[Bug]: Narrator's Natural Voices aren't showing up in the preferences menu.

[a-y-u-s-h]

Checklist

• I have used the search function for OPEN issues to see if someone else has already submitted the same bug report. (Note - if the bug report is about ZoTTS failing to start, please ignore this step and open a report anyway, start up failures can have various causes so it's easier to have separate issues for each, especially Linux users)
• I have also used the search function for CLOSED issues to see if the problem is already solved and just waiting to be released.
• I have described the problem with as much detail as possible.
• If the bug only to occurs with a certain paper, I will include its details.

Zotero version

7.0.11

ZoTTS version

1.4.0

OS

Windows

OS (specific)

Windows 11 Pro

Steps to reproduce

1. Install Zotero.
2. Install ZoTTS.
3. Installed some voices using "Add Natural Voices" in Settings > Accessibility > Narrator in Windows 11.
4. Check preferences.

Expected behaviour

Natural Voices should also be available, they sound much better.

Actual behaviour

Natural voices, or newly installed voices aren't showing up in the menu.

[ImperialSquid]

Hi @a-y-u-s-h, thanks for the bug report.

I did some research and it seems like the "natural" voices and "regular" voices are separate things under the hood.

Meaning the natural narrator voices aren't usable by anything other than built in windows stuff like the narrator (you likely can't use them in other TTS programs, though I don't have any windows 11 machines so I can't check personally).

As a result, even if I wanted to add these voices I couldn't, since they're not available to ZoTTS. Also, for clarity, ZoTTS doesn't distinguish between voices on your computer, if it's installed, it should be available in ZoTTS, unless it's a special case like this.

For some alternative ideas:

• You can find many third party voices you might prefer, both paid (Harpo Software, CereProc, etc) and free (RHVoice, etc) exist.
• This project looks like it can act as a bridge between the natural voices and the APIs ZoTTS relies on (however, this is thoroughly untested by me and I'm away from my computer on holiday at the moment so I can't test it, I only recommend it because it looks like a useful fix to your problem, but I make no guarantees that it will actually work...)

I'm sorry I don't have an immediate easy fix for you. Hopefully one of the above helps (or alternatively you can wait for me to implement Azure TTS functionality... Eventually... Lol)

Let me know if you need any more help!