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Why isn't my text read out loud when I paste it into Narrator? - Knowledgebase / Narrator - Mariner Software

Why isn't my text read out loud when I paste it into Narrator?

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Why isn't my text read out loud when I paste it into Narrator? 

In order for Narrator to read text aloud, the text must first be 'marked up,' to provide the program with instructions on where in the text specific characters begin reading.

Narrator uses a system of flags to mark specific points in the text where characters should begin reading. A character will read all text following a flag until they either reach the end of the chapter or until they reach another character's flag. WIthout these flags, Narrator does not have enough information for a character to begin reading. Therefore, Narrator will not read a document without flags.

There are multiple ways of adding flags to a Narrator document:

  • Assign characters manually to specific points in the text.
  • Use the Casting Assistant to assign characters automatically.

Assigning Characters to Specific Points in the Text

There are two ways to assign a character to a specific point in the text.

The simplest way to assign a character to a point in the text is to drag character names from the character list to the point in a text where a character should begin speaking.

Characters can also be assigned using the Assign command:

  • Select a character from the character list.
  • Place the insertion point at a point where that character should begin speaking.
  • Choose Assign Character from the Director Menu.

Using the Casting Assistant

The Casting Assistant assigns characters to texts based on text signals in the following format:

Character Name:

For example, Narrator would cast a character called "Captain Hook" for the following tag:

Captain Hook:

Casting Assistant will also create characters to match text signals placed in the text for character names no character currently uses. For example, if Narrator encounters the following text signal:

Mister Smee:

...but there is no character in the character list named "Mister Smee," the casting assistant will create a character named "Mister Smee" to match the text signal.

Because of this, the Casting Assistant will create a new character if the text signal for an already-created character is spelled incorrectly. 
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