AI assisted voice-over
To start using the VO Extension, there are only a few prerequisites necessary.
The plugin needs to be active and you need to have added your API key to the articy.cfg (see Set up VO Extension for details).
In addition the language supposed to be used needs to be toggled for voice-over 1, as well as the respective object properties 2. This can be done in the Localization settings.
If the VO Extension is not further configured, see below on how to do that, it will use the first voice from your ElevenLabs library as default.
Using the toolbar button
You can find the button for “AI assisted VO” in the toolbar of the Flow view. Depending on resolution and window size it might be visible 3 or collapsed 4.
When clicking the button you have the option to select one or more languages 5. Then click the property you want AI assisted VO for 6. The number of available properties here depends on your selection in the Localization settings.
If the toolbar button is used all elements on this Flow layer that have the selected property active for voice-over will receive AI assisted VO files.
Using the right-click context menu
Right-click a selected object and select “AI assisted VO” 7, then choose a language 8. The number of available properties listed in the menu depends on your selection in the Localization settings. You can use the right-click menu option for one or more selected objects.
To prepare each speaker for a separate voice from your ElevenLabs library, go to the “Plugin” Icon in the master toolbar 9, then “VO Extension” 10 and “Assign ‘Voice Library’ Feature to all speakers” 11.
All Entities, which are used as speakers somewhere in the Flow and have a template, get the Voice Library feature assigned 12.
Please note that there needs to be a Template on a speaker Entity to assign the Voice Library Feature. In case a speaker is without Template, you will receive a notification 13 when running the Assign command.
With the feature assigned to the speakers, you can select a respective Entity from the Navigator 14, go to the Template tab 15 and choose a voice from the drop-down 16. The drop-down lists all voices you have in your ElevenLabs voice library (default voices + My voices).
In case you have the Voice Library feature assigned, but no voice selected, and use AI assisted VO, these elements will be skipped and you will get a notification that there are speakers without a voice 17.
The Presentation view is ideal to check an entire scene for pacing or tone. If voice-over files exist, they will be played during the presentation. You can change between languages freely, while in a presentation 18.
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The Localization view is ideal for spot checks. Here you can listen to voice-over files 19 and check the status of the current line 20. With a change of the Current language 21 you can easily check a specific line in all localized languages.
More configuration options for the VO Extensions can be found in the Plugins settings. Select Settings in the Navigator 22, then choose the Plugins tab 23.
24 Mark Voice-over as Final sets the status of all processed AI assisted VO files to Final. This status can be monitored in the Localization view 25. This option is checked by default.
26 Ignore Text status Outdated. Under normal circumstances lines with the Outdated text status would be skipped 27. Check this option to ignore the Outdated text status and process these lines in a new AI assisted VO run.
28 Ignore Voice-Over status Final. If the status is Final 29, these lines will be skipped if they are part of a new AI assisted VO run. Check this option to ignore the Final voice-over status and process these lines in a new run.
30 Skip speakers without Voice Library feature. This option leads to AI assisted VO being processed even if the element in question does not have the Voice Library Feature assigned. In this case the first voice in your Elevenlabs library will be used as a default voice. If you want controlled voice-over, with only voices you set in the Voice Library feature, check this option to skip elements without the feature.
Select Plugins 31 from the master toolbar, then VO Extension 32, then choose Update Voice Library 33.
From here you can also quickly jump to your ElevenLabs Voice Library web page 34.
All voice-over files are saved in the Audio-Assets folder, sorted by language subfolder 35.
If you need to get to the physical file on your hard drive, right-click on a file 36 and select “Open containing folder” 37 to jump to the file location in either the Windows Explorer or Mac Finder.
The plugin needs to be active and you need to have added your API key to the articy.cfg (see Set up VO Extension for details).
In addition the language supposed to be used needs to be toggled for voice-over 1, as well as the respective object properties 2. This can be done in the Localization settings.
If the VO Extension is not further configured, see below on how to do that, it will use the first voice from your ElevenLabs library as default.
Accessing the VO Extension
There are two ways to access AI assisted voice-over with the VO Extension:Using the toolbar button
You can find the button for “AI assisted VO” in the toolbar of the Flow view. Depending on resolution and window size it might be visible 3 or collapsed 4.
When clicking the button you have the option to select one or more languages 5. Then click the property you want AI assisted VO for 6. The number of available properties here depends on your selection in the Localization settings.
If the toolbar button is used all elements on this Flow layer that have the selected property active for voice-over will receive AI assisted VO files.
Using the right-click context menu
Right-click a selected object and select “AI assisted VO” 7, then choose a language 8. The number of available properties listed in the menu depends on your selection in the Localization settings. You can use the right-click menu option for one or more selected objects.
Custom voices
Of course the VO Extension can do much more than just putting a default voice on all objects, regardless of speaker. This is more of a quick-start option to get some quick results, for example to estimate the pacing of a scene.To prepare each speaker for a separate voice from your ElevenLabs library, go to the “Plugin” Icon in the master toolbar 9, then “VO Extension” 10 and “Assign ‘Voice Library’ Feature to all speakers” 11.
All Entities, which are used as speakers somewhere in the Flow and have a template, get the Voice Library feature assigned 12.
Please note that there needs to be a Template on a speaker Entity to assign the Voice Library Feature. In case a speaker is without Template, you will receive a notification 13 when running the Assign command.
With the feature assigned to the speakers, you can select a respective Entity from the Navigator 14, go to the Template tab 15 and choose a voice from the drop-down 16. The drop-down lists all voices you have in your ElevenLabs voice library (default voices + My voices).
In case you have the Voice Library feature assigned, but no voice selected, and use AI assisted VO, these elements will be skipped and you will get a notification that there are speakers without a voice 17.
Checking voice-over files
There are two ways to check your voice-over files: the Presentation view and the Localization view.The Presentation view is ideal to check an entire scene for pacing or tone. If voice-over files exist, they will be played during the presentation. You can change between languages freely, while in a presentation 18.
The Localization view is ideal for spot checks. Here you can listen to voice-over files 19 and check the status of the current line 20. With a change of the Current language 21 you can easily check a specific line in all localized languages.
VO Extension settings
More configuration options for the VO Extensions can be found in the Plugins settings. Select Settings in the Navigator 22, then choose the Plugins tab 23.
24 Mark Voice-over as Final sets the status of all processed AI assisted VO files to Final. This status can be monitored in the Localization view 25. This option is checked by default.
26 Ignore Text status Outdated. Under normal circumstances lines with the Outdated text status would be skipped 27. Check this option to ignore the Outdated text status and process these lines in a new AI assisted VO run.
28 Ignore Voice-Over status Final. If the status is Final 29, these lines will be skipped if they are part of a new AI assisted VO run. Check this option to ignore the Final voice-over status and process these lines in a new run.
30 Skip speakers without Voice Library feature. This option leads to AI assisted VO being processed even if the element in question does not have the Voice Library Feature assigned. In this case the first voice in your Elevenlabs library will be used as a default voice. If you want controlled voice-over, with only voices you set in the Voice Library feature, check this option to skip elements without the feature.
Editing and updating your Voice Library
If you make changes to your ElevenLabs Voice Library, like adding or removing voices, you need to update the Voice Library within articy:draft X to provide the VO Extension with the current data.Select Plugins 31 from the master toolbar, then VO Extension 32, then choose Update Voice Library 33.
From here you can also quickly jump to your ElevenLabs Voice Library web page 34.
File location
All voice-over files are saved in the Audio-Assets folder, sorted by language subfolder 35.
If you need to get to the physical file on your hard drive, right-click on a file 36 and select “Open containing folder” 37 to jump to the file location in either the Windows Explorer or Mac Finder.