Microsoft Agent Animations for Merlin Character

ActiveXŽ technology for interactive software agents

Microsoft Corporation

October 1998

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The Microsoft Agent Merlin Character is a copyrighted work of Microsoft Corporation. You may use the character subject to the terms of the End User License Agreement for Microsoft Agent.

Merlin supports the animations listed in the table below. Refer to Programming the Microsoft Agent Server Interface and Programming the Microsoft Agent Control for information on how to call the character's animations.

If accessing these character animations using the HTTP protocol and the control's Get or server's Prepare method, consider how you will download them. Instead of downloading all the animations at once, you may want to retrieve the Showing and Speaking state animations first. This will enable you to display the character quickly and have it speak while bringing down other animations asynchronously. In addition, to ensure that character and animation data load successfully, use the RequestComplete event. If a load request fails, you can retry loading the data or display an appropriate message.

If an animation's Return animation is defined using Exit branches, you do not need to call it explicitly; Agent automatically plays the Return animation before the next animation. However, if a Return animation is listed, you must call the animation using the Play method before another animation to provide a smooth transition. If no Return animation is listed, the animation typically ends without needing a transitional animation.

The character file includes sound effects for some animations as noted in the following table. Sound effects play only if this option is enabled in the Microsoft Agent property sheet. You can also disable sound effects in your application.

Animation	Return Animation	Supports Speaking	Sound Effects	Assigned to State	Description
Acknowledge	None	No	No	None	Nods head
Alert	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	Listening	Straightens and raises eyebrows
Announce	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	Yes	None	Raises trumpet and plays
Blink	None	No	No	IdlingLevel1 IdlingLevel2	Blinks eyes
Confused	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	Yes	None	Scratches head
Congratulate	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	Yes	None	Displays trophy
Congratulate_2	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	Yes	None	Applauds
Decline	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Raises hands and shakes head
DoMagic1	None	Yes	No	None	Raises magic wand
DoMagic2	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	None	Lowers wand, clouds appear
DontRecognize	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Holds hand to ear
Explain	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Extends arms to side
GestureDown	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	GesturingDown	Gestures down
GestureLeft	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	GesturingLeft	Gestures left
GestureRight	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	GesturingRight	Gestures right
GestureUp	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	GesturingUp	Gestures up
GetAttention	GetAttentionReturn	Yes	Yes	None	Leans forward and knocks
GetAttentionContinued	GetAttentionReturn	Yes	Yes	None	Leaning forward, knocks again
GetAttentionReturn	None	No	No	None	Returns to neutral position
Greet	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	Yes	None	Bows
Hearing_1	None	No	No	Hearing	Ears extend (*looping animation)
Hearing_2	None	No	No	Hearing	Tilts head left (*looping animation)
Hearing_3	None	No	No	Hearing	Turns head left (*looping animation)
Hearing_4	None	No	No	Hearing	Turns head right (*looping animation)
Hide	None	No	Yes	Hiding	Disappears under cap
Idle1_1	Yes, using Exit branches	No	No	IdlingLevel1 IdlingLevel2	Takes breath
Idle1_2	Yes, using Exit branches	No	No	IdlingLevel1 IdlingLevel2	Glances left and blinks
Idle1_3	Yes, using Exit branches	No	No	IdlingLevel1 IdlingLevel2	Glances right
Idle1_4	Yes, using Exit branches	No	No	IdlingLevel1 IdlingLevel2	Glances up to the right and blinks
Idle2_1	None	No	No	IdlingLevel2	Looks at wand and blinks
Idle2_2	None	No	No	IdlingLevel2	Holds hands and blinks
Idle3_1	None	No	Yes	IdlingLevel3	Yawns
Idle3_2	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	IdlingLevel3	Falls asleep (*looping animation)
LookDown	LookDownReturn	No	No	None	Looks down
LookDownBlink	LookDownReturn	No	No	None	Blinks looking down
LookDownReturn	None	No	No	None	Returns to neutral position
LookLeft	LookLeftReturn	No	No	None	Looks left
LookLeftBlink	LookLeftReturn	No	No	None	Blinks looking left
LookLeftReturn	None	No	No	None	Returns to neutral position
LookRight	LookRightReturn	No	No	None	Looks right
LookRightBlink	LookRightReturn	No	No	None	Blinks looking right
LookRightReturn	None	No	No	None	Returns to neutral position
LookUp	LookUpReturn	No	No	None	Looks up
LookUpBlink	LookUpReturn	No	No	None	Blinks looking up
LookUpReturn	None	No	No	None	Returns to neutral position
MoveDown	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	MovingDown	Flies down
MoveLeft	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	MovingLeft	Flies left
MoveRight	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	MovingRight	Flies right
MoveUp	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	MovingUp	Flies up
Pleased	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Smiles and holds hands together
Process	No	No	Yes	None	Stirs caldron
Processing	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	None	Stirs caldron (*looping animation)
Read	ReadReturn	Yes	Yes	None	Opens book, reads and looks up
ReadContinued	ReadReturn	Yes	Yes	None	Reads and looks up
ReadReturn	None	No	Yes	None	Returns to neutral position
Reading	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	None	Reads (*looping animation)
RestPose	None	Yes	No	Speaking	Neutral position
Sad	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Sad expression
Search	No	No	Yes	None	Looks into crystal ball
Searching	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	None	Looks into crystal ball (*looping animation)
Show	None	No	Yes	Showing	Appears out of cap
StartListening	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Puts hand to ear
StopListening	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Puts hands over ears
Suggest	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	Yes	None	Displays lightbulb
Surprised	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	Yes	None	Looks surprised
Think	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Looks up with hand on chin
Thinking	No	No	No	None	Looks up with hand on chin (*looping animation)
Uncertain	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Leans forward and raises eyebrow
Wave	Yes, using Exit branches	Yes	No	None	Waves
Write	WriteReturn	Yes	Yes	None	Opens book, writes and looks up
WriteContinued	WriteReturn	Yes	Yes	None	Writes and looks up
WriteReturn	None	No	Yes	None	Returns to neutral position
Writing	Yes, using Exit branches	No	Yes	None	Writes (*looping animation)

* If you play a looping animation, you must use Stop to clear it before other animations in the character's queue will play.