Tips + Tricks

Welcome to the Q&A section of my TomTom site.  Here is a compilation of emails I have received from people with the solutions to those problems. I also wish to use this section as a tips page, so if you encountered any problems that you managed to solve, and feel that the information would be useful for other visitors, please contact me with the details and I will post them here. Happy Problem Solving! Graeme Lucas




Index: QA001: Problem using VIFTool (entry #0 “After.ogg” (nach) is missing) QA002: Voice commands not playing properly on TTG (Not playing full command) QA003: Changing speed camera alert tones on TTG QA004: CHK File Naming vs. TomTom Built in definitions QA005: File naming convention issues (AhLeftTurn vs. AhLefturn) QA006: Splitting an already made .VIF and .CHK file back to 59 .OGG Files QA007: VIFTool / WINVIFTool for Mac OS? QA008: Custom Voices on TomTom Mobile / TomTom One

Can’t find what you’re looking for? I’m sure google can!

QA001: Problem using VIFTool (entry #0 “After.ogg” (nach) is missing) ______________________ STATUS: Solved ______________________ ORIGINAL EMAIL:

Hi Graeme
I am having problems creating my own file I wondered if you had time to help, if so here’s the history
Firstly I cannot change directory completely so I get round this by typing the full path like this:
F:\>C:\TOMTOMVoices\Me\VIFTool join 99 me me.vif entry #0 “After.ogg” (nach) is missing
This is the error message I am getting yet my file list shows there is a file call After.ogg and I can play it by re-opening it via Audacity.
Any Ideas?
Many Thanks
Matt

______________________ CAUSE: This is caused because the command prompt had not been redirected to the folder in which viftool.exe and the samples .ogg files are located.  VIFTool requires the current prompt to be pointed at this folder, and cannot be targeted by typing in it’s full location (i.e. C:\TomTom etc.) ______________________ SOLUTION: Redirect the command prompt before running VIFTool.exe.  Details can be found on Step 4: Compile and Copy section of the guide. A rough guide to command prompting is as follows: [drive letter] :   (eg C:)                - This will change the prompt to the drive specified in [drive letter]. cd\ (eg cd\TomTom\voices)       - This navigates through the current drive (cd) into subfolders. exit                                            - This closes the command prompt window __________________________ INDEX TOP HOME

QA002: Voice commands not playing properly on TTG (Not playing full command) ______________________ STATUS: Solved ______________________ ORIGINAL EMAIL:

Hi - Great site…
I followed your instructions - and I have my voice on my wife’s Go… only problem is some words get clipped so you hear “At the Endo for th.. Take the ferry” - any ideas - I have checked the files and all are OK - I could email them if you want.

——– Regards

Chris

______________________ CAUSE: I believe (although I cannot guarantee the accuracy), the TTG has limited capabilities with the sound bit rate (Hz Rating).  Although the clips preview perfectly on your PC, they get cut off when on the move.  I believe this limitation lies on the TTG, I have not heard of this happening on other systems. ______________________ SOLUTION: In audacity, change the bit rate in audacity before recording your samples to 11 025 Hz.  You could try other bit rates, they may be successful, please let me know. __________________________ INDEX TOP HOME

QA003: Changing speed camera alert tones on TTG ______________________ STATUS: Solved ______________________ ORIGINAL EMAIL:

Hi I wonder if you can help me. I have a Tom Tom nav 5 (4890) which is installed on a Mio 168 machine.I am trying to put speed camera voice warnings on it rather than ‘the bings and bongs’. However I am new to computers (unbelievable I know but I’m a dinosaur) and all the jargon is a bit too much for me. I am wondering if you have an idiots guide on how to do this. I’ve read things like convert the ogg file to a data chk file. This is fine if you know how to do this but I don’t. Please could you help a damsel in distress.
Regards
Pat

______________________ CAUSE: N/A (This is not a problem, just a reference) ______________________ SOLUTION: Download the POI Patcher program, this can be found at http://www.automated.it/ttg-poipatcher.html, this should solve the problem. __________________________ INDEX TOP HOME

QA004: .CHK File Naming vs. TomTom Built in definitions ______________________ STATUS: Solved ______________________ ORIGINAL EMAIL:

Any idea why I named my files as Rob and Data 99, but I appear as Special Female 39?
Thanks,
Rob

______________________ CAUSE: N/A (There seems to be some confusion over the way TomTom handles the naming convention of voice files.  This is not a problem with TomTom however.) ______________________ SOLUTION: TomTom has fixed names for each of the DataXX.chk file.  Unfortunately this cannot be modifies (As far as I am aware).  As explained in Section 1: Preliminary, part a TomTom will always call the voice file what it wishes (for example data04.chk is Tim UK, and data15.chk is Eva - Nederland’s etc.). Some hope however, embed a bitmap with the name convention dataXX.bmp (Which number matches that of the .chk and .vif files), on this image add some text and a picture of the person as well.  Doing this will override the silhouette picture when selecting the voice.  Further instruction can be found on Step 4: Compile and Copy of my guide. __________________________ INDEX TOP HOME

QA005: File naming convention issues (AhLeftTurn vs. AhLefturn) ______________________ STATUS: Pending Solution ______________________ ORIGINAL EMAILS:

Email 1: First of all, let me just say that I wished I had found your site first before I went trying to translate German sites and forums and picking up bits here and there… I had most of the info before I found yours eventually!!!
Anyhow, great resource by the way. Worth the time and effort to others who want to do this.
Thought I’d point out an important error on your site… In the list of .ogg files you specified the following:
# ‘AhLeftTurn.ogg’ => ‘Left turn ahead’
please note that this is not AhLeftTurn.ogg it is AhLefTurn.ogg (there aren’t two “t”s) … You will need to change that info in two places on your site.
If users upload the CHK file into TOMTOM GO, it will play the sample strings in TEST area but will not load the voice into the main system.
Regards,
Chris.
Email 2:
OK
Hang on, seems that file is very muddled across all the programs that were made for it.
I don’t understand it at all and I’m very confused. The John Cleese version and data04 (as well as other system made/designed voices) ALL have the file spelt like this if extracted: AhLefturn.ogg (NOTE THE ABSENCE OF THE SECOND “t”)
If you use VIFTools, it will only accept a join if the file is called AhLeftTurn.ogg (ie. with TWO “t”s)
If you use the TTG POI Sound Patcher program, it will only accept a join if the file is called AhLefturn.ogg (ie. with just the ONE “t”)
It should be noted that even the TEST function in my TOMTOM GO will not work if the file with only ONE “t” is left in the .CHK file
The TEST function will work BUT the file will not load for use in the system itself if there are TWO “t’s” in the .CHK file.
So now I am still confused. I still cannot get my voice file to work on the system *screams* !!!
Chris

______________________ CAUSE: Sloppy programming, but an easy mistake to make a guess, so no hard feelings! ______________________ SOLUTION: Although there is no evidence of a fix for this problem, I would advice only using VIFTool.exe.  However if someone does have any further knowledge on this hiccup, please email me! __________________________ INDEX TOP HOME

QA006:Splitting an already made .VIF and .CHK file back to 59 .OGG Files ______________________ STATUS: Solved ______________________ ORIGINAL EMAIL:

Hi
Is there a way to convert .vif files back into normal audio ?
regards

______________________ CAUSE: Until recently this was not possible unless you were willing to spend too much time fiddling with HEX editors or converting into different file format.  The old version of VIFTool would seemingly split the files, however they would not seem to be playable.  The problem was with the way VIFTool was writing the header of the file. ______________________ SOLUTION: Download the latest version of VIFTool (http://www.ghostwheel.de/viftool) and use the split function using the following syntax: viftool split viffile.vif chkfile.chk (for example ‘viftool split graeme.vif data99.chk’) __________________________ INDEX TOP HOME

QA007: VIFTool / WINVIFTool for Mac OS? ______________________ STATUS: Pending Solution ______________________ ORIGINAL EMAIL:

Great site thanks very much One question Do you know of an alternative to Viftool that will work with Mac OSX ?? Thanks in advance Adam

______________________ CAUSE: N/A ______________________ SOLUTION: I am not aware of any Mac OSX Version of the VIFTool, there certainly isn’t a WINVIFTool alternate for the Mac.  If anyone is aware of one, please get in touch.  In the meantime I am happy to stitch voices for anyone, just send me the 59 OGG Files in a zip file and I’ll do the rest __________________________ INDEX TOP HOME

QA008: Custom Voices on TomTom Mobile / TomTom One ______________________ STATUS: Solved ______________________ ORIGINAL EMAIL:

I have just visited your superb website on creating your own custom voices for TomTom.
The only problem I get is it appears the mobile version of the chk and vif files used in tt version 5.2 is different from the normal voice files.
If I split the supplied working voice chk/vif files using viftool, I get errors reporting the block size is 4 bits too big etc on 3 or 4 oggs sections. (but the voice works on Nokia 6600).
Running viftool split on non mobile voice files extracts all 59 ogg components with no errors  (Like you the extracted .ogg do not work but that doesn’t matter as you say). (The voice does not work on Nokia 6600).
Any clues or help would be useful.
Thank you again for a superb help tutorial on your website.
I look forward to your reply,
Bill

______________________ CAUSE: This problem is linked in with QA002 and the bitrate in which the samples are recorded.  TomTom seems to using different hardware/software audio decoders on the different TT Systems. ______________________ SOLUTION: Try experimenting with different bitrates, Bill got it to work on his TT Mobile by recording at 16kb’s, here’s the email he sent back to me;

Hello Graeme,
Thank you for your kind replies - I’m most grateful.
I have finally managed to solve my problem with Tom Tom mobile 5 and the navigational voice files when used with the Nokia 6600.
The problem is due to the bitrate.
The ogg voice files have to be recorded at 16kbit for them to work on the Nokia 6600.
The TT Navigator, Go etc use 22kbit.
All the files I found on the net were recorded at 22kbit which is why they did not work for me.
To make existing .chk and .vif files work, first they need to be (a) split with viftool, then (b) converted to 16kbit, (I used dB Power Amp Convertor with the ogg plug-in which is shareware and brilliant for doing this conversion on multiple files), (c) joined with viftool.
Thank you again for your brilliant help and kind replies.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I have not explained the method very well.
Kindest regards,
Bill

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