Temp:Introduction to Verbot 4.1
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Intro
If you are new to Verbot and are just wondering with these questions, what this software can do? , Why peoples discuss so much about it? , What is a knowledge base? , How verbot works? , Can I create a knowledge base? , If so how can I do that? , Then we are trying to answer some of these questions, Again For the Best Help, and Further Discussion Log onto the Community Forum (http://www.verbots.com/forums/)
What is Verbot?
Created by Conversive Inc, Verbot is called Verbally Enchanted Software Robot, Verbot uses Microsoft Agent Technology and is the best in NLP (natural language processing) software, Verbot can be a chatterbot, a personal assistant, a platform for creating and implementing a better A.I, even it can be combined with Robotics, Any normal person can create the Knowledge Base to be used by the Verbot, It as simple as doing a chatroom conversation, the only difference is that you are the one writes questions and answers, The advanced feature of Verbot gives the power for a knowledge base to learn automatically, and also the use of C# code in the knowledge base to make conditionals, setting memory, etc, The new Verbot 4.1 Lets you do all of this, In unregistered version of the Verbot 4.1 saving your woks from knowledge base Editor is disabled(registration key for the verbot 4.1 only costs 10$'s) , but you can try almost all features, And you can always use the Verbot Player with almost all the potentials, The best way to begin Verbot is by starting the Julia Knowledge Base after the installation by double clicking the Julia.ckb file
Quick Installation Guide
Checklist
- You need Microsoft .NET framework 1.1 or higher
- You need text to speech engines (the default installation of verbot provides it)
- You need Microsoft agents (the default installation of verbot provides it)
- You need SAPI 5 (For The Conversive Characters (http://www.verbots.com/wiki/Tools:Conversive_Character_Studio))
- Also SAPI 4.0 (For MSAgents)
Download the verbot 4.1 from this link, and after that just click the file to install Verbot 4.1 comes with both the Verbot Player and the Verbot Knowledge base Editor And with some powerful MS Agents which will give the best human like interaction
After the installation a folder named "Verbot4" will be created in your "My Documents" folder, this is the folder which almost all the dataset to be used with the Verbot player or the Verbot Editor, stored
How to use Verbot
Verbot 4.1 Comes with 2 applications verbot player and Verbot scripting interface
Verbot Player
This is the main application that lets you to interact with the knowledge bases, (personalities, personal assistants, simple logic games, quiz programs, reference materials etc.) The player lets you load these knowledge bases, unload these knowledge bases, change agents, change voices, put schedulers, parental control etc. although the default installation of verbot 4.1 comes with Julia, Sylvie, and KA personality knowledge base and the Teacher personal assistant knowledge base with all the resources, you can download additional personalities, games, assistants, entertainment VKB's all from this link To use verbot player either click the particular .ckb file (appears with a blue icon with a white "V") or open the player from the startmenu-programs-verbot4-verbot player. Then go to player edit options then click add button the click the browse button to add a particular knowledge base, in this way you can use either .ckb or .vkb files
Verbot Scripting Interface
This application is used for creating your own Knowledge bases or for editing the existing knowledge bases To know how to create a knowledge base click HEREVerbot Editor when opened has 4 boxes (text boxes), but when you start the editor in from the start menu programs, it will have only 2 boxes (for rules and resources), but as soon as a new rule name is added the other 2 boxes (for adding inputs and outputs appears) In the resources box you can place 3 types of files, they are .VSN, .VRP and CSV The 1 long box under for rules holds the rules for the knowledge base and the other 2 boxes holds the inputs and outputs for a particular rule
Other Features
Other features of the Verbot Editor (can be found at the TOOLS menu) are Knowledge base info editor (where you can provide info about your KB's,) Merge Knowledge Base (where you can combine 2 or more knowledge bases) Print Knowledge base (where you can print the knowledge base into rich text format)
Synonym editor (to create or edit the synonyms (VSN) resource file) Replacement Profiles (to add or edit replacement profiles (VRP) file) Skin Editor (To create or edit the skin (VSK) for the verbot player) Search knowledge base (to search the knowledge base for rule names, inputs or outputs) Test knowledge base (to test the working of the created rules, commands etc)
Compile Knowledge base (To compile the knowledge base (VKB) to CKB file)
How Verbot Works?
Currently verbot only works in Microsoft Windows® Verbot is coded almost in C# language, and requires Microsoft .Net 1.1 or higher to execute, The main process which makes all these happens are verbot4engine.exe (VERBOT) and agentsvr.exe (Microsoft Agent), Whenever a knowledge base is clicked or added, it will be loaded into the verbot player’s memory, now when you type (chat) with verbot, your inputs will be compared to the inputs in the VKB or CKB files, if the searching founds a match the programs returns the output from the rule where that particular input was found, if the input wasn’t found then the engine returns the default outputs from the “*” (wildcard) provided it was already scripted, if not then verbot won’t say anything, now the output string is parsed with the agentsvr.exe and is converted into voice (if the output contains msagent tags, it will also parsed by agentsvr.exe to reproduce the animations or special functions) in the same way advanced features like “learn” “mem” C# commands are also parsed by the verbot engine
File Types, which makes Verbot Works
CKB
(compiled knowledge base)The standalone knowledge base, usually is a compiled version of the VKB (source) file And will be smaller in size related to VKB, but holds every things which is in the VKB's
VKB
(Verbot Knowledge Base)An XML based File, which holds the Rules, Inputs, Outputs, This is actually the source of the Knowledge Base which verbot uses, and this is the file, which we open via the Verbot Editor
VSN
(verbot synonyms)This file is used to feed the synonyms to be used with a Knowledge Base Is an external resource file
VRP
(verbot replacement Profiles)The replacement profile holder, which holds text or symbols which verbot player should replace before proceeding with the output
VSK
(verbot skins)Holds the skin data, like texture filenames, width, height, agents to be loaded, etc
CSV
(Comma Separated Value)CSV also known as Comma Separated Value files are a standard export format for many applications, most notably is Microsoft Excel. Use the CSV format you can create data driven KnowledgeBase by entering your data by way of a spreadsheet program such as Excel or Open Office Spreadsheet. Using KnowledgeBase Template Rules you can access CSV data by Compiling or Expanding the KnowledgeBase Template. This File Acts Like An External Database For The VERBOT
Scripting Verbot
Scripting Verbot is just, a easier thing, as you may have noticed that verbot comes with verbot player and verbot scripting interface, and the verbot scripting editor is the application we need to build Knowledge base, it's like making your mind a chatroom, and split your thoughts into 2 persons, 1, who asks questions 2, who gives answers, then just write the questions (which person 1 made into INPUTS) and the Answers (which person 2 gave) into the OUTPUTS, yes it's that simple no need special programming (for the advanced feature you need special tags), no need to edit a file in a text-editor by hand, just use the Verbot Scripting Interface (The Editor) to do all your works in a simpler way
A Brief Scripting Guide
Note: In order to save your work, in the editor you should register Verbot
VERBOT KNOWLEDGE BASES (VKB)
This is the source file used to create a KnowledgeBase, the Verbot Scripting Interface also allows you to compile a VKB into a Packaged .CKB file which can be used with Verbots Online and in the Unregistered Verbot Player.
What is a Rule
A Rule is a collection of Inputs to recognize from the user's input and corresponding Outputs that the bot will say if the rule is fired.
You can name a Rule anything you want to better organize your rules and to help the scripter know what that rule is for.
Creating Your First Rule
( you can try this on the unregistered version also, but you won't be able to save your work)
Open the Verbot4 editor form start menu -> Programs, or from the Verbot4 Editor shortcut
- write "hi" on the rulename box, click "New Rule" button, the "hi" rule will be created below the box and the other 2 boxes for inputs and outputs became visible
- Now select the "hi" rule by a single mouse click, then in the INPUT box click the "Add" button, write "hi" press the "enter" key (you can ignore the other box titled "condition")
- now click the "add" in the INPUT box again, write "hello", press "enter" now there will be 2 inputs in the box named "hi" and "hello"
- Now on the OUTPUT box, click "Add" then write "Hi, nice to meet you", press the "enter" key ( you can ignore the other 2 boxes for the command and conditionals)
- Again click the "add" in the OUTPUT box, write "Hello, I was waiting for you", press "enter"
- Now from the tool menu click the "Compile Knowledge Base" or you can do it by clicking the compile button .
- A new file named untitled.ckb will be created in your working directory, Usually My Documents/Verbot4 directory
- Now double click the untitled.ckb, The verbot player opens, now type "hi", verbot will say either "Hi, nice to meet you" or "Hello, I was waiting for you"
- congrats you have just made you first knowledge base, if you have got the registerd version of Verbot you should save this file
- Unregisterd users of Verbot 4.1 can always add rules and inputs like above, but all should be done in one session, without closing the editor, after putting some rules, you should compile the knowledge base ( a .untitled.ckb will formed and then you should rename the file to anyname.ckb, in order to get the comipled KB for your reference, )
Now We Will Look At Some SPECIAL RULES
rulename *(default) -> (can be just simply '*') input * -> (wildcard value) outputs "sentences"
( the default output which verbot should say when a particular input is not found)
rulename _startup input _startup outputs "sentences"
( the sentence which verbot should speak when started(loaded) should be written here
rulename _bored input _bored output "sentences"
(when verbot gets bored that is when no activity occurs theses sentences
will be fired to the output) (boredom time is controlled at the player options)
rulename _blank input _blank output " sentences "
(which verbot should say when a user just hit the "enter" key without typing anything)
Conclusion
Now For The Best Reference To the Verbot scripting you can refer to the online scripting tutorial which also have a downloadable version, it's the best manual one gets to know Verbot in a better way, with full of diagrammatic representation on how to create a knowledge base
This Document was prepared by the verbot community, with the best helps from the Verbot Development Team
Extra TEXT TO be Used or deleted
The World of Verbots®
A Verbot (Verbally Enhanced Software Robot) can be your personal assistant, your teacher, and your friend. Created by Conversive, the Verbot is based on more than 10 years of AI experience and development. Verbots combine natural language, artificial intelligence, and real-time animation with voice synthesis to create an engaging virtual personality. Using XML and .NET architecture, Verbots are cutting-edge technology, but they are also extremely user-friendly and easy to modify using the built-in editor. What's more, Verbots use Microsoft Agent animation, so you can easily change your Verbot's appearance. Verbots can run programs, read aloud to you, launch Web sites, and speak other languages. Verbots can do a lot more than talk. Just ask one.
Verbot® Standard Edition comes with two applications. Verbot® Standard Edition Player, and the Verbot® Scripting Interface. The Verbots Online service allows for deployement of a web based Verbot.
Verbot Player
The Verbot® Player loads KnowledgeBases and displays an animated character that you can interact with through text based conversation. Content within a KnowledgeBase Rule allows the Verbot® character to open desktop applications, and perform various animations. The Verbot Player is Free and can be used to interact with third party custom KnowledgeBases.
Verbot Editor The Verbot Editor, is used to create custom KnowledgeBases. The easy to use interface allows you to create Rules which contain Inputs and Outputs. Inputs can utilize Verbot® Synonym files to help make scripting a breeze. Outputs can contain special tags which can open and run applications, as well as animate the Verbot® in many ways.
If you're anxious to get started creating your own Verbot® personality see:
Tutorials
Verbots Online With Verbot® technology, creating your own online intelligent agent becomes as straightforward as typing a sentence. Verbots Online features (2) types of accounts: Basic and Pro. Basic accounts allow you to fill out a predefined template to create a custom personality for your blog, social web site or any other website. A Verbots Online Pro account allows you upload and deploy custom KnowledgeBases created with the Verbot Editor - to extend and enhance your Verbots Online Virtual Personality.
Please read through this documentation so you can get the most out of your Verbot. This manual includes information on Verbot Player, Verbot Editor, and Verbots Online.
Learn more about:
Verbot Player Verbot Editor Verbots Online
