VIFTOOL2 Clarification

Rojer Ramjet

Rojer Ramjet

Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Messages
17
Location
MELBOURNE
TomTom Model(s)
Go 720
I used viftool to disasemble the .chk file to .ogg files
Used Audacity to bump up the volume on each .ogg file
Now trying to understand viftool2 to reassemble the ogg's back into the .chk file.

Step 2 in viftool2 refers to a profile (what profile)
It also wants me to number the ogg files (I think).

Step 3 wants me to name my 'profile'

Can someone explain to this dummy step 2 and 3 please:confused:
 
One of our mods, Andy_P, is an expert in this area (amongst many). I'm sure he'll be posting here within 24 hours with sound advice so check back!
 
Erk! It's a LONG time since I looked at Viftool....
...and both of my favourite links to help files are now dead.

One thing to ask first (in the hope the problem goes away!) is What are you trying to achieve?

You mention the .chk file, but that could refer to a voice file (dataxx.chk) or to the sound effects file (data.chk)

If all you are trying to do is increase the volume of some of the sound effects, then there is no need to re-compile them. You can just put the individual .ogg files (or even .wavs) into the "sounds" folder and they will appear in the normal menus just as if they were in data.chk. You can even add them in sub-folders.
 
OK... rather than dredge it out of my memory, I started again with the programs themselves.
I now realise that viftool1.x and viftool2 probably only deal with voice files, it was another tool that could open up the sound effects file.
-------

So.... assuming it's a VOICE you are trying to recompile.

First, put the 59 .ogg files into a folder
then run viftool2

Step 1 in viftool2 - This asks you to to browse to the location of that folder you just made, so it knows where to look.

Step 2 - where it asks you to "number your profile" is just asking for the two digit number you want to use for your new voice file (which will be called "dataxx.chk" where "xx" is the two digit number) You need to choose a number that has not been used for any of the other voices you have got installed.

Step 3 - where it asks you to "name your profile" just means "what name do you want to call your new voice?"

Step 4 - just asks for an output folder to put the newly-generated files into.

When the program runs, it will create a file called dataxx.chk where xx is the number you chose in step 2, and a file called abcde.vif where abcde is the name you chose in step 3.

(That .vif file is a simple text file with the name you chose and the dataxx.chk filename inside).

Hope that helps to get it running.
 
The voice I use is a little quiet so this exercise was just to decompile to ogg files which I did.
I bumped up the gain with audacity, which I did.
The original chk file was called 'Data05'
I'm assuming I name the the profile (in step 2 viftool2) to Data05 (the way it was) or name the profile to a unique unused number so as to have another (extra) voice set.
So now I'm proposing to number the profile to 'Data05' and name the profile eg. 'Suzy Loud'
That's all I need to do?
Then just put it back into my TT720
Just noticed in step 2 I must number my profile something btween 71 and 99 so I'll use 72, that ok?
 
Thanks for the help guys, appreciate it.
Now a further problem.
When re-compiling the ogg files I get a message that it's looking for 59 ogg files.
There are only 58 modified ogg files plus the bmp which makes 59 total but it appears to want 59 ogg files.
I checked another .chk voice file and that also had only 58 ogg files.
What am I doing wrong?
 
When I was playing with it yesterday (so I might know what I was on about when I replied!) I used viftool1 to split a file, and these are the .oggs I got

100.ogg
200.ogg
2ndLeft.ogg
2ndRight.ogg
300.ogg
3rdLeft.ogg
3rdRight.ogg
400.ogg
50.ogg
500.ogg
600.ogg
700.ogg
80.ogg
800.ogg
After.ogg
AhExit.ogg
AhExitLeft.ogg
AhExitRight.ogg
AhFerry.ogg
AhKeepLeft.ogg
AhKeepRight.ogg
AhLeftTurn.ogg
AhRightTurn.ogg
AhUTurn.ogg
Arrive.ogg
BearLeft.ogg
BearRight.ogg
Charge.ogg
Depart.ogg
KeepLeft.ogg
KeepRight.ogg
LnLeft.ogg
LnRight.ogg
Meters.ogg
MwEnter.ogg
MwExit.ogg
MwExitLeft.ogg
MwExitRight.ogg
RbBack.ogg
RbCross.ogg
RbExit1.ogg
RbExit2.ogg
RbExit3.ogg
RbExit4.ogg
RbExit5.ogg
RbExit6.ogg
RbLeft.ogg
RbRight.ogg
RoadEnd.ogg
SharpLeft.ogg
SharpRight.ogg
Straight.ogg
TakeFerry.ogg
Then.ogg
TryUTurn.ogg
TurnLeft.ogg
TurnRight.ogg
UTurn.ogg
Yards.ogg

What one are you missing?
(That list of files recompiled back to a .chk file OK using viftool2)
 
Last edited:
Thanks for going to all the trouble Andy.
It seems I'm missing the 'Then.ogg' file. Don't know why it's missing.
I'll try and copy it out of another dataxx file and put it where it should be.
I'll post back in a couple of days as to how I go.
Untill then and to all those reading this...............
Gobble, Gobble.......
Happy ThanksGiving folks.
 
Seems very strange... I can't really see how it could be missing from the original voice file, you sure you didn't lose it during the time you were raising the volumes and re-saving?

What happens if you try splitting the oggs out again from that original file? (sorry if that's obvious and you've already done it!)
 
Andy_P said:
Seems very strange... I can't really see how it could be missing from the original voice file, you sure you didn't lose it during the time you were raising the volumes and re-saving?

What happens if you try splitting the oggs out again from that original file? (sorry if that's obvious and you've already done it!)
Click to expand...

Hi Andy,
Sometimes it's the obvious that baffles people, somtimes so obvious or too obvious to think about checking.

I'm going to start over and see how it goes.
In at least one of the voices i've used I heard the machine say 'Then'
I have noticed that in the past when it should say 'Then Take The Freeway, it just says 'Then' Don't know which voice that was right now.

I notice in your listing as in mine that 'Take The Freeway' isn't listed, does yours say it ? Mine used to say 'Take the freeway' so perhaps it's the voice you're using at the time because if for example it was in your list that would make 60 and NOT 59 voices.

Thankfully, not having a life I got plenty of time to sort this out! or at least until the 21st Dec 2012 ... lol

I'll report back when I got it all sorted, probably by the end of the week.

This whole thing compared to some of the problems others are having is a little trivial though. I'm upgrading in a few months to a newer TT, I can't see any other Nav device being better than TT so I'll stick with the TT brand.

Cheers.
 
Just logged back in.
I'm copying out all my voices to my pc.

My TomTom 720 voice folder doesn't have any .bmp files,
it only has for example:- data09.vif, data09.chk, data09.tlv

According to the poor instruction I have for viftool.exe, I'm required
to have the dataxx.chk, dataxx.vif, dataxx.bmp in the destination
folder and viftool.exe.

Now I can create a .bmp and call it dataxx.bmp but I'm curious as
to the tlv file, what's that all about, and is it a bmp container perhaps?
I'm assuming it's some kind of document.

For me this is an interesting learning experiance but I don't want to bore
you or others by dragging it, just let me know.

Cheers
 
A few quick thoughts (but no quick answers!) I MUST do some "real-life" stuff today or my wife will killl me, but I'll come back to this when I can...

There will obv. be some differences in the voice files for different languages. So that will account for some different file names. I'm (only) guessing that different country versions will always have the same number of files.

The voice file I used for my test was just the first one I picked, it's not an official TomTom-supplied voice, so I should repeat the experiment with a "proper" one.

My TomToms DO say "...then take the motorway", so there's obviously some mystery there when looking at my list of files. More investigation needed again....

Maybe, just maybe, the viftool2 is only designed for UK voices (but I v. much doubt that).

Maybe TomTom have quietly changed the format of the recent voice files so viftool2 no longer works with them.

I *do* have some installed voices with THREE-digit ID numbers, so there have definitely been SOME changes over the years since the viftools were made.

-----------
BMP files:
The .bmp just shows the "mug-shot" of the character on-screen and in TT Home.

It's optional - if you don't have one you just get a silhouette (there's something in a file somewhere that says whether it's a male or female voice so it uses the right silhouette).

I don't think viftool cares if there's one there or not when it re-compiles the oggs
So just take the original one and put it back again (or make a new one). Just make sure the new ID number in the file name matches.

--------------------

TLV files:
These are generated by HOME, when you buy or download a new voice (and maybe also if you use Home to move one around. The .tlv file tells Home various things about where to find it and it also provides the text you see on screen in Home, such as "Jane. English-GB. This is a standard navigation voice".

They are TOTALLY optional as far as the TomTom itself is concerned, and Home can still work without them too.

Hope some of that helps. I'll be back!
 
I'm still here... ("Ouch, stop hitting me!")

Time to move this out of "Off-topic" methinks. As far as I'm concerned it's very much ON-topic. :)

Moved to "System config and customising" section.
 
Andy_P said:
I'm still here... ("Ouch, stop hitting me!")

Time to move this out of "Off-topic" methinks. As far as I'm concerned it's very much ON-topic. :)

Moved to "System config and customising" section.
Click to expand...

Well, it didn't take as long as I thought!
Of the ten voices I have, it appears only 6 can be recompiled because of missing .ogg files. To re-compile I'll have to create the missing .ogg files or copy over from other voices.
I've attached an excel 2010 sheet to show you the missing files.
See attached pdf file (had to convert it to pdf to upload it.)
Your 'motorway' file is 'MWEnter.ogg'.
OK, can't upload it, file size exceeds limit.
You can get it here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/f5t16grtefvd8bc/TT_Voices_findings.pdf

I need a protein pill after all this!!!
 
Rojer Ramjet said:
Of the ten voices I have, it appears only 6 can be recompiled because of missing .ogg files. To re-compile I'll have to create the missing .ogg files or copy over from other voices.
Click to expand...

Nice bit of research, well done! I wonder why there are missing files? Surely the voice can't be missing actual words to say, maybe viftool1 is throwing a wobbly over something and can't extract some bits (maybe your Aus. specific stuff???)

Rojer Ramjet said:
I've attached an excel 2010 sheet to show you the missing files.
See attached pdf file (had to convert it to pdf to upload it.)
Click to expand...

Not working I'm afraid... Media Fire says "Invalid or Deleted File".

Rojer Ramjet said:
Your 'motorway' file is 'MWEnter.ogg'.
Click to expand...

D'oh! Course it is! Serves me right for trying to look at things in a hurry.

Glad you're mostly sorted, I hate a mystery!
 

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