Anki-android: Feature request: Compatibility with Anki 2.1.20 TTS field feature

[p4nix]

Hello,

this is my feature request to add compatibility to the new Anki 2.1.20 TTS support. Please note that it was done in a rush since I have a deadline approaching.

https://apps.ankiweb.net/docs/manual.html#text-to-speech
https://github.com/ankitects/anki/search?q=tts&unscoped_q=tts

Please note that my card does not make use of the tts voice/speed settings, which would ideally be included as well.

Reproduction Steps

1. Use Test.apkg.zip
   
   
   
   • test card employing the use of a {{tts en_GB:Front}} to on-the-fly generate a TTS with the contents of the front field
   
   

Expected Result

According to https://apps.ankiweb.net/docs/manual.html#text-to-speech, there should be a play audio button, the text in the {{tts en_GB:Field}} will not be shown and the audio is automatically played when reviewing.

Actual Result

• it doesn't generate an audio button
• it doesn't automatically play the TTS
• it shows the content of the field, which it isn't supposed to do

Research

[ x ] I have read the support page and am reporting a bug or enhancement request specific to AnkiDroid

[ x ] I have checked the manual and the FAQ and could not find a solution to my issue

[ x ] I have searched for similar existing issues here and on the user forum

[mikehardy]

Thanks @p4nix I appreciate your taking the time to log this

[DaltonThompson]

One could convert the new 2.1.20 TTS syntax into the old syntax. Essentially, {{Front}}{{tts de_DE:Front}} becomes {{Front}}<tts service="android" voice="de_DE">Front</tts>.

As I understand it, one could grab a string surrounded by {{tts and ending in }}, interpret the first characters (ending before a colon: or a space ) as the old syntax "voice". Characters after the colon : would be the field name, which must be passed as a string e.g. Front, NOT {{Front}}. All other characters (if included, e.g. voices=Apple_Otoya,Microsoft_Haruka) would be ignored, as they have information pertaining to MacOS or Windows.

[p4nix]

Thanks for looking into this issue!
I myself have downloaded the AnkiDroid sourcecode to look into this, but I am afraid my limited knowledge of coding and limited amount of time I could spend for it didn't allow me to find a solution. Please note that your solution would only be a "dirty fix" (no offense, it would help me out personally with that issue) - but ideally, it should generate the standard voice button by saving the audio temporarily, as I understand it works on Anki desktop. Otherwise it wouldn't really be ecosystem compatibility :)

[david-allison-1]

Spec: https://github.com/ankitects/anki/blob/0ecc189a9bbac8c62f0b9a5145e52074d05e515f/qt/aqt/tts.py#L1

Some Impl:
https://github.com/ankitects/anki/blob/1524e7dcacead2a552197c7ae8e8dd1ad14bfd36/rslib/src/template_filters.rs#L189-L193

https://github.com/ankitects/anki/blob/898801ebdae716bba997da9e4902ed4e4fa4094d/rslib/src/text.rs#L66-L74

[david-allison-1]

Basic flow:

• A card is responsible for its template rendering: render_output
  
  
  
  • render_into
  
  
• Parse {{tts en_US voices=Bob,Jane:Field}} from template and convert to [anki:tts][en_US voices=Bob,Jane]text[/anki:tts]: tts_filter
• Convert from [anki:tts] into [anki:play:q:0]: extract_av_tags
  
  
  
  • This is also been done for [sound:] tags
  
  
  • This converts it into a list of AVTag, and the textual representation references the index of this list.
  
  
• The list of AVTag is stored in the card: render_card_from_context, render_card, question_av_tags
  
  
  
  • Two lists are made, one for the question, one for the answer.
  
  
• On card render: prepare_card_text_for_display
  
  
  
  • [anki:play] is converted to an svg which calls pycmd('play:q:0') av_refs_to_play_icons
  
  
• The reviewer passes the AVTag in the card to sounds.av_player: replay_audio
• aqt.sounds.av_player is an abstraction over a list of players. These are set up to accept an AVTag, and rank it setup_audio _best_player_for_tag

• Ranking logic: voice_for_tag

  * .play is invoked on the player,

• Add {{tts-voices}} field: on_tts_voices

---

Notes

A worrying method is temp_file_for_tag_and_voice, but this appears unused. It seems easiest to ignore this in our implementation and let our TTS engine handle caching.

[BossBitch84]

How do I unsuspend my greendot card i found

[EmilRehnberg]

@david-allison-1
Would that also yield a play button similar to how the Anki 2.1.20 does?
I find it useful being able to break up the sound playback, instead of always getting the audio for the full text. Hence the question and request :)

[david-allison-1]

@EmilRehnberg Haven't looked into the implementation, but the initial change will almost certainly mirror how Anki Desktop does it.

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[lucwastiaux]

I'm planning on supporting the Anki 2.1.20 TTS {{tts}} functionality within AwesomeTTS (as opposed to the previously used tag). This would allow on-the-fly TTS to support a fallback mechanism on AnkiMobile (iOS). Ideally AnkiDroid would also support this syntax, so that the fallback works on AnkiDroid as well.

[david-allison-1]

I'm getting the initial stages of the Rust conversion into AnkiDroid 2.14, after then we'll be able to use the Anki Desktop TTS code.

[lucwastiaux]

That sounds like a good idea, will you be able to share a large proportion of code with Anki at that point ? I did notice the code which parses the {{tts}} tag is in rust (.rs file - I know nothing about rust).

[david-allison-1]

That sounds like a good idea, will you be able to share a large proportion of code with Anki at that point ? I did notice the code which parses the {{tts}} tag is in rust (.rs file - I know nothing about rust).

We'll be compiling the rust as a native library for Android, none of the Python sadly