?)
      path = '"' + "C:/Program Files (x86)/eSpeak/TTSApp.exe" + '"'
      code = "if not exist " + path + " start /w setup_espeak-1.48.04.exe /s"
      system(code)
      TTS.speak("Welcome to espeak demo")
    end
    tts_main 
  end
  
end


module TTS
  
  #"C:\Program Files (x86)\eSpeak\command_line\espeak.exe"
  TTS_APP = 'espeak.exe'
  @@is_on = true
  @@message_playing = false
  @@pending = []
  @@volume = 50             # volume percent. espeak uses 0-200
  @@sentence_pause = false  # add a pause after each sentence
  @@speed = 150             # use values of 80-500
  @@pitch = 50
  @@gender = 'male'
  @@voices = {'male31' =>'+m1', 'male2' =>'+m2', 'male3' =>'+m3', 'male4' =>'+m4',
              'male5' =>'+m5', 'female1' => '+f1', 'female2' => '+f2', 'female3' => '+f3',
               'female4' => '+f4', 'female5' => '+f5'}  
  @@variant = @@voices['male3']         
                       
                            
  module_function

  def speak(text)
    return if text.nil?
    if @@message_playing
      @@pending.push(text + '') # don't push a pointer to $game_temp.message_text
      return false
    end
    @@message_playing = true
    text = text.delete("\r\n")
    if multi_line?(text)
      set_multi_line(text)
      return true
    end
    text = '"' + text + '"'
    args = [text]
    pause = @@sentence_pause ? '-z' : ''
    result = system("START /MIN espeak.exe #{pause} -v #{@@variant} -s #{@@speed} -p #{@@pitch} -a #{@@volume*2} #{text}") 
    @@counter = text.size / 18 # was 14
    return true
  end

  def refresh
    
    unless @@counter.nil? or @@counter == 0
      @@counter = @@counter - 1
    else
      @@message_playing = false
      if @@pending.length > 0
        text = @@pending.shift
        speak(text) unless text.nil?
      else
          $game_temp.tts_need_refresh = false unless $game_temp.nil?
      end

    end
  end
    
  def is_on?
    return @@is_on
  end
  
  def multi_line?(str)
    return str.count("\n") > 1
  end
  
  def set_multi_line(text)
    @@curr_msg = text.split('\n')
    @@line = 0
    refresh
  end
  
  def message_playing?
    return @@message_playing
  end
  
  # voice: use 'male1'..'male5' or 'female1'..'female5'
  def voice=(voice)
    @@variant = @@voices[voice]
  end
  
  # percent: 0-100
  def pitch=(percent)
    percent = [percent,0].max
    percent = [percent,100].min
    @@pitch = percent
  end
  
  # is_on: true or false
  def sentence_pause=(is_on)
    @@sentence_pause = is_on
  end
  
  # percent: 0-100
  def volume=(percent)
    percent = [percent,0].max
    percent = [percent,100].min
    @@volume = percent
  end
  
  # percent: 0-100
  def speed=(percent)
    percent = 5 * percent
    percent = [percent,80].max
    percent = [percent,500].min
    @@speed = percent
  end
  
end


class Game_Temp
  
  attr_accessor :tts_need_refresh
  
  alias tts_initialize initialize
  def initialize
    tts_initialize
    @tts_need_refresh = false
  end
  
end

2) Copy these files from the demo to your game folder:
- eSpeak install file
- espeak.exe


* if you add text asking the player whether to set accessibility ON, blind people won't see it.
You can also turn it on/off using a script : TTS.is_on = true / false

Known bugs:
- sentences may "overlap", when the player spams the A button. you can raise the speed to fix it.
- after installing eSpeak, you must restart the game (being fixed)

 

[#Not Important]

I'm working on this for pokémon essentials, so far I've done:

• Pokégear
• Pause Menu
• pbMessage and all the things for battle text.

Currently working on the battle system

 

[Olasooo]

this is amazing! Hope the devs of fan games add this in to it.

 

[silver-wind]

#Not Important, can we combine our scripts?
do you mind showing me what you've got?

 

[the flying pikachu]

yeay, amazing you2, thanks.

 

[#Not Important]

#Not Important, can we combine our scripts?
do you mind showing me what you've got?

I've mostly been doing edits to pokemon essentials, so I don't have anything too fancy, like queues just speaking and the global boolean to have it on/off. I have the installed check, but I'm focusing on more pokemon-style things, like the battle scene. If you still want my script, I can pm you on discord.

 

[silver-wind]

sounds good. let's talk on discord

 

[the flying pikachu]

hey guys: whats new?

 

[Olasooo]

Hi. I wonder that to, as always, amazing work!
I am just amazed that people do this vvoluntarily, it's just amazing.
Even if ther's no new info, I am just glad that people still works on this.

 

[RealAmethyst]

Hi. I just found this topic. Is this still being worked on?
Accessibility is becoming more and more important and I would really love to play fangames and actually read the text lol.

 

[Swdfm]

I am planning to use this script, and develop it to make it more useable for Devs in Essentials.
I will credit silver-wind and link to this forum post

 

[RealAmethyst]

I really hope you do. I really want this working, as I am blind and would benefit this a lot. Would it be possible to get it working with this: https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/tree/master/extras/controllerClient
This would send text to our speech software and would let us use our configured settings without having to use something else.

 

[Swdfm]

https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?p=10625208
Working as of April 2023, with version 20.1