Add audio to a model

Feature availability

Turn your 3D models into an even more engaging, multi-sensory experience by complementing the interactive visuals with audio. We offer two audio options in Human Studio:

  1. Text to speech narration
  2. Audio file upload

 

Text to speech narration vs. audio files

Text to speech narration

When enabled, our text to speech narration feature reads the current chapter's chapter description out loud. This can help learners to absorb complementary information about a 3D model while allowing them to maintain their focus on the interactive visuals. Presenting visual and verbal information together can also facilitate more effective information recall, leading to better learning outcomes.

Text to speech narration is available in all eight of our supported languages. Once enabled, our system will detect the language in which your chapter description is written and narrate the text in the appropriate language and accent. For example, a chapter description written in Spanish will be narrated in Spanish with a Spanish accent, as you can hear in the example below.

Audio files

As an alternative to text to speech narration, you can choose to upload your own audio file to any chapter in the BioDigital Human. This option is ideal if you prefer to record your own narration or would like to add a different type of auditory information—such as instructions or even heart or breath sounds—to your models.

Both audio options are controlled via the Play/Pause Audio button in your published model. See How to play audio in a published model for more details.

Our audio file requirements are as follows:

  • One (1) audio file per language per chapter
  • Accepted file types: .aac, .mp3, .mp4
  • Maximum file size: 50 MB

 

Enable text to speech narration

Take the following steps to enable text to speech narration in your model:

  1. If you have not already, open your model in Human Studio.
  2. Select a chapter from the Chapters panel on the left and click the Edit Info button to open the Content Manager window.
    studio_edit info_nov23.png
  3. Scroll down to the Audio section of the Content Manager window. The drop-down menu should currently read "No Audio."
  4. Select Text to Speech Narration from the drop-down menu.
  5. (Optional) To preview the narration audio as it will sound to end users, click Listen to narration.
    audio_tts_listen_to_narration_nov22.png
  6. (Optional) Repeat as desired for other chapters, or click the Apply audio settings to all chapters icon next to the Audio header.
    audio_apply_to_all_nov22.png
  7. Click Done.
  8. Click Save in the lower-right corner of the page to save your changes.

 

Upload your own audio files

Take the following steps to upload audio files to a chapter in your model:

  1. If you have not already, open your model in Human Studio.
  2. Select a chapter from the Chapters panel on the left and click the Edit Info button to open the Content Manager window.
    studio_edit info_nov23.png
  3. Scroll down to the Audio section of the Content Manager window. The drop-down menu should currently read "No Audio."
  4. Select Audio File from the drop-down menu.
  5. If applicable, select your audio language from the drop-down menu.
  6. Drag and drop your audio file into the Audio block or use the browse function to find and add your audio file manually.
    audio_upload_file_nov22.png
  7. (Optional) Repeat as desired for other chapters.

    Note: If you click the Apply audio settings to all chapters icon next to the Audio header, the audio file that you upload to the active chapter will be uploaded to all of the other chapters currently in your tour.

  8. Click Done.
  9. Click Save in the lower-right corner of the page to save your changes.

 

How to play audio in a published model

Once either type of audio has been added to a chapter in a 3D model or tour, you can listen to it by clicking the    unmute audio icon, which can be found in the information panel on the "View" page or in the published model.

Note: Browser security restrictions require end users to opt in before audio can play in a given browser. Due to this restriction, our audio is muted by default when the 3D model loads, and the user must click the    unmute audio icon in order to hear it play. However, if you enable one of our 3D interaction prompts when you publish your model, the act of clicking or tapping the "Interact in 3D" prompt will automatically unmute the audio, thereby bypassing this additional step for the user.

You can also click Play from Beginning and    Unmute or    Mute. 

Audio is muted:

audio muted_sep23.png

Audio is unmuted:

audio unmuted_sep23.png

These audio controls are enabled by default when you publish, so if you add audio to a model that is already in use, the controls will automatically appear in your published model.