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NBA: Blabbermouth & Quit

Blabbermouth
Quit
Videos

Blabbermouth NBA

This NBA will enable any object to "speak" with a computerized type voice. You can also type in the name of one of your text fields and the new button action " BlabberMouth" will speak what is in the text field. Sometimes you may have to spell the word more as it sounds than as it is actually spelled to make the NBA pick up what you want the graphic to "say".

Graphics are good to use because "BlabberMouth" makes it sound like that graphic is "saying" something, but any object such as a text object can also be used with this NBA.

You may have a text object with some information about the topic of that card for the type of project or lesson that is being created. In this case, the Blabbermouth NBA can be used to "speak" that text. This option may be best for short amounts of text to be used.

You can also record your own voice using the Windows Sound Recorder as well.

Adding Blabbermouth to a Graphic

The first thing you need to do is select

the graphic you want to add the NBA Blabbermouth.

Right-click on the graphic and click on Actions...OR

Double-click on the chosen graphic. This will bring up the Graphic Appearance box.

Then click on Actions.

Check New Button Actions

Choose the NBA Blabbermouth from the list on the left. Then click the Use this NBA button.

Just play around with the different options- speed, pitch, and voices and find what you need for the "scenario" on the card.

For example:

A young child may need the high voice with normal speed, male or female, depending on the graphic.
An old scientist may need the lower male voice using the slow speed.

Choose the speed the voice will play, the pitch (higher or lower), and the type of voice. There are male and female voices to choose from.

The practice stack gives some examples of Blabbermouth which you can hear when you click on the graphic. The last page gives you the opportunity to add the Blabbermouth NBA to the graphics on the card.

Remember to:

Type in the text you want the "object" to say or what would be heard if you click on that object (graphic, text, or even a button).

You can also have that action "activate" at a certain time using the automatic timer which is also on the "actions box".

Remember that you may have to spell the word more as it sounds that as it is actually spelled if any word does not sound correct.

Quit NBA

Quit is a new button action that can be used to close out a stack. It is good to have a way to "quit" or exit the stack. When a student or any user has finished the stack, it is good design feature to have a way to exit and close out the stack.

The user should not just have to go to File>Exit or click on the red x

in the top right-hand corner of the stack to get out of the stack. Not having a quit button is like playing a CD-ROM game and not having a way to quit playing.

Using Quit

To use the new button action, Quit, you need to go to Objects>Add

a Button.

After you click on Add a Button, you will see the Button Appearance box where you can select the shape and color of the button, the text color, and type of font you want to use. The first four types of buttons are most commonly used. Button types 5-8 are used to create a button area around something on the card such as a graphic or text, like a "hotspot". To change the font style, click Format. If you want to use an icon that may say "exit", click on Icons.

You can go to Actions from the Button Appearance box right after you insert the button on the card. Or you can right-click or double-click on the button and click on Actions.

When you see the Actions box, click on New Button Actions.

Choose Quit from near the bottom of the NBA list. Use the scroll button beside the list to scroll down to this NBA. After you select "Quit" from the NBA list, all you have to do is click Use this NBA.

TIP!

Occasionally you may have to use "creative spelling" techniques to make a word come out like you want it to sound. The electronic voice sometimes does not pronounce the word like it should sound, so you have "spell" the word the way it "sounds". For example, the word blabbermouth would sound like you were saying blabbermuth, so you would have to spell the word with the "ow" sound ending up being spelled "blabbermowth".

Listen to this short-take video on the creative spelling process needed to make a blabbermouth pronounce the word as you want it spoken

	Creative Spelling

After you click Use this NBA, you can click OK to finish. Click Done on the Actions box.

You do not have to type any instructions or text into the box for this NBA to work.

Remember!

When someone clicks on the button that has the Quit action added to it, the stack will close. If any changes have been made to the stack, you should be asked to save the stack before you close. BUT... it is better to be safe and save the stack anyway before you click on the Exit or Quit button.

	Instructional Videos
	Blabbermouth	Quit

Practice Session: Blabbermouth & Quit

Created by Neva B.Odom

Last updated April 27, 2007