Free Trial
 

FAQ Listing


SitePal Account Questions

  1. Q. What does an SitePal account include?
  2. A. That depends on your account package. SitePal currently offers three different account packages, which are summarized below:
  • Bronze - the most basic SitePal account. It allows you to do most things.
  • Silver - the middle-tier SitePal account. It offers all of Bronze's features, supports more scenes, includes more audio streams and adds additional functionality such as Text-to-Speech and the ability to publish virtual characters to eBay auctions.
  • Gold - the most powerful SitePal account. It has all of Silver's features, supports even more scenes, includes even more audio streams, access to our Artificial Intelligence technology, full API support, the ability to integrate with Flash and the ability to remove SitePal branding.

You can also view our packages page for a more in-depth comparison between the different SitePal packages.

  1. Q. How can I view my account status?
  2. A. Click on "Account Info" at the top of the page. Your account information is displayed: purchase date, expiration date, remaining streams etc.
  1. Q. How can I edit my contact information?
  2. A. Click on "Account Info" at the top of the page. Your account information and contact information are displayed. To modify it, click on "Modify Info" button.
  1. Q. My email has changed, what do I do?
  2. A. Please follow the instructions on how to modify the contact info; the option to modify your email is available there.
  1. Q. I lost my password, what do I do?
  2. A. Please click "I lost my password" at the bottom of the login window. You will be asked to enter your login name (email address), and a temporary password will be automatically generated and sent to you. Please be sure to write down your new password in a safe place. If you do not receive your password within 10 minutes – most likely due to your SPAM filters, contact Support@SitePal.com and request a new password. Be sure to send an email from the email address you are requesting the password for.
  1. Q. I can't login, what do I do?
  2. A. Login is available only to registered users. If you are a registered user make sure you are using the right login name. Your login name is the same as the email address that you used to register. If you lost your password please follow these instructions. If you purchased an account and cannot login, it is possible that you entered your email incorrectly. Contact Support@SitePal.com.
  1. Q. How can I view invoices for my SitePal purchase(s)?
  2. A. Click on "Account Info" at the top of the page. At the bottom of the "Account Info" page there are links to your invoices.

SitePal Model & Character Questions

  1. Q. What is a Model?
  2. A. A Model is a base figure, which has not been customized by features, coloring or wardrobe. Each type of SitePal account package includes a pre-defined set of Models. Each Model includes a set of wardrobe, glasses and accessories.
  1. Q. What is a Character?
  2. A. A Character is a customized Model. Each Model that comes with a SitePal account package can be customized to fit your need by changing the wardrobe, glasses, facial hair, skin color, hairstyle and more. This customized Model is referred to as 'character'. Once created, a Character may then be added to a Scene or saved for future use.
  1. Q. How do I design a Character to be used in a Scene?
  2. A. Select the desired Model from the "Models" Panel. Use the arrows to scroll the list of available models.

    Next, customize the Model you've selected by modifying the hair, glasses, outfit, hats, necklace/earrings and facial hair. Click on the various options to create any combination you like.

    NOTE: Not all options are available for all models.
    When you design a Character you may add it to the Character Library for future use. To do so select the "Character Library" tab and click "Add."
  1. Q. Can I save a Character I designed and use it again?
  2. A. Yes. That is what the Character Library is for. When you are done designing your character, you may add it to the Character Library for future use. Simply select the "Character Library" and click "Add" to save your Character.
  1. Q. Can I add my own accessories to my SitePal Characters?
  2. A. Sorry, this functionality is not yet available.
  1. Q. Can I set the position and size of the Character?
  2. A. Absolutely. At the bottom left of the display area click on the "Move" button. Use the arrows to position the character and the + or - symbols to zoom in and out or click on the arrow buttons to adjust the Character's position within the Scene.
  1. Q. Can there be more than one Character in a Scene?
  2. A. No, each scene can only contain one Character at this time.
  1. Q. Can I upload a photograph to be used as a Character?
  2. A. Currently, no but watch the skies! We will soon have an exciting announcement on this front.

SitePal Audio Questions

  1. Q. What is the Audio Library?
  2. A. The Audio Library is way to manage all of the audios associated with your SitePal account. The audio library allows you to upload or record your own audio messages as well as rename, delete or even edit them (in the case of Text-to-Speech audio).
  1. Q. How do I select an audio to be used in a scene?
  2. A. To select an audio, select the "Audio Library" tab and click on the name of any audio message to select it.
  1. Q. How do I add my own audio to the Audio Library?
  2. A. Absolutely. You can add custom audio messages using one of several methods.
    • Record an Audio using a Microphone
    • Uploading a pre-recorded audio file
    • Using SitePal's Text-to-Speech facility
    Please refer to the SitePal User's Guide for detailed instructions for using each method.
  1. Q. What are the specifications for audio files used with SitePal?
  2. A. The current audio specifications are as follows:
    • Channels: 1 (mono) Sampling Rate: 22.050 KHz or 44.100 KHz (22.050 KHz recommended for best results)
    • Audio sample size: 16 bit Supported audio formats: WAV (PCM), MP3 (16, 32, 48, 64kbs).
    • Maximum Audio Length: 60 Seconds.

SitePal Scene Questions

  1. Q. What is a Scene?
  2. A. A Scene combines a character that you create, a background of your choice and an audio that you record to deliver a composite audio visual talking character. The scene is what you eventually include ('embed' is the term often used) in your web page.

    By creating multiple Scenes, you can include several talking characters with several different messages across your website. You can update your Scenes anytime and any changes immediately appear in your web pages.
  1. Q. Can I use a Scene more then one page on my site?
  2. A. Yes, the same Character and Background can be Embedded in multiple pages in your site and speak different audios.
  1. Q. How do I add a Scene to my web page?
  2. A. Adding a scene to your page is very simple, all you need is to copy and paste a small piece of HTML code. Both the Getting Started with SitePal quick-start guide and the comprehensive SitePal User's Guide describe this process in great detail.
  1. Q. I don't want repeat visitors to hear the same audio every time; can I limit the number of times the audio plays?
  2. A. Sure. You can set the limit on the number of times a repeat visitor hears the audio. To set this limit go to the "My Scenes" page. Next to the scene set the "Playback Limit" box to ON and enter the number of times the audio should play for returning users. When you are done, click "Update" at the top of the page.

    NOTE(s): The playback counter is reset a month after the visitor came to the page for the first time. The playback counter is reset when a new audio is selected for the scene.
  1. Q. How do I edit the dimensions of an embedded Scene?
  2. A. You may re-size the embedded Scene after embedding it in the page in one of the following ways:
    • Repeat the embed process by selecting "Embed Scene" and setting the desired dimensions.
    • If you are familiar with HTML, modify the dimensions properties in the HTML embed code in the web page in which the scene is embedded.
  1. Q. What is the difference between embedding a Scene and embedding an optimized Scene?
  2. A. An optimized Scene does not include the Scene's chosen background image, link information and does not support Text-to-Speech (TTS) functionality, which reduces the size of your Scene by about 20KB. This speeds up its overall loading time.
  1. Q. Why do I need several Scenes? Can't I just work on the same Scene?
  2. A. Anytime you publish a scene, add a scene to your web page, any changes you make to that Scene will also change the way the published scene looks like. Creating separate Scenes allows you to create different Scenes for specific purposes. For example, you might create one Scene specifically for a web page and and another for an email, etc.
  1. Q. Can I embed and/or control a Scene from within a Flash movie?
  2. A. Yes, but only the SitePal Gold account package supports this functionality.
  1. Q. Can I embed a Scene in a Power-Point presentation?
  2. A. Yes you can. Follow the instructions provided in the SitePal User's Guide on how to do this.
  1. Q. Can I use a SitePal Scene in a PDA application?
  2. A. Not directly. Oddcast has adapted the technology used by SitePal for use on some PDAs. Please contact Oddcast for more information.

The SitePal Player Questions

  1. Q. What is the SitePal player?
  2. A. The player is a graphic frame that appears around a Scene when it is displayed. The player includes a volume control slider and pause button, allowing site visitors to control the volume and playback of a SitePal Scene.
  1. Q. How do I edit player settings?
  2. A. In the SitePal editor check the box next to "Player Visible". The player will display around the scene. Click on the "Player Settings" button next to it. A window pops-up where you may change the look and functionality of the player: Check the boxes to display a volume control, pause button, or a title with the name of the scene. Select any of the palette's colors to set the color of the player. In case you can't find the color you are looking for, enter a hexadecimal value of a different color and click "Apply". When you are done click "Update" to view the changes in the editor.

SitePal Programming Questions

  1. Q. What is the VHost API?
  2. A. The VHost API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of JavaScript function calls that enable JavaScript programmers to control SitePal behavior from the web page in which it is embedded. For the full API reference and examples, please click here.

    NOTE: Only SitePal Silver and Gold account packages support the VHost API.
  1. Q. Can user interaction with the web page affect the behavior of an SitePal Scene?
  2. A. Yes. You may use the API commands to modify the VHost behavior in response to user interaction with the page. For example: add a button that will cause playback to be repeated. For the full API reference and examples, please click here.
  1. Q. Can I "connect" scenes to each other (so that they will play consecutively)?
  2. A. This capability is not currently supported by SitePal.

SitePal Performance Questions

  1. Q. What is the average loading time for a SitePal Scene?
  2. A. The 'loading time' is the time it takes to for a page, which contains only a Scene, from the opening of the page, until the character starts speaking. For a dialup connection, loading time should be in the range of 20 to 30 seconds. For a broadband connection, the loading time is usually only a few seconds.
  1. Q. What can I do to optimize loading time?
  2. A. In case you are not using the link feature and do not need to add a background to your Scene you can take advantage of the optimized embed option.

    While the size of the background does affect your loading time, the size of the audio does not. This is because the audio is streamed, only the first few seconds of the audio are loaded before the character starts to speak, regardless of the length of the audio message.