Custom TomTom voice files

[TomTomTim]

To make your own custom voice files:

Please note that I have only succeeded in doing this for TomTom Palm Bluetooth 4.400 (build 2840) on Tungsten T3. It worked for me but it might not work for you. I cannot accept any responsibility for loss or damage to your files, your Palm, your relationship or anything else you might loose or damage as a result of trying to replicate my experience.

Start by making 59 separate '.wav' files - one for each of the items listed below. To make them effective, you need to use the correct tone so that they will concatenate nicely - this may take a bit of practice but it can also be a lot fun, especially if you sample from songs, DVD or TV.

I used RecordPad and WavePad from http://nch.com.au to do my recording and wave file editing as it is cheap but has lots of control over the settings (there is a trail period which would give you plenty of time to try this out).

I have a note from Alex Graff (Ghostwheel) that the sound files for the Palm version of TomTom might have to be recorded at 16Khz mono, not at 40Khz mono, which I understand to be the norm for other versions. I have not been able to verify this information, save that 16Khz files work on my Palm. My thanks to Alex for this useful snippet - not to mention all the work he must have put into writing Viftool in the first place.

Following Alex's advice, all my files are recorded at 16 kHz, 16 bit, mono 31 kb/sec in PCM format.

Here is the list of wav files you need to make:

# 'After.ogg' => 'After'
# '50.ogg' => '50'
# '80.ogg' => '80'
# '100.ogg' => '100'
# '200.ogg' => '200'
# '300.ogg' => '300'
# '400.ogg' => '400'
# '500.ogg' => '500'
# '600.ogg' => '600'
# '700.ogg' => '700'
# '800.ogg' => '800'
# 'Meters.ogg' => 'Metres' // Note US spelling for file name
# 'Arrive.ogg' => 'You have arrived at your destination'
# 'TurnRight.ogg' => 'Turn Right'
# '2ndLeft.ogg' => 'Take the second left'
# '2ndRight.ogg' => 'Take the second right'
# '3rdLeft.ogg' => 'Take the third left'
# '3rdRight.ogg' => 'Take the third right'
# 'AhExit.ogg' => 'Exit ahead'
# 'AhExitLeft.ogg' => 'Exit left, ahead'
# 'AhExitRight.ogg' => 'Exit right, ahead'
# 'AhFerry.ogg' => 'Ferry ahead'
# 'AhKeepLeft.ogg' => 'Ahead, keep left'
# 'AhKeepRight.ogg' => 'Ahead, keep right'
# 'AhLeftTurn.ogg' => 'Left turn ahead'
# 'AhRightTurn.ogg' => 'Right turn ahead'
# 'AhUTurn.ogg' => 'U-turn ahead'
# 'BearLeft.ogg' => 'Bear left'
# 'BearRight.ogg' => 'Bear right'
# 'Charge.ogg' => 'Congestion charge'
# 'Depart.ogg' => 'Depart' //I’ve never heard TomTom say this command, so I am not sure what it is meant to be…
# 'KeepLeft.ogg' => 'Keep left'
# 'KeepRight.ogg' => 'Keep right'
# 'LnLeft.ogg' => 'Stay in the left lane'
# 'LnRight.ogg' => 'Stay in the right lane'
# 'MwEnter.ogg' => 'Take the motorway'
# 'MwExit.ogg' => 'Leave the motorway'
# 'MwExitLeft.ogg' => 'Leave the motorway at the exit on the left'
# 'MwExitRight.ogg' => 'Leave the motorway at the exit on the right'
# 'RbBack.ogg' => 'Go around the roundabout'
# 'RbCross.ogg' => 'Cross the roundabout'
# 'RbExit1.ogg' => 'First exit'
# 'RbExit2.ogg' => 'Second exit'
# 'RbExit3.ogg' => 'Third exit'
# 'RbExit4.ogg' => 'Fourth exit'
# 'RbExit5.ogg' => 'Fifth exit'
# 'RbExit6.ogg' => 'Sixth exit'
# 'RbLeft.ogg' => 'Go left on the roundabout'
# 'RbRight.ogg' => 'Go right on the roundabout'
# 'RoadEnd.ogg' => 'At the end of the road'
# 'SharpLeft.ogg' => 'Sharp left'
# 'SharpRight.ogg' => 'Sharp right'
# 'Straight.ogg' => 'Go straight on'
# 'TakeFerry.ogg' => 'Take the ferry'
# 'Then.ogg' => 'Then'
# 'TryUTurn.ogg' => 'Turn around when possible'
# 'TurnLeft.ogg' => 'Turn left'
# 'UTurn.ogg' => 'Make a U-turn'
# 'Yards.ogg' => 'Yards'

Save all the files in one folder and then convert them to '.ogg' files. You can use any ogg-compatible software, I chose oggenc from Vorbis: a free command-line utility.

To convert all your '.wav' files in one go using oggenc:
First copy oggenc.exe to the folder where you have stored your '.wav' files (and no other '.wav' files)
Execute this command in a DOS window: "for %f in (*.wav) do oggenc -b 16 %f"
You will now have a full set of '.ogg' files. There is no need to get rid of the '.wav' files.

Next, run Viftool to join the '.ogg' files into a single '.vif' file – for this part, I will assume that the files are all in a single folder called ‘files’ that is a sub-folder of the one containing viftool.exe. Note that I copied the file DATA12.CHK from my SD card into the same folder as viftool before executing this command

From a command window: viftool join 12 "My Test" files\data12.vif
You should see this:
Creating vif file...
Creating chk file...
Done.

You will find both files in the folder that contained the '.ogg' files.

You may now simply replace the file DATA12.DAT on your SD card (after making a backup, of course )with the one created by Viftool.

DATA12.VIF is not needed for TomTom Palm and can be ignored, however, you may wish to keep it if you want to extract the ogg files later (using Viftool “split”)

Good luck

[lbendlin]

just a brief comment - the "-b 16" is not correct. It should be omitted entirely. (it defines the bitrate, not the sampling rate)

So instead use "for %f in (*.wav) do oggenc %f"

You may have to normalize your WAVs to 0dB and then amplify by 6dB to make them a bit louder without having too much of a distortion.
_________________
Lutz

Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ

[tomtomgone]

Thanks for the how-to, looking forward to some new voice files soon

[TomTomTim]

No worries

My thanks to Lutz for pointing out the error in the command to convert ogg files and also for the tip about volume. So far I am finding the volume fine without any adjustment, but others may find it necessary to pump it up a bit.

I also realised that I forgot to add a link to Alex Graff's excellent (and vital) programme: Viftool.

You can download Viftool here (http://ghostwheel.de/viftool.zip).

TomTomTim

[Zeena]

This is how I did it:
(this is not a correction of any previous posts, but only my experience)

1. Download viftool and vorbis-tools. Unpack and place them in two different folders. - Yes there are many files in each package but don’t bother.

Creating the OGG-files:

2. Paste the 59 wav-files in the directory where oggenc.exe (and a lot of other files from the package) is stored. (Wav: 22050 Hz, 16bit for all TT exept 16000 Hz for Mobile)

3. Start commandline (Start ---> Run ---> type: cmd) and change directory to where oggenc.exe and the wav's is stored.

4. Cut the following command and paste it into the command line:

[lbendlin]

we would never dare to correct your pure english

but for step 4. you are much better off with

[Zeena]

Yes -

...
I understand this after I have read TomTomTim's instructions again.

I did not know this tread when i make my use of these tools myself.
_________________
Gunnar Nystul, Forum Admin, TomTom Forum Norway and Nystul Navigasjon

[FISHMAN]

TIM

I have tried your instructions for changing the voices & instructions on a TTG and it works absolutely perfectly.

I created a file called DATA05.chk as this replaces JANES VOICE.

DATA04.chk is the English male voice.

One of the things I found difficult was to KEEP the same tone whilst recording all 59 files. Especially as some files have ONE word and some have 6 or 7.
Otherwise when joined and played back with MY VOICE it sounded ???
awful.

Anyway great piece of work thanks.

Bill

[TomTomTim]

Bill,

Glad to hear that it works for GO as well.

I had the same problem with making it sound continuous so, after a few disasterous attempts and considerable family ridicule, I recorded whole phrases and then chopped out the bits I needed using NCH'c WavePad sound editor to make the individual files. It sounds much better now as many of the sounds are played with the other parts of the sentence that they were originally recorded with.

TTTim

[MrPloppy]

Hello TomTomTim,

You might have seen my post which describes exactly what you've said here. Sorry to repeat, I should have read the latest posts on here!

Just to say that converting WAVs into OGGs is quite simple, and can be done in explorer. Just highlight all the WAVS and drag 'n' drop them onto the OGGENC.EXE file, and it'll all be done. I learnt the hard way!!

All the best,

Mr Ploppy.

[TomTomTim]

No hard feelings - even a very slightly different angle can be the difference between understanding and opacity for people trying to replicate this - so your contribution is equally as valid as mine as far as I am concerned.

I also think you have a better listing of the phrases - I translated my list from the German version offered by Alex Graff (Ghostwheel) and I have to confess that my German is not very good!

Happy motoring
TTTim

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